Father’s Day Marks End to 17th Annual Home Run Challenge

SANTA MONICA, CA/June 19, 2012—In partnership with Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Major League Baseball Players Association, the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) concluded its 17^th Annual Home Run Challenge (HRC) program on Father’s Day, receiving $3 million in pledges for advanced prostate cancer research. Pledges were made for each home run hit during a two weeks leading up to Father’s Day. In total, 150 home runs were hit during 75 select MLB games.

“Support from both Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association will provide funding to the Prostate Cancer Foundation that will greatly improve the landscape of prostate cancer research, as well as patient lives,” said Dave Perron, vice president of sports enterprises for the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

Committed to “Keeping Dad in the Game,” the Home Run Challenge program was created to increase awareness and education of prostate cancer, a disease that affects every 1 in 6 American men. Since its inception in 1996, the program has raised more than $40 million for prostate cancer research.

With these funds, PCF identifies the brightest minds and most promising projects in the field of prostate cancer research, granting research awards for innovative and life-saving projects across the globe. These funds have helped bring four new prostate cancer treatments to patients in the past two years, as well as eight new Phase III clinical trials and nearly 25 more Phase II trials.

“Our foundation is extremely proud and grateful for these long-standing corporate partnerships, as well as relationships with celebrities and prostate cancer researchers from across the globe. These researchers are bringing groundbreaking research results directly to patients—ultimately saving lives,” added Perron.

In addition to corporate partners, Movember and funded researchers, PCF was joined by special guests throughout HRC, including almost all MLB team owners, Paula Abdul, Joe Torre, Reggie Jackson, Tim Salmon, Pete Carroll, Terry Steinbach, Tommy Lasorda and PCF Founder and Chairman, Michael Milken, who initiated the Prostate Cancer Foundation in 1993.

For additional photos, and to learn more about the annual program, please visit our photo gallery.

About the Prostate Cancer Foundation

The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) is the world’s leading philanthropic organization funding and accelerating research. Founded in 1993, PCF has raised more than $485 million and provided funding to over 1,600 research projects at nearly 200 institutions in 15 countries around the world. PCF advocates for greater awareness of prostate cancer and more efficient investment of governmental research funds supporting transformational cancer research. Our efforts have helped produce a 20-fold increase in government funding for prostate cancer. More information about PCF can be found at pcf.org.