Vancouver Stealth owner Denise Watkins, has been a long time promoter of the fight against cancer, after having dealt with the disease in her family for many years,
鈥淢y mom is a 30 year breast cancer survivor and my sister is an eight year breast cancer survivor so obviously for the women鈥檚 health side of things it makes it a very big thing for our family personally. And it puts me in a very high risk category,鈥� said Watkins.
鈥淪o that brings it a little closer to home, as you may imagine.鈥�
At the team鈥檚 home game on Saturday night, a 12-8 victory over the visiting Buffalo Bandits at the 91原创 Events Centre, the Stealth organization raised $13,365 as part of their Lacrosse Fights Cancer Night.
The Stealth wore limited edition pink and grey jerseys that fans had the opportunity to bid on.
The proceeds are being donated to the Canadian Cancer Society.
鈥淢y husband and father are also prostate cancer survivors, so for me the importance is in early detection,鈥� said Watkins.
鈥淐ancer can be treatable and is survivable. A number of people don鈥檛 get their checkups, don鈥檛 get their PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) tests, or their mammograms, and by the time they鈥檝e found it, it鈥檚 already significantly farther along and harder to treat.鈥�
鈥淓very aspect of fighting this disease is important. From promoting screenings, improving the tests we have, finding better treatments, all of those things can help make cancer more survivable.鈥�
Watkins admits there are numerous other diseases and that no one disease is more important than the other, but when something like cancer affects your family the way it affected her own family, it鈥檚 not surprising to hear her speak so strongly about it,
鈥淭here鈥檚 just something about cancer, like when people get diagnosed with cancer, it鈥檚 the big 鈥楥鈥�. It鈥檚 harder to deal with for some reason than other diseases,鈥� said Watkins.
鈥淏ecause there are so many forms of cancer that are really so easily treatable I think that鈥檚 why the focus needs to be on awareness. People have to better understand the disease and the benefits of screening.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e not painful, there not difficult, and not overly expensive. If you get them done you significantly improve your chances of surviving.鈥�
