Greater Cedar Rapids Open joins fight against melanoma
Marion, Iowa // April 18, 2012
Tournament to raise awareness about most dangerous form of skin cancer
The Greater Cedar Rapids Open (GCRO) today announced its commitment to raising awareness about the prevention of melanoma – the most dangerous type of skin cancer.
In a press conference at Hunters Ridge Golf Course, GCRO Co-Founder Jim McPartland said a portion of the funds raised through the annual tournament will now be directed to The University of Iowa Foundation to benefit melanoma research at the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center.
“Our committee was really touched last year when one of our golfers, David Henry, told us he had been diagnosed with Stage 1 melanoma and that his mother, Chris, was battling Stage IV melanoma,” said McPartland. “That’s when we realized the importance of broadening our mission statement. As golfers, we spend a great deal of time in the sun and we need to realize how important it is to protect our skin.”
According to Dr. Mohammed Milhem, who has spent the past five years building the melanoma program at the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, melanoma is a “very dangerous disease” that claims the lives of about 82 Iowans each year. The number of diagnosed cases in Iowa has increased from 100 in 1973 to about 600 in 2008.
“We don’t really know what causes melanoma, but we know that the sun does play a major role in making this disease happen,” said Milhem. “In Iowa, 98 percent of the population is Caucasian, and a lot of those people are farmers. They work out in the sun and most of the time they’re men. The highest risk group for developing melanoma is a 50-year-old man.”
Milhem said raising awareness is paramount in the battle against melanoma and he appreciates the efforts of organizations like the GCRO.
“What’s absent in Iowa is an awareness about melanoma, but groups like the Greater Cedar Rapids Open who come together and advocate for better circumstances, and try to protect people from the harmful effects of the sun is vital to survival,” said Milhem. “The reality is this is a killer disease once it has established itself inside your system. It can be fatal very quickly.”
Since its inception in 1999, the GCRO has awarded more than $100,000 to various non-profit organizations throughout the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City Corridor. Those groups include Camp Courageous, the Salvation Army, the Cedar Rapids Optimist Junior Golf Association, and The Boys and Girls Clubs.
For more information about the GCRO, visit www.gcropen.com or call Co-Founder Jim McPartland at 319-310-5745.
Information about the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center is available at www.uihealthcare.org/HoldenComprehensiveCancerCenter.
If you have questions about melanoma research, contact Dr. Milhem at mohammed.milhem@uiowa.edu.
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For more information, contact:
Jill Wojciechowski, Publicity Chair
Greater Cedar Rapids Open
Phone: (319) 310-0998
Email: jillwoj05@yahoo.com