Buffalo Bills Wall of Famer Booker Edgerson stepped up to the plate to throw out the first pitch, and raise awareness for the dangers of prostate cancer.
"Right now one in seven men in the United States will be diagnosed with prostate cancer," Edgerson said. "I would like to get that to one in 100 men to get diagnosed with prostate cancer."
200,000 men a year are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the United States. From that number, 27,000 die from it. Edgerson has been working hard to raise awareness because these numbers hit close to home.
"I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1996," Edgerson said. "Then I had a procedure in '97. Then three years ago, I was diagnosed again because it came back to me. So this is my 20th year anniversary of living not necessarily cancer free, but going through the whole process."
He is the chairman of "Cure the Blue", and has been one of the leaders for their Prostate Cancer Awareness Campaign to educate people on this issue. Although there is no scientific way to prevent prostate cancer, there are certain things you can do to avoid it.
"Eat healthy, exercise, and go get screened once a year to make sure that you don't have it," Edgerson said. "If you do have it, you can catch it soon enough and it will not spread on you."
He encourages men all around to raise awareness on this issue just like women have talked about breast cancer. He wants to get the same conversation started.
This is why "Cure the Blue" is raising money to educate and raise awareness. So far, they have raised close to $200,000 and are hoping to get to $300,000 by the end of this year. To donate money and help educate others about this issue, click here.
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