For Immediate Release Thor Industries and Cancer
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For Media Inquiries: Richard Riegel Katherine Anson Rob Durkee Bernadette Rae VP - Thor Industries, Inc. Director of Scheduling Executive Director Director Drive Against Prostate Cancer Office of The Mayor Cancer Research Institute ESPN Zone 212-370-1570 212-788-3031 1-800-99-CANCER 212-921-3776 [email protected] [email protected] www.cancerresearch.org [email protected] THOR INDUSTRIES AND CANCER RESEARCH INSTITUTE TEAM UP WITH NEW YORK CITY MAYOR RUDOLPH GIULIANI AND NBA RETIRED PLAYERS TO OFFER FREE PROSTATE CANCER SCREENINGS AT ESPN ZONE IN TIMES SQUARE New York, NY – June 13, 2001— Thor Industries Inc. (NYSE:THO), the developer of The Drive Against Prostate Cancer (“The Drive”), and its partner Cancer Research Institute (“CRI”) will host a press conference with New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and the NBA Retired Players Association on Thursday, June 14th at 10:00 a.m. at ESPN Zone in Times Square to announce free prostate cancer screenings to men age 40 and over. The Drive will be making its second annual stop in New York City as part of a special focus on prostate cancer surrounding Fathers’ Day. Mayor Giuliani, a prostate cancer survivor, will headline the press event designed to encourage men over 40 to seek annual prostate cancer screenings, consisting of a Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test and a Digital Rectal Exam (DRE). According to Mayor Giuliani, “The importance of early detection of prostate cancer cannot be overemphasized. Men must get screened every year.” Mayor Giuliani will be joined by fellow city dignitaries including City Council Member Marty Golden, and fellow prostate cancer survivors Borough President Guy Molinari, former Police Commissioner Howard Safir and former Congressman Herman Badillo. The NBA Retired Players Association has also partnered with The Drive Against Prostate Cancer to help underscore the importance of prostate cancer screenings. Executive Director of the Retired NBA Players’ Association and former Knicks star Mel Davis will be joined by fellow retired Knicks Charles Smith and Tom Hoover, along with Billy Hunter, Executive Director of the NBA Players Association. Current Knicks players Allan Houston and Mark Jackson are also planning to attend the press conference. Present will be Thor Industries’ Chairman Wade Thompson, a prostate cancer survivor and founder of The Drive, Rob Durkee, Executive Director of Cancer Research Institute, Allan Steinfeld, President of the New York Road Runners Club, and Winston Dyer, Director of the New York Prostate Cancer Community Outreach Project, also a prostate cancer survivor. From 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on both Thursday, June 14 and Friday, June 15, men can visit The Drive’s custom Airstream Mobile Medical vehicle—a 39-foot recreation vehicle (RV) custom designed for prostate screenings—outside ESPN Zone at 42nd Street and Broadway in Times Square. The stop in New York marks the 70th destination on The Drive’s North American tour, which launched in December 1999. The Drive brings its service directly to men who may otherwise not take the initiative to have the exam that can save their lives. Screenings will occur throughout the New York area in the period leading up to Fathers’ Day in conjunction with the American Italian Cancer Foundation. The prostate cancer awareness activities culminate in the 5K Fight Against Prostate Cancer road race in Central Park on Fathers' Day, Sunday June 17th, sponsored by the New York Road Runners Club and ABC-7 Television and 77WABC Radio, benefiting the Cancer Research Institute. Live 3-hour coverage of the 5K Father's Day Prostate Cancer Press Conference at ESPN Zone 6/14 June, 2001 Page 2 of 2 race begins at 7:00 a.m. on ABC-7 television as part of the ongoing annual involvement in ABC-7's Prostate Cancer Awareness Campaign during the month of June. The Drive’s mobile medical vehicle, built by the Airstream division of lead sponsor Thor Industries, is equipped with two private rooms for screenings. The vehicle will have trained medical staff available to perform prostate testing and provide educational information. Men can undergo a confidential screening consisting of a PSA blood test and DRE. The testing takes approximately 10 minutes. The Drive will notify patients in writing of the outcome and any necessary follow-up measures. An estimated 180,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year and 37,000 will die of the disease, according to the American Cancer Society. But, if detected while the cancer is still confined to the prostate, the five-year relative survival rate is 100 percent. Wade F.B. Thompson, Chairman and CEO of Thor Industries, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1996 and survived the disease because of early detection. The concept of a mobile testing unit and nationwide screening campaign was an easy fit for the company, a recreation vehicle and bus manufacturer. “Our goals are simple: to raise awareness and eliminate the stigma of prostate cancer, encourage early detection and help save lives by providing free screenings throughout the United States,” said Thompson. Rob Durkee of Cancer Research Institute helped develop the idea. “The Drive Against Prostate Cancer has already tested about 10,000 men for prostate cancer around the U.S. and in Canada and is a very beneficial complement to our Prostate Cancer Initiative,” said Mr. Durkee. “About 8% of the men tested have had some abnormality with their results that has required further testing. To these 700+ men, the early detection provided by The Drive could literally mean the difference between life and death.” Winston Dyer is Director of the New York Prostate Cancer Community Outreach Project and a prostate cancer survivor. From his perspective, “The Drive Against Prostate Cancer’s visit to New York is a positive step in helping save lives. There is a lot of prostate cancer research in the field right now, but most importantly, men must first be screened before any of the excellent prostate cancer therapies can be applied. Early detection is critical.” More About The Drive (Website: www.thedrive.org) Sponsors of The Drive include: Thor Industries, Inc. (NYSE:THO), the second largest manufacturer of recreation vehicles (RVs) and the largest mid-size bus manufacturer in North America; UroCor (Nasdaq:UCOR), a leading urology company; Bayer Diagnostics, a major international pharmaceutical company; Endocare, Inc. (Nasdaq:ENDO), a leading developer of targeted cryoablation, a primary treatment option for prostate cancer; Cancer Research Institute, a leading non-profit devoted to cancer research; American Italian Cancer Foundation, a non-profit organization involved in cancer research, fellowships, and early detection screenings; Cancerfacts.com, a web site that provides personalized cancer information; Us Too!, a nationwide prostate cancer support community; and Airborne Express, a worldwide leader in shipping. Together, these companies are providing all components for prostate cancer screenings including the mobile medical vehicle, diagnostic tests and analysis, patient notification and educational material. .