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,
“My mom is a 30 year breast cancer survivor and my sister is an eight year breast cancer survivor so obviously for the women’s 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,” said Watkins.
“So that brings it a little closer to home, as you may imagine.”
At the team’s home game on Saturday night, a 12-8 victory over the visiting Buffalo Bandits at the Langley 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.
“My husband and father are also prostate cancer survivors, so for me the importance is in early detection,” said Watkins.
“Cancer can be treatable and is survivable. A number of people don’t get their checkups, don’t get their PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) tests, or their mammograms, and by the time they’ve found it, it’s already significantly farther along and harder to treat.”
“Every 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.”
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’s not surprising to hear her speak so strongly about it,
“There’s just something about cancer, like when people get diagnosed with cancer, it’s the big ‘C’. It’s harder to deal with for some reason than other diseases,” said Watkins.
“Because there are so many forms of cancer that are really so easily treatable I think that’s why the focus needs to be on awareness. People have to better understand the disease and the benefits of screening.
“They’re not painful, there not difficult, and not overly expensive. If you get them done you significantly improve your chances of surviving.”
