ATLANTA – During the Hawks’ game on Friday, the Atlanta Hawks Foundation presented a check of $130,000 to the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) as a part of the team’s fourth annual Black History Month Assist Challenge. Throughout the month of February, the Hawks Foundation committed to donating $250 for every assist registered by the team. The Hawks totaled 260 assists to bring the donation total to $65,000 and generated millions of digital impressions by providing the fanbase with social updates on progress. In addition, Hawks Principal Owners Tony Ressler and Jami Gertz alongside the Ressler Gertz Family Foundation matched the initial donation to bring the total to $130,000.
Launched in 2019, the Hawks have helped PCF raise nearly $650,000 through the annual Black History Month Assist Challenge to support lifesaving research. The Challenge helped to generate millions of impressions through media and provided resources for prostate cancer screening, risk reduction, and treatment, including local resources at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University.
“We are overwhelmed by the generous support PCF has received from the Hawks and are honored to again join efforts to raise awareness and funds for prostate cancer research,” said PCF President and CEO Charles J. Ryan, MD. “Our continued partnership with the Hawks during Black History Month has helped us reach so many men about the importance of understanding your risk for prostate cancer, especially Black men, who are disproportionately affected.”
The challenge also aimed to raise awareness of prostate cancer inequities in Black men. One in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime, and Black men are about 75 percent more likely to develop prostate cancer than non-Hispanic white men. As a part of the campaign, the Hawks included an informational video featuring Hawks legend Dominique Wilkins and current Hawks forward John Collins as well as Bradley Carthon, MD, a medical oncologist and prostate cancer expert at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, who discussed the importance for men to begin the conversation with their doctor for screening.
Learn more about the Black History Month Assist Challenge and find additional resources provided by Winship Cancer Institute by visiting Hawks.com/PCF.
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Hawks Check Presentation
ABOUT THE ATLANTA HAWKS
Committed to entertaining and uniting the city of Atlanta since 1968, the Atlanta Hawks & State Farm Arena, under the leadership of Principal Owners Tony Ressler and Jami Gertz, continue to build bridges through basketball by following its True to Atlanta mantra. On the court, the Hawks’ exciting young core is led by All-Star point guard Trae Young as the organization received the NBA’s top ranking in overall in-game experience for the last two seasons. Off the court, the Hawks organization focuses on positively impacting the lives of Atlantans through providing access to youth basketball, fighting food insecurity, and the recent transformation of State Farm Arena into Georgia’s largest-ever voting precinct for the 2020 elections. The Hawks family also includes the College Park Skyhawks (NBA G League) and Hawks Talon Gaming Club (NBA 2K League). Atlanta Hawks Membership, which includes your seat for every home game for the 2022-23 regular season, is on sale now at www.hawks.com/membership or by calling 866-715-1500. For more information on the Hawks, log on to www.hawks.com or follow us on social media @ATLHawks.
ABOUT THE PROSTATE CANCER FOUNDATION
The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) is the world’s leading philanthropic organization dedicated to funding life-saving prostate cancer research. Founded in 1993 by Mike Milken, PCF has been responsible for raising close to $1 billion in support of cutting-edge research by more than 2,200 research projects at 245 leading cancer centers in 28 countries around the world. Since PCF’s inception, and through its efforts, patients around the world are living longer, suffering fewer complications, and enjoying better quality of life. PCF is committed to creating a global public square for prostate cancer, in service to our mission of ending death and suffering from the disease. Learn more at pcf.org.
About Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University
As the only NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center for the state of Georgia, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University discovers, develops and delivers some of the world’s most effective ways to prevent, detect, diagnose and treat each patient’s unique cancer. Winship leverages the depth and breadth of Emory University and collaborates with other NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers and leading cancer organizations. Winship has more than 500 faculty members who together received $80 million in cancer research funding in 2020, $33 million of that from NCI. Also, in 2020, Winship enrolled more than 900 people in its 300 cancer clinical trials. For more information, visit Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University.
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