Press Releases 2008

2008 Prostate Cancer Retreat Available Online
More Than 40 Presentations Representing the Latest Developments in Prostate Cancer Research are Featured on pcf.org

SANTA MONICA, CA/November 25, 2008—The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) has made presentations from its 2008 Scientific Retreat available online.  The PCF’s annual retreat provides a forum to review advances in prostate cancer research aimed at reducing death and suffering from this prevalent men’s disease.  The three-day event was held in October at Incline Village, Nevada, and was attended by 293 of the world’s leading physicians and scientists engaged in prostate cancer research.

9-Year-Old Named 2008 Health Hero by WebMD
Young Girl Honored Her Father’s Struggle with Cancer by Helping to Raise More Than $100,000 for Prostate Cancer Research

SANTA MONICA, CA/ November 11, 2008 -- Winter Vinecki, a nine-year-old girl who honored her father's fight against prostate cancer by helping to raise more than $100,000 for Athletes for a Cure and the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF), has been named a WebMD 2008 Health Hero. She is featured in the November/December print edition of WebMD and on the publication's online site.

Workout Fundraising Event to Support Prostate Cancer Research
Athletes for a Cure Hosts Fight Gone Bad 3 on September 27

SANTA MONICA, CA/September 22, 2008--Athletes for a Cure, a fundraising initiative of the Prostate Cancer Foundation, will host its third annual CrossFit Fight Gone Bad event to raise funds for prostate cancer research on September 27. The one-day workout puts participants through a grueling workout at CrossFit affiliates nationwide.

9-Year-Old Completes Triathlon, Helps Raise More Than $100,000 for Prostate Cancer
Joined by World Champion Triathletes, Young Girl from Michigan Honors Her Father’s Struggle with Cancer

ORLANDO, FL/September 21, 2008--Nine-year-old Winter Vinecki, a resident of Gaylord, Michigan, today honored her father’s fight against prostate cancer by competing in the inaugural Athletes for a Cure Triathlon at the Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida. Her effort helped to raise more than $100,000 for cancer research programs sponsored by the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF).

Make a Loving Point While Making a Delicious, Healthy Meal
Chef Beth Ginsberg Offers Seasonal Menu to Stimulate Taste Buds and Discussion During Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

SANTA MONICA, CA/September 2, 2008—The way to most men's hearts is still through their stomachs.  So, what better way to broach the topic of prostate cancer with your loved one than by preparing a delicious, healthy meal designed to grab their attention?   To mark September's official designation as National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, Beth Ginsberg, a chef long-regarded for her use of natural, health-friendly ingredients, has created an easy-to-prepare, fall-inspired menu to set the stage.

Prostate Cancer Foundation Commits $4.3 Million to Young Investigators
2008 Awards Go to 19 Young, Innovative Researchers Whose Programs Exhibit Potential for Battling Prostate Cancer

SANTA MONICA, CA/August 19, 2008—The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) today announced 19 Young Investigators Awards for 2008.  Designed to encourage the most innovative research thinkers to continue their careers in prostate cancer research, the awards provide recipients with $75,000 annually for three years to support specified research programs.  These awards, totaling $225,000 each, are matched by the recipients’ institutions.  This round of Young Investigator Awards represents a new $4.3 million commitment by the PCF to the global cancer research community.

Kayaking Cancer Survivor to Finish 1,700 Mile Paddle in NYC
Skip Cicarelli to Complete 54-day Prostate Cancer Awareness Trek Saturday, August 9 at New York's Pier 66

NEW YORK, NY/August 7, 2008—While Olympic athletes will begin vying for champion status this weekend in Beijing,  Skip Ciccarelli, a 60-year-old survivor of prostate cancer, will complete his own Olympian effort.  When he paddles up to New York’s Pier 66 at noon on Saturday, he will be completing a 1,700 mile, 54-day kayak trek to raise awareness for prostate cancer--one of the most prevalent forms of cancer, second only to melanomas.  The day also marks the sixth anniversary of his prostatectomy.

Nine-Year-Old Triathlete Spins Into Action for Prostate Cancer
Winter Vinecki to Join Chicago Spinning Nation Team on June 28

CHICAGO, IL/June 25, 2008—Winter Vinecki, a nine-year-old girl from Gaylord Michigan, learned quickly that life is unpredictable.  On his 40th birthday her father, Michael Vinecki, announced to his family that he had sarcomatoid carcinoma, an especially aggressive form of prostate cancer.  Shocked by this rapid change in her world, Winter’s reaction as a young triathlete was to utilize her sporting skills to raise money for prostate cancer research.  

Lone Cancer Survivor Begins 1,700 Mile Paddle for Two Million Men Battling Prostate Cancer
High-School Instructor and Kayaker from Massachusetts Departs Chicago on 54-day Awareness Trek

CHICAGO, IL, June 14, 2008 — Nine months a year Skip Ciccarelli, a 60-year-old survivor of prostate cancer, is a high school carpentry instructor at Shawsheen Technical High School in the Boston suburb of Billerica. This morning he became the champion of two million American men battling prostate cancer. Setting out on a 54-day, 1,700 mile kayak trek that will take him from the shores of Lake Michigan in Chicago to the Hudson River in New York City, Ciccarelli is determined to raise awareness for one of the most prevalent forms of cancer, second only to melanomas.

Prostate Cancer Foundation Announces New Internet and E-mail Addresses

SANTA MONICA, CA, June 5, 2008 — The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF), the world's leading philanthropic source of support for prostate cancer research, has announced a new World Wide Web address, www.pcf.org.

Prostate Cancer Foundation Grants More than $19 Million to Cancer Research Programs
2008 Challenge Awards Go to Eight Research Programs to Drive Scientific Discovery and Battle Prostate Cancer

SANTA MONICA, CA, June 4, 2008—The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) has committed more than $19 million in new research funding for scientific investigations focused on discovering new treatments for prostate cancer.  A total of eight programs representing 18 leading research institutions and 36 researchers were selected as part of the foundation's 2008 Challenge Awards.  The funded programs will receive the first of three annual payments, ranging between $500,000 and $1.0 million per program, this week.

Prostate Cancer Foundation Partners with AACR to Recognize Promising Young Cancer Researchers
Awardees Honored at AACR Annual Meeting 2008

PHILADELPHIA, PA, April 24, 2008—The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is pleased to announce a new partnership with the Prostate Cancer Foundation, creating the AACR-Prostate Cancer Foundation Recognition Awards for Research Excellence. Recently given at the AACR Annual Meeting 2008, the awards provide financial support for early-career scientists to travel to AACR scientific meetings to present exceptional proffered papers in the field of translational prostate cancer research.