The University of Notre Dame Alumni Association will join Memorial Hospital and Health Systems, Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center, and a host of local businesses and health organizations to sponsor the Drive Against Prostate Cancer, a two-day event that offers free and confidential prostate cancer screenings to the public, Sept. 9-10 (Tuesday and Wednesday) at four locations in South Bend and Plymouth.p. South Bend Mayor Stephen J. Luecke and other community leaders will kick off the event at a news conference Sept. 9 at 9:30 a.m. at the College Football Hall of Fame, 111 S. St. Joseph St., South Bend. At that time, Luecke and his counterparts from neighboring communities will sign proclamations declaring the month of September ?Prostate Cancer Awareness Month? in their respective cities.p. Conducted by the National Prostate Cancer Coalition (NPCC), the Drive Against Prostate Cancer is a mobile screening unit in which local licensed physicians conduct a two-part screening procedure composed of a Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test and a physical examination. The screenings are conducted in a 39-foot Airstream Land Yacht designed specifically for prostate cancer screening and equipped with a big-screen television and Internet access in the waiting area. No appointments are necessary.p. Local screening dates and locations are:p. ? Sept. 9 ? 10 a.m.-2 p.m., College Football Hall of Fame; 3-7 p.m., Memorial Neighborhood Center at Marycrest, 2015 W. Western Ave., South Bendp. ? Sept. 10 ? 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Robinson Community Learning Center, 911 N. Eddy St., South Bend; 3-7 p.m., Saint Joseph Cancer Institute, 1915 Lake Avenue, Plymouthp. Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed non-skin cancer in America. One in six men will get prostate cancer and some 29,000 will die from it this year alone. Research suggests that men could reduce their risk of prostate cancer mortality by following recommended screening guidelines, including examination by a health care provider beginning at age 40, and increased awareness and use of early detection practices.p. Founded in 1996, the NPCC is the largest non-profit organization in the nation dedicated to ending the devastating impacts of prostate cancer on men and families. Its efforts are based on three founding principles ? awareness, advocacy and outreach.p. Through the Drive Against Prostate Cancer, the NPCC aims to screen more than 10,000 men and educate countless others across the country this year.p. For further information, contact Sean P. O’Brien, director, Alumni Community Service Program, 574-631-6723, sobrien3@nd.edu or Jamie Bearse, vice president for communications and marketing, NPCC, 202-303-3105, jbearse@pcacoalition.org .
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