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PROSTATE CANCER CLIMB TURNS TO HIGHEST
MOUNTAIN IN AFRICA
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Prostate cancer
veterans and their supporters will be challenged by
The Snows of Kilimanjaro
Prostate Cancer
Research Institute, one of the leading research and
educational support organizations in America,
announced preparations are underway for the Second Hap
Weyman Memorial Prostate Cancer Climb in September
2003.
PCRI led a team of
fourteen climbers, including five with prostate
cancer, up Mt. Aconcagua, Argentina in 2001, the start
of a unique fundraising and awareness movement known
as the Prostate Cancer Climb. The 22,840-foot Mt.
Aconcagua is the highest mountain in the Western
Hemisphere. Mt. Kilimanjaro, the fabled 19,400-foot
peak in Tanzania, will be the next high-altitude
target for these dedicated men as they inch closer
toward their goal of raising $1 million for prostate
cancer research and education.
Prostate cancer has
epidemic proportions in America, affecting one out of
three families, said Glenn Weaver, PCRI Executive
Director. Every 90 seconds another man is told he has
prostate cancer. Its also being found in younger and
younger men. This year, one of five men diagnosed will
be under the age of 60. We want to inspire those men
with the disease that there is hope, and prove to them
that a rich and rewarding life is possible after
diagnosis.
The Prostate Cancer
Climb is a groundbreaking effort established three
years ago by Dr. Terry Weyman, a Los Angeles
chiropractor whose father, Hollywood television
director Hap Weyman, died of the of the disease in
1990. Weymans goal: To show that prostate cancer
neednt be a death sentence and that through proper
awareness and education, prevention can be possible.
The cancer survivors on Weymans first expedition
learned not to set limits, and that perhaps they could
even climb a tall mountain.
The tradition
continues with the upcoming Mt. Kilimanjaro challenge.
Donations are currently being sought from individuals
and corporations across the country in the name of the
Climbs Hap Weyman fund.
The high altitude
climb is a gritty task in itself, and for those who
have the disease the challenge becomes harder, said
Ken Malik, a prostate cancer survivor who took part in
the Mt. Aconcagua expedition and who plans to tackle
Kilimanjaro as well. To get our message across, we
need the support of one and all.
In order to make the
journey to Mt. Kilimanjaro, each climber is required
to raise at least $2,000. By supporting the climbers
and the PCRI (a 501.C3 not-for-profit educational and
research support organization), individual and
corporate donors will be recognized on the Climb
Website and will have their names acknowledged in a
flag salute at the Kilimanjaro summit.
Donors will rest in
the knowledge that theyve contributed to a most
worthwhile cause. With an estimated 31,000 deaths in
2002, prostate cancer is the second leading cause of
cancer death in men.
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