Fans for the Cure is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to positively influencing the lives of men by organizing medical, educational, and awareness programs focused on prostate cancer.
Our Early Days
Started in 2003 by broadcaster Ed Randall after his own diagnosis of the disease, Fans for the Cure planted its roots and early efforts inside Minor League baseball stadiums, conducting summer awareness campaigns and distributing educational brochures. Called “The Baseball Road Trip,” the tour eventually expanded to over 100 games per year, thanks mainly to the hard work of the late Kelly Rodman, a Yankees scout, who worked the phones, recruited teams, and secured hundreds of volunteers each season to work tables at the games.
A New Direction
In 2015, at the urging of community leaders, politicians, our Medical Advisory Board, and the American Cancer Society, Fans for the Cure sought to expand its reach beyond ballparks and sports arenas. Subsequent meetings with healthcare partners continued to confirm the acute need for prostate cancer awareness and testing among African-American men.
Fans for Cure has benefitted from the expansion of large Manhattan hospitals (NYU, New York Presbyterian) into areas of boroughs that had previously been underserved medically. The charity meets regularly with urology departments and community outreach staff of these institutions to plan how we all can best impact men’s health. Partnering with emerging community hospitals that have become part of larger healthcare networks is a model the charity hopes to scale nationally in large cities.
Moving Ahead
Today, Fans for the Cure has a full twelve-month schedule of screening events, health fairs, support groups, and speaking slots at medical meetings and conventions. Prior to the suspension of the 2020 baseball season, the charity had slotted over 75 prostate cancer nights throughout the Minor Leagues (with five screenings), along with screenings arranged with four MLB clubs in September to mark Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.
Whether it’s educating families about prostate cancer, providing physician referrals and support groups, or offering free screenings, Fans for the Cure is committed to providing a team of trusted friends and doctors for men and their loved ones as they face the challenges of prostate cancer.