ST. PAUL, Minn. -- When the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's (MIAC) 11 baseball teams banded together to try to "Strike Out Prostate Cancer" in 2010, it was with the hopes that the initiative would grow and develop into something special in the coming years.
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It has.
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Now in its third season, MIAC Strike Out Prostate Cancer has evolved into a week-long effort to raise funds and awareness for the serious men's health condition. The 2013 edition of MIAC Strike Out Prostate Cancer Week will run from Monday, April 15, to Sunday, April 21, and each MIAC baseball game that week (and a few other select games throughout the season) will serve as an extension of the mission.
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There is a new excitement around the event in 2013, as the only Division III conference completely contained by Minnesota's borders has entered what should be a beneficial partnership with an organization leading the same fight throughout the state - the Minnesota Prostate Cancer Coalition (MNPCC).
| MIAC Strike?Out Prostate Cancer Home Page |
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Saint Mary's University Assistant Baseball Coach Pat Jacobsen is the creator and driving force behind the MIAC's worthy cause. He's been pleased with the progress of the event since its inception, and thinks the third year - especially now that the MNPCC is on board - will be another step in the right direction.
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"I think it's gone very well," Jacobsen said. "We haven't placed our expectations too high, but we've exceeded my expectations. It's continued to grow every single year. The coaches and everyone in the MIAC have done a great job to promote it to our universities and to the general public throughout the state.
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"It's a serious disease and it needs to be brought to light."
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Over the first two years, the initiative has raised more than $3,000 to benefit prostate cancer foundation. Last year, the conference fell just shy of its $2,000 goal, and Jacobsen thinks the league can reach that mark in 2013. "We fell a little short last year," he said, "so my hope is to continue to build so we can reach that $2,000. It's a real possible goal this time around."
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Funds raised over the first two seasons were donated to the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF). However, that organization had some staffing issues and was no longer able to partner with the MIAC. That sent Jacobsen on a search to find a new teammate in the MIAC's fundraising and awareness campaign and, to his pleasant surprise, he was able to find one right in the conference's backyard.
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SMU's Pat Jacobsen wears a blue jersey and wristband during 2012 MIAC Strike Out Prostate Cancer Week. (Photo by Chris Ebert, Saint Mary's University)
"It was a positive that stemmed from a negative," Jacobsen said. "When the PCF was no longer able to participate, I just kind of stumbled across the MNPCC's Web site. I took a look at it, saw they were an up-and-coming organization in the state, and figured this was a great opportunity."
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MNPCC President Steve Rocklein didn't just thank his lucky stars when Jacobsen called ... he also thanked Google.
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"When you Google 'Minnesota' and 'prostate cancer' we're one of the first things that comes up," he said. "Anyway, [Jacobsen] Googled us and saw what we were doing locally and that's how we got connected. He decided that given our mission and what we're trying to do in Minnesota that [the MIAC] could localize their efforts. Now, we're Minnesota teammates."
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The mission Rocklein mentioned is to, "enlighten, inform, educate and support men and their caregivers as they face the prospects of diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer." The MNPCC president and five of the six board members are all prostate cancer survivors, so to call the cause near and dear to their hearts would be an understatement.
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Rocklein was quick to point to some extremely harrowing stats regarding the affliction. Prostate cancer is the second-most diagnosed form of cancer in the U.S., behind only melanoma (skin cancer). During a man's lifetime, one in six will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 238,600 new cases of prostate cancer were diagnosed in 2012. Though the fundraising piece is important, spreading those facts and a general awareness of the disease, and exposing it to men of all ages, is equally critical.
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"This is a man's disease," Rocklein said. "It's really interesting to talk to men about this. Only men have a prostate gland. Excuse the baseball metaphor, but men really need to step up to the plate and take responsibility for the health of their prostate ... become educated, talk to a doctor."
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Generally during events like this, the focus becomes the fundraising piece and an eventual dollar amount, but MIAC Strike Out Prostate Cancer has always been equally about information and awareness. With the MNPCC on board as the financial recipient and an expert partner, that should only improve in 2013. Jacobsen said - especially at Twin Cities-area games - the conference plans to use that expertise to its advantage.
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"We're ecstatic to have the MNPCC as the main sponsor of the event," Jacobsen said. "All the money raised will go directly to their foundation and will help them build into a well-known organization that helps with information and prevention.
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"They've donated 100 percent of the information that will be available at the sites. Our hope is to have them recognized at pre-game festivities at some of the Twin Cities-area games. With teams that are willing to have one of the MNPCC reps there, they'll have an information table and talk about the coalition and basically be a resource beyond what's on a piece of paper."
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"We're hoping to - myself and some of the board members - appear at various games," Rocklein added. "We have a bunch of PR materials to hand out, and we may be involved more visually, either throwing out a ceremonial first pitch or addressing the crowd through the PA system. People can drop by and talk to us as well."
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The official logo and T-shirt for 2013 MIAC Strike Out Prostate Cancer.
There are a number of visual cues that are intended to spark public interest - or questions - as well. For the third-straight year, all MIAC baseball players will wear light blue wristband during games that week. There is also a new logo incorporating the MIAC logo, MNPCC logo and light blue prostate cancer ribbon. Jacobsen's Saint Mary's team will again wear special blue jerseys in honor of the cause, and many schools will incorporate T-shirts this year.
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Those visuals are in place for a very strategic purpose. Seeing both competing teams wearing the same wristbands, or special jerseys or t-shirts has proven to spark curiosity throughout the stands, and that curiosity leads to questions and information, which helps accomplish one of the main missions of MIAC Strike Out Prostate Cancer Week.
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"The graphics people here at Saint Mary's did a great job designing the logo," Jacobsen said. "The idea with the T-shirts is they're more for the college demographic. Everyone likes getting T-shirts, and it's a way to get people talking about it. It's a way to get young men, and young women as well, thinking about the event and ways they can get involved.
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"Our blue wristbands and blue jerseys bring curiosities to people ... they see the materials and want to know why. It gets something in their mind, and it results with them finding answers, and then we accomplish our goal, which is exposing people to prostate cancer and the risks."
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Across the MIAC, each team hosting a game that week will follow the uniform plan of the week - the blue wristbands, collecting donations, providing information - but each has the freedom to put their own stamp on the event as well. Many have had prostate cancer survivors throw out a ceremonial first pitch or receive recognition, others have incorporated the T-shirts, and some have incorporate raffles and other giveaways, or other on-campus events throughout the week. Specifics will be available on the MIAC Web site throughout that week.
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"The schools have done a great job," Jacobsen said. "Bethel, Concordia and Augsburg have done a really great job promoting it and getting involved. I have great confidence in how the MIAC schools will approach it this year."
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Part of the 2013 imitative is an updated Web site dedicated to the event. The site not only explains the mission of MIAC Strike Out Prostate Cancer Week, but visitors can also donate to the cause directly on the site, view the game schedule, browse photo galleries or leave a comment in the guest book. The addition of online donations was an asset in 2012, and Jacobsen hopes fans visit the site and consider donating anytime during the month of April, even if they can't attend one of the games.
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Between those online efforts, the new partnership with the MNPCC and the work of all 11 MIAC teams at their home events during the week, the conference is certainly ready to play ball against prostate cancer for the third-straight season. Just having the message reach all the MIAC baseball student-athletes would be a home run in the fight against prostate cancer, with all additional fundraising and awareness serving as curtain call for the conference's efforts.
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"This will bring awareness to a younger population of males in Minnesota," Jacobsen said. "It's important to get it in the minds of college students so they're aware? before it's too late."
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| MIAC Strike Out Prostate Cancer Home Page | MNPCC Web site | MIAC Feature Archive |
Source: http://miac-online.org/news/2013/4/5/FEATURE_0405133203.aspx
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