We need your support!

 Greetings Mayors, Council Members, Trustees and Commissioners

My name is Linda Hoetger and on June 19, 2009, my life forever changed when my husband Ray and I were given the devastating news that Ray had an aggressive form of prostate cancer. However, I was not about to sit back and do nothing! I started advocating and raising awareness for this horrible disease that no one seems to want to talk about. In 2012, I began working with ZERO – The End of Prostate Cancer, a national nonprofit with the mission to end prostate cancer. ZERO advances research, improves the lives of men and families, and inspires action.

Working with ZERO has given me so many more opportunities to help raise awareness and to be part of ending prostate cancer. Each year Ray and I speak to our elected officials at the Annual ZERO Prostate Cancer Summit in Washington, D.C., and work locally in Ohio to secure proclamations from each local government declaring September as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

Thank you for your support in raising awareness for prostate cancer in your community with Proclamations, Resolutions and Citations in the past. I would like to ask for your support for 2018. 1 in 9  men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime. Someone in your family or you may know someone impacted by prostate cancer.  Your support is needed as education and awareness for prostate cancer is limited across the nation. Prostate cancer awareness month is in September, although I am starting early contacting everyone. In hopes that you to can encourage your surrounding communities to join us in raising awareness and education so men can make an informed decision if treatment is needed in their lifetime. Your support means the world to those battling this horrible disease and gets men talking and veterans sharing their story as well. While men are sharing their story, other men and families know they are not alone in this fight and in turn encourage others to share too. Please share the Proclamations on your City, Village and Township Social Media pages as another way to help raise awareness in hopes to also get men to speak up and share too.

During the month of September elected officials have shared this with newspapers and newsletters as another way to help promote prostate cancer awareness and education. And invite members of the Proclamation Team to Council meetings to share their stories and information about prostate cancer.

Each September, the nation recognizes prostate cancer awareness month to help defeat the third leading cause of cancer deaths among men. An estimated 29,430 husbands, sons, brothers, fathers, and grandfathers will lose their lives to prostate cancer in 2018.

An Ohio resident has been hard at work to ensure that these proclamations are renewed annually. Linda Hoetger has spoken with local leaders to remind communities of the pain and suffering of prostate cancer. As a result, Mayors, Legislators, City Council Members, and Town/Village managers and County Commissioners will issue a proclamation or resolution declaring September prostate cancer awareness month.

We ask that you send a copy so that our Proclamation Team across the nation can share your community support. The copies are taken to prostate cancer events and on Capitol Hill.  The Prostate Cancer Community Thanks you for you support! Also if you could encourage others to join in with a Proclamation or Resolution we would love to have their support as well. I/We challenge (City, Village and Township) to participate with a Proclamation or Resolution for Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in September . #ProclamationTeam

 September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

Whereas, this year approximately 164,690  men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in the United States alone every year – that’s one man every 3.2 minutes and roughly 29,430 die this year from the disease – which is one man every 18 minutes; and

Whereas, in Ohio an estimated 5,810 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed and an estimated 1,110 deaths will occur in 2018; and

Whereas, Men with relatives – father, brother, son – with a history of prostate cancer are twice as likely to develop the disease; and

Whereas, Prostate cancer is most commonly diagnosed cancer in American Men and the third leading cause of cancer death behind lung and colon cancer; and

Whereas, 1 in 9 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime. 1 in 6 African American men will develop prostate cancer in his lifetime. Overall, African American men are 1.7 times more likely to be diagnosed with—and 2.3 times more likely to die from—prostate cancer than white men; and

Whereas, Veterans who are exposed to herbicides like Agent Orange are at increased risk for developing prostate cancer, and are more likely to have an aggressive form of the disease; and

Whereas, Education regarding prostate cancer and early detection strategies is critical to saving lives, preserving, and protecting our families. The economic and social burden of prostate cancer is huge. Prostate cancer is estimated to cost over $8 billion in direct medical expenditures; and

Whereas, If caught early prostate cancer has a five-year survival rate of nearly 100%. However for late stage prostate cancer the five-year survival rate is 29%; and

Whereas, all men are at risk for prostate cancer and we encourage the citizens of (City) to increase the importance of prostate screenings