The local chapter of the American Cancer Society is kicking off a fundraising campaign with local men leading the charge.
During the “Real Men Wear Pink” campaign, 26 select men from the Birmingham area have been nominated to serve as the “Pink Men” of Birmingham during breast cancer awareness month.
Each participant will promote breast cancer education and early detection with messaging provided by the American Cancer Society. There is also a fundraising component in which the men will compete against each other, raising as much funds as possible (a minimum of $2,500) for the American Cancer Society.
The participant who raises the most funds will be named the “Birmingham’s Pink Man of the Year.”
Several Homewood men are getting involved in the campaign:
Dr. Doug Hurst knows that almost everyone has had a personal connection to someone who has had breast cancer, as it remains among the most diagnosed cancers in females.
“This provides a strong motivation to raise awareness in the community for early detection and prevention that has saved and will continue to save countless lives,” he said.
Dr. Hurst said that more research needs to be done to better understand metastatic disease, as there is still no cure for it, and those patients have a median survival of only three years, a statistic that has not changed in the past two decades.
“I am participating in the Real Men Wear Pink campaign so that we can raise money to help fund important research projects that will one day make a difference in the lives of patients diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer,” he said.
Patrick Eades
Patrick Eades
Patrick Eades works for Sage Products, which manufactures medical and hygiene products for in local hospitals. Many of the people that use the products are victims of cancer.
He chose to participate in the Real Men Wear Pink campaign to continue to bring awareness to cancer as a whole and to prevent mothers, wives and daughters from becoming statistics of breast cancer.
“Although I have not been touched by breast cancer, many people I know have. I feel if we all contribute to finding a cure one day there might be a way to prevent it from challenging the ones you and I love,” he said.
To help with his fundraising, Eades will be using the makingstrideswalk.org/realmenbirminghamal website to collect donations for this campaign.
Michael Sellers
Michael Sellers
Good People Brewing Company’s Michael Sellers said he was honored to be asked to
participate in the Real Men Wear Pink campaign.
“This is a great cause that helps remember loved ones who have passed from the disease, while also celebrating survivors and educating both men and women about preventative care,” he said. “Helping to bring awareness and raise funds to help battle this disease will, hopefully, one day make treating and preventing it possible.”
Sellers said that breast cancer research is extremely important.
To raise funds, Good People Brewing Company will be hosting a Charity Beer of the Week Oct. 12-16. For every Pale Ale bought in the taproom, a portion of the proceeds will go directly to Real Men Wear Pink.
Other Homewood participants include Brandon Wilson of Lewis & Co. and Rick Journey of Acanthus Agency.
