During the next three months Pints for Prostates will use the universal language of beer to reach men with an important health message in five states.

You can help support the campaign at the following events:

Bright Leaf Brew Fest: On Nov. 14th from 2-8 p.m. at The Community Market in Danville, Va. Tickets for the event are $18. http://www.visitdanville.com/index.aspx?NID=133

Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery Tapping Party: On Nov. 17th from 5:30-7:30 at the brewpub at 401 N. Tryon St. in Uptown Charlotte, N.C. There is no cover for the event.

Mellow Magical Mystery Bike Tour: On Nov. 21st from 9:30 a.m. to to 1:30 p.m. you can take a 24 mile bike tour from the Mellow Mushroom Pizza Baker location in Orlando, Fla., to their location in Winter Park and back. Registration for the event is $25.

Beer Wars at the Original Gavity Brewery: On Dec. 10 from 7:30-10:30 p.m. the movie Beer Wars will be screened at the brewpub at 440 County St. in Milan, Mich. Tickets for the movie are $10.

World Beer Festival: On Jan. 16th we will have a booth at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Centyer in Columbia, S.C., during the fest’s two sessions, noon-4 p.m. and 6-10 p.m. Tickets for the event are $40. http://www.allaboutbeer.com/wbfcolumbia/tickets.html

During the Livestrong Global Cancer Summit in Dublin, Dr. Sanjay Gupta of CNN talked to Rick Lyke of Pints for Prostates about how the campaign uses the universal language of beer to reach men with an important health message. CNN also sent a crew to Colorado for the Denver Rare Beer Tasting and Great American Beer Festival.

Erik Boles and the fine people at Beer Tap TV have posted an interview they did at the inaugural Denver Rare Beer Tasting last month. Check out this video to see how they are helping the Pints for Prostates campaign reach men through the universal language of beer.

Pints for Prostates uses the universal language of beer to reach men with an important health message. One of the ways that this happens is at events hosted by bars and breweries where we set up an information table and collect donations to support the mission of the Us TOO International Prostate Cancer Education and Support Network.

This weekend two events took place: one at Carolina Beer Co. in Mooresville, N.C., and the other at Barb’s Beer Emporium in Concord, N.H. Both events were family friendly and provide the opportunity for us to reach men through the universal language of beer with important health information.

During November we have two events on the books. Pints for Prostates will have a booth at the Bright Leaf Beer Fest in Danville, Va., on Nov. 14th and the Mellow Mushroom Pizza locations in Orlando and Winter Park, Fla., are hosting the Magical Mystery Bike Tour on Nov. 21st. Please come on out and support the campaign if you live in any of these areas.

We have some other events in the planning stages across the country. We will be announcing those soon. You can follow the Pints for Prostates campaign on our Facebook page or by following Pints4Prostates on Twitter.

The Pints for Prostates campaign had a very busy September with events spread from California to Massachusetts. The beer industry and restaurant trade have really embraced the effort and helped us to use the universal language of beer to reach men with an important health message.

There are tons of people that provided support to pull the events off, including volunteers who have done everything from hang signs and collect donations to prepare marketing materials and blow up balloons.

Hosts for Pints for Prostates fundraising events during the month included E.B. Flatts in East Brookfield, Mass.; North Star Craft Brewery in Shasta Lake, Calif.; Foothills Brewery in Winston-Salem, N.C.; Rocco’s Café & Pizzeria in Chicago, Ill.; The Pub at Polaris Fashion Place in Columbus, Ohio; Blind Lady Ale House in San Diego, Calif.; The Villager Pub in Charlevoix, Mich.; and Olde Mecklenburg Brewery in Charlotte, N.C.

Pints for Prostates was also given booth space by the Brewers Association at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colo., and by All About Beer Magazine for the World Beer Festival in Durham, N.C., which took placethis past weekend. Ben Carlisle from Alabama, a new homebrewer attending his first GABF, was the lucky kegerator winner at that festival, while Steve Baylus of North Carolina won the raffle at the WBF. All funds from the kegerator raffles go directly to help guys with prostate cancer.

The inaugural Denver Rare Beer Tasting to benefit the Pints for Prostates campaign was held at the Wynkoop Brewery during the GABF week and featured 24 great breweries. There were the 450 beer fans in the sold out crowd, including George Wendt, “Norm” of Cheers fame. Daniel Bradford, publisher of All About Beer Magazine, put a huge amount of energy and expertise into making the event enjoyable for beer lovers and a success for Pints for Prostates. Check out this video from Here for the Beer to see some of the event: http://www.hereforthebeer.com/pints-for-prostates-rare-beer-tasting-at-the-gabf/.

Funds raised at all of the events go to help the Us TOO Prostate Cancer Education and Support Network, a 501(c)3 charity that works with men with prostate cancer and their families.

It has been a busy September for the Pints for Prostates campaign, with events already taking place in Massachusetts, California, North Carolina, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan and Colorado. Thousands of men have been exposed to the message that they need to have regular prostate health screenings and PSA testing. As we head into fall, additional events are taking place around the country, including:

Pints for Prostates at E.B. Flatts: From Sept. 1-30, E.B. Flatts at 245 W. Main Street in East Brookfield, Mass., is donating a portion of sales to the Pints for Prostates campaign.

Pints for Prostates at the Olde Mecklenburg Brewery: On Sept. 30th from 5:30-8:30 p.m., Olde Mecklenburg Brewery at 215 Southside Dr., Charlotte, N.C., will host an event. For $25 there will be beer samples, German bratwurst, brewery tours and live music.

World Beer Festival: On Oct. 3rd from noon to 4 p.m. and 6-10 p.m., Pints for Prostates will have a booth at the World Beer Festival at Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, N.C.

Pints for Prostates Oktoberfest at Revolution Pizza & Ale House: On Oct. 9th from 5-11 p.m., Revolution Pizza & Ale House at 3228 N. Davidson in Charlotte, N.C., will host a beer tasting featuring 10-12 breweries. A $15 cover gets you in for beer sampling and live music.

Pumpkin Carving for a Cause: On Oct. 17th from noon to 4 p.m., Carolina Beer Co. at 110 Barley Park Lane in Mooresville, N.C., will host pumpkin carving and release the 2009 Cottonwood Pumpkin Spice Ale. Beer sampling and brewery tours will be available.

Pints for Prostates at Barb’s Beer Emporium: On Oct. 17th from noon to 7 p.m., Barb’s Beer Emporium at 208 N. Main St. in Concord, N.H., will have an open house with beer tastings, a cook off, face painting for the kids, free appetizers and raffles.

Bright Leaf Brew Festival: On Nov. 14th from 2-8 p.m., Pints for Prostates will have a booth at the Bright Leaf Brew Fest at the Community Market in Danville, Va.

More events are in the works around the country and will be announced in the coming weeks. You can get more details on the Pints for Prostates page on Facebook.

September is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and the Pints for Prostates campaign will salute survivors of the disease at nine events taking place across the country.  

The events, ranging from fundraisers at taverns to participation in beer festivals, are scheduled to take place in California, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Ohio.

“The mission of Pints for Prostates is to reach men in a friendly and non-threatening way when they may be willing to listen to a message about prostate health screening and PSA testing,” said Rick Lyke, a 48-year-old Charlotte, N.C., marketing executive and drinks journalist who had successful prostate cancer surgery in April 2008. “Pints for Prostates uses the universal language of beer to encourage men to take charge of their health.”

Each week 4,000 men in the U.S. hear the words: “You have prostate cancer.” The key for these men is detecting the disease in the early stages when treatment is nearly 100 percent successful. The grassroots Pints for Prostates campaign is focused on building awareness among men of the importance of regular health screenings and PSA testing.

“All men should start getting screened for prostate cancer when they reach 40 years old,” Lyke said. “The death rate from prostate cancer has declined in the last two decades because of improvements in testing and treatment. Still, thousands of men die needlessly each year because there is a lack of information sharing. Prostate cancer occupies the same social standing as breast cancer did in this country 30 years ago. Thanks to the pink ribbon campaign’s impact on early detection, scores of women have survived breast cancer. Men need to talk to other men and shake off the stigma of prostate cancer.”

As part of National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, Pints for Prostates is participating in the following events around the United States:

·         Pints for Prostates at E.B. Flatts at 245 W. Main St., East Brookfield, Mass., from Sept. 1-30. A portion of the proceeds from sales will be donated to the Pints for Prostates campaign.

·         North Star Craft Brewery at 3501 Iron Ct. in Shasta Lake, Calif., on Sept. 12 from 3:30-11 p.m. Live bands, food and beer. http://www.northstarbrew.com/homepage/NorthStarBreweryFestivals.html

·         Foothills Oktoberfest at 638 W. 4^th St., Winston-Salem, N.C., on Sept. 12^th from Noon to 2 a.m. German food, a costume contest, games and raffle.

·         Rocco’s Café & Pizzeria at 1925 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago, Ill., on Sept. 13 from 2:00-6:00 p.m. celebrating the success of the SEA Blue Walk, a joint venture between two 501(c)3 non-profit organizations, Us TOO International Prostate Cancer Education and Support Network and Wellness Place, Cancer Education and Support. http://www.ustooevents.org/site/PageServer?pagename=2009_Chgo_Splash

·         Men’s Night Out for Pints for Prostates at The Pub in Polaris Fashion Place, 1500 Polaris Parkway, Columbus, Ohio, on Sept. 17^th from 5:00-9:00 p.m. Beer, Scotch and Bourbon tastings, live music, food, silent auction and raffles. www.pubs4prostates.com.

·         Pints for Prostates benefit at the Blind Lady Ale House, 3416 Adams Ave. in San Diego, Calif., on Sept. 20th from 11:30 a.m. to Midnight. A portion of the day’s sales and donations to a raffle for some great prizes will be donated to the Us TOO International Prostate Cancer Education and Support Network.

·         Great American Beer Festival at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colo., from Sept. 24-26. http://www.beertown.org/events/gabf/.

·         Denver Rare Beer Tasting to benefit Pints for Prostates presented by All About Beer Magazine in cooperation with BeerAdvocate.com at the Wynkoop Brewery at 1634 18^th St. in Denver, Colo., on Sept. 25 from 1:00-4:00 p.m. www.allaboutbeer.com/pints.

·         Pints for Prostates benefit at the Olde Mecklenburg Brewery at 215 Southside Dr. in Charlotte, N.C. on Sept. 30th from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Beer sampling, brewery tours, food and live music.

About Pints for Prostates

Pints for Prostates, a campaign that uses the universal language of beer to encourage men to take charge of their health, was founded by prostate cancer survivor Rick Lyke in 2008. The grassroots effort raises awareness among men of the importance of regular health screenings and PSA testing by making appearances at beer festivals, social networking and pro bono advertising. All funds generated by Pints for Prostates benefit the Us TOO International Prostate Cancer Education and Support Network, a 501(c)3 charity that works to support, educate and advocate for men with prostate cancer and their families. More information is available at www.ustoo.org/pints. Pints for Prostates also has a presence on Facebook and Twitter.

Lance Armstrong in Dublin

The Livestrong Global Cancer Summit took place this week in Ireland. Held at the Royal Dublin Society, the event attracted 500 delegates from 65 countries around the global. In attendance were government leaders, the heads of some of the leading cancer fighting organizations, chief executives of major corporations and individuals that are active in everything from early detection to assisting those diagnosed with the disease. There were also a large number of cancer survivors among the delegates.

Sponsored by the Lance Armstrong Foundation, the summit was aimed at creating a clear call for action to address the global epidemic of cancer. By 2010, cancer will be the leading cause of death around the world. People diagnosed with cancer still face stigma and myths about the disease. The drain on personal finances and the broader economy is frightening. In a World Bank study commissioned by Livestrong, the annual economic impact of newly diagnosed cancer cases was pegged at $305 billion. Beyond the dollar impact, in many parts of the world the lack of medical facilities, equipment and health insurance means cancer goes undetected and untreated until it is too late. Then, many of the people with the disease are unable to get medications we all take for granted that can help make their remaining days less painful.

The Livestrong Global Cancer Summit opened on Sunday night with a reception at Dublin Castle that featured a welcome by Irish Minister of Health and Children Mary Harney and remarks by U.S. Ambassador Dan Rooney.

On Monday, the program was focused around the growing cancer burden and what needs to be done to get governments to focus on the issue. Some of the speakers included Dr. John Seffrin, CEO of the American Cancer Society; Lynn Faulds Wood, president of the European Cancer Patient Coalition; Faisal A. Al-Fayez, former Prime Minister of Jordan; Olusegun Obansanjo, former President of Nigeria; Alojz Peterle, former Prime Minister of Slovenia; Dr. Jose Angel Cordova Villalobos, Secretary of Health for Mexico; Professor Jim Bishop, Chief Medical Officer for Australia; Mark Parker, CEO of Nike; Jonathan Thomas, president and CEO of American Century Companies; and Caroline Roan, president of the Pfizer Foundation.

On Tuesday, there were a series of working sessions on leadership, reach and innovation that featured a wide range of interesting work taking place around the world to help people with the disease. The panelists includedSamir Khleif of the King Hussein Cancer Center; Felicia Knaul, chief economist with the Mexican Health Foundation; Brother Charles Anothony of The Ormylia Foundation; Gabriel Madiye of The Shepherd’s Hospice Sierra Leone; Ian Garbett of the University of Papua New Guinea; and Dr. Lawrence Shulman, Chief Medical Officer at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. That evening a reception was held at the Guinness Brewery where the dramatic story of how Lance Armstrong got involved in fighting cancer and Livestrong was formed was told by cycling broadcaster Paul Sherwen, Nike executive Scott MacEachern and Lance Armstrong.

On Wednesday morning Pints for Prostates was featured as part of a breakfast briefing session on overcoming the stigma of cancer. Greg Donaldson, national vice president of corporate communications for the American Cancer Society moderated a panel discussion on cancer stigma featuring Dr. Xishan Hao, president of the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association; Dr. M. R. Rajagopal, founder and chairman of Pallium India; Dr. Alejandro Mohar, director of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico; Rick Lyke, cancer survivor and founder of Pints for Prostates; and Molebatsi Pooe-Shongwe, a cancer survivor and founder of BreastSens, a nonprofit breast health and health care rights initiative in South Africa.

Doug Ulman, president and CEO of Livestrong, and the entire Livestrong staff can be congratulated on running an impressive conference that was packed with information and energy. Lance Armstrong’s willingness to go public with his own cancer fight and then show the world that cancer can be defeated is an inspiration for anyone facing the illness.

Now comes the important part. Pressure needs to be applied to world governments to spend money to meet this rising threat. One of the statistics displayed during the meeting is that if the current trends continue that one in two people will face cancer during the next generation. We need research on a cure and more programs that help people diagnosed. In some parts of the world, cancers that can be treated and cured still kill because of the lack of care. This needs to change. We also need to have the courage to spend money to fight cancer at a time when the economy is struggling and there are so many other demands on resources.

The Livestrong Global Cancer Summit created the atmosphere for this to take place. Now the work begins to mobilize this energy.

You can see more about the event in Dublin at http://livestrongblog.org/.

The awareness effort kicks off with Pints for Prostates participation at the Livestrong Global Cancer Summit in Dublin, then continues with events at beer festivals and tastings spread across the United States.

“Each week 4,000 men in the U.S. hear the words ‘you have prostate cancer.’ The key for these men is detecting the disease in the early stages when treatment is nearly 100 percent successful,” said Rick Lyke, a 48-year-old Charlotte, N.C., marketing executive and drinks journalist who had successful prostate cancer surgery in April 2008. “The mission of Pints for Prostates is to reach men in a friendly and non-threatening way when they may be willing to listen to a message about prostate health screening and PSA testing.”

Pints for Prostates uses the universal language of beer to encourage men to take charge of their health. The grassroots effort is focused on building awareness among men of the importance of regular health screenings and PSA testing through appearances at beer festivals, social networking, publicity and pro bono advertising.

“All men should start getting screened for prostate cancer when they reach 40 years old,” Lyke said. “The death rate from prostate cancer has declined in the last two decades because of improvements in testing and treatment. Still, thousands of men die needlessly each year because there is a lack of information sharing. Prostate cancer occupies the same social standing as breast cancer did in this country 30 years ago. Thanks to the pink ribbon campaign’s impact on early detection, scores of women have survived breast cancer. Men need to talk to other men and shake off the stigma of prostate cancer.”

As part of the effort to increase attention for the disease during National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, Pints for Prostates will:

• Take part in the Livestrong Global Cancer Summit in Dublin, Ireland, from Aug. 24-26. Rick Lyke will serve on a panel moderated by Dr. Sanjay Gupta, chief medical correspondent for CNN and a practicing neurosurgeon, with Dr. M.R. Rajagopal of the Trivandrum Institute of Palliative Care, India; Dr. Alejandro Mohar of the Instituto Nacional De Concerologia, Mexico; Xishan Hao of the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association; and Molebatsi Pooe-Shongwe, a breast cancer survivor and founder of Breatsens, South Africa.
• Attend a benefit hosted by the North Star Craft Brewery at 3501 Iron Ct. in Shasta Lake, Calif., on Sept. 12 from 3:30-11 p.m. Live bands, food and beer. http://www.northstarbrew.com/homepage/NorthStarBreweryFestivals.html
• Participate in an event at Rocco’s Café & Pizzeria at 1925 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago, Ill., on Sept. 13 from 2:00-6:00 p.m. celebrating the success of the SEA Blue Walk, a joint venture between two 501(c)3 non-profit organizations, Us TOO International Prostate Cancer Education and Support Network and Wellness Place, Cancer Education and Support. http://www.ustooevents.org/site/PageServer?pagename=2009_Chgo_Splash
• Attend the benefit Men’s Night Out for Pints for Prostates at The Pub in Polaris Fashion Place, 1500 Polaris Parkway, Columbus, Ohio, on Sept. 17th from 5:00-9:00 p.m. Beer, Scotch and Bourbon tastings, live music, food, silent auction and raffles. www.pubs4prostates.com.
• Attend the Pints for Prostates benefit open house at Barb’s Beer Emporium, 208 North Main St., Concord, N.H., on Sept. 19th from Noon to 7 p.m. Beer sampling, cook off, face painting for the kids, free appetizers and raffles.
• Attend the Pints for Prostates benefit at the Blind Lady Ale House, 3416 Adams Ave. in San Diego, Calif., on Sept. 20th from 11:30 a.m. to Midnight. A portion of the day’s sales and donations to a raffle for some great prizes will be donated to the Us TOO International Prostate Cancer Education and Support Network.
• Have a booth staffed by prostate cancer survivors at the Great American Beer Festival at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colo., from Sept. 24-26. http://www.beertown.org/events/gabf/.
• Attend the Denver Rare Beer Tasting to benefit Pints for Prostates presented by All About Beer Magazine in cooperation with BeerAdvocate.com at the Wynkoop Brewery at 1634 18th St. in Denver, Colo., on Sept. 25 from 1:00-4:00 p.m. www.allaboutbeer.com/pints.
• Attend the Pints for Prostates benefit at the Olde Mecklenburg Brewery at 215 Southside Dr. in Charlotte, N.C. on Sept. 30th from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Beer sampling, brewery tours, food and live music.
• Have a booth at the World Beer Festival at Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, N.C., on Oct. 3 from Noon to 4:00 p.m. and 6:00-10:00 p.m. http://www.allaboutbeer.com/wbf/tickets.html

 

About the Lance Armstrong Foundation
At the Lance Armstrong Foundation, we fight for the 28 million people around the world living with cancer today. There can be – and should be – life after cancer for more people. That’s why we kick in at the moment of diagnosis, giving people the resources and support they need to fight cancer head-on. We find innovative ways to raise awareness, fund research and end the stigma about cancer that many survivors face. We connect people and communities to drive social change, and we call for state, national and world leaders to help fight this disease. Anyone anywhere can join our fight against cancer. Join us at www.LIVESTRONG.org.

September 17^th Event in Columbus Supports Pints for Prostates Campaign

The Pub at Polaris Fashion Place in Columbus, Ohio, is hosting a “Guys Night Out” fundraiser on Sept. 17^th from 5:00-9:00 p.m. to benefit the Pints for Prostates campaign.

The event will feature beer, Scotch and Bourbon tastings, food, live music, a speaker on prostate cancer awareness, silent auction and raffles. Tickets for the event are available in advance for $35 or at the door for $40. Visit www.pubs4prostates.com for more information about the event.

“We wanted to create a fun event to help raise awareness among men about prostate cancer,” said Ron Nelson, Operations Director of the Tavern Restaurant Group, which operates The Pub at Polaris Fashion Place in Columbus and nine other restaurants. “We have a great evening planned, and are excited to be hosting this event for such a fantastic cause. Our hope is that through this evening of fun we are able to make more folks aware of this men’s health issue, while also raising funds for the cause! The Pub Group hopes to make this a partnership with Pints for Prostates for future events during September to mark Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.”

Money raised by the event goes to support the Pints for Prostates campaign, created in 2008 by Rick Lyke, a drinks journalist and prostate cancer survivor. The campaign uses the universal language of beer to reach men with an important message about the need for regular prostate health screenings. All funds generated by Pints for Prostates benefit the Us TOO International Prostate Cancer Education and Support Network, a 501(c)3 charity that works to support, educate and advocate for men with prostate cancer and their families. Us TOO was founded in 1990 and has a network of more than 300 local chapter support groups that help men dealing with the disease.

“We are thrilled to have the support of the Tavern Restaurant Group and The Pub,” said Lyke. “Each week 4,000 men in this country hear the words ‘you have prostate cancer.’ The goal of Pints for Prostates is to get men to take charge of their health. This disease, if detected early and treated, is nearly 100 percent survivable.”

So far in 2009, Pints for Prostates has already held events each in California, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina and Washington. In the coming months the group has confirmed participation events at the following locations:

Sept. 13^th: Rocco’s Café & Pizzeria, Chicago, Ill.

Sept. 24^th-26^th: Great American Beer Festival, Colorado Convention Center, Denver, Colo.

Sept. 25^th: Denver Rare Beer Tasting, Wynkoop Brewery, Denver, Colo.

Oct 2^nd: World Beer Festival, Durham Bulls Athletic Park, Durham, N.C.

Additional events are being booked and information will be listed shortly at www.ustoo.org/pints. Pints for Prostates also has a presence on Facebook and Twitter (www.twitter.com/Pints4Prostates).