SPRINGFIELD, Ore. (KMTR) -- Hundreds of people were up early Sunday morning, starting Father's Day fighting the 'men's disease'. The Oregon Urology Institute's (OUI) fourth annual Prost8K Run began at 8 AM. Men, women and children participated while dozens of others holding signs cheered on loved ones from the sidelines.
The event is held every year as a way to spread awareness of prostate cancer and underline the importance of early screening. They want to establish the color blue for prostate cancer just as recognizable as the color pink is for breast cancer awareness.
"Prostate cancer is the breast cancer for men," said Stephanie Kerns from OUI. "Every five minutes, two people are diagnosed with it."
George Davis was one of those people. Today, though, he was not only a runner but he is a prostate cancer survivor. Davis was wearing a blue shirt while he raced Sunday to show off his accomplishment overcoming the disease.
"It's a celebration of just, the great accomplishment that I've done, just to be out here and be healthy and be able to run and I'm still fairly young so I have my whole life ahead of me," he said.
Davis told NewsSource 16 it was a great way to kick off Father's Day. "I have two sons, one in the Marines who has been in Afghanistan - he's going back - and they both wished me a Happy Father's Day. And they are proud of me," he said.
In 2011, the Oregon Urology Institute was able to offer hundreds of men free prostate screenings at Valley River Center. They said they plan to do it again later this summer.
