June 17, 2016
Dear Westchester Family,
As we enter Father’s Day weekend, I’m writing to you on a very personal subject. I’m asking every man in Westchester County to take ownership of their well-being by pledging to get screened for colorectal and prostate cancer, and I’m asking the women receiving this note to ask the men you love to get screened.
To increase awareness, we have made colorectal and prostate cancer screening part of our #DadBeThere initiative. We have also set a goal, endorsed by the American Cancer Society, to have 80 percent of the appropriate residents in the county screened for colorectal cancer. To help make this happen, we have partnered with Dr. Mitchell Benson and the NewYork-Presbyterian/Lawrence Hospital by signing onto the American Cancer Society's “80 by 2018” pledge.
Another member of the team in this effort is the Colon Cancer Challenge Foundation, a nonprofit headed up by Dr. Thomas K. Weber. They are sponsors of a drawing for cash prizes open to those who get screened. Please follow the links for the pledge and cash drawing in this email.
More than 1,000 men are diagnosed with prostate and colorectal cancer each year in Westchester. After lung cancer, prostate and colorectal cancers are the deadliest forms of the disease for men, but very preventable. The key is knowing the risks and getting screened. I lost my grandfather and a very young cousin to colorectal cancer because they were diagnosed too late.
So no excuses, talk to your doctor, and get screened as soon as possible, and ask your loved ones to do the same. There’s no good reason not to get screened.
After all, dads can’t be there if illness takes them away.
God bless and happy Father’s Day.
Rob