Australian rugby’s Nick Cummins (left) and former Chicago Bears star Jerry Azumah
Astellas Pharma has teamed up with USA Rugby and the Australian Rugby Union on a new social media campaign to raise awareness of prostate cancer.
The firm’s #pass4prostate campaign, which also aims to raise funds for research into the disease, will run until the end of September, which is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.
Social media users are encouraged to record a video of themselves catching an inanimate object, mentioning why prostate cancer awareness is important to them, and then passing that object, rugby-style, to a friend or family member.
They have also been asked to explain why it is important ‘not to drop the ball’ when it comes to awareness.
Jim Robinson, president of Astellas Pharma US, said: “One in seven American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime and that rate is significantly higher if you’re African American or have a family history of the disease.”
“We are proud to support #pass4prostate and the work of several charitable organisations as the global rugby and men’s health communities come together to accept the challenge.”
Astellas will donate $5 to prostate cancer advocacy organisations for every qualifying submission with the #pass4prostate hashtag posted to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, up to a maximum contribution of $125,000.
The organisations in line to benefit are Prostate Cancer Foundation ($75,000 USD (£48,732)), Australia Prostate Cancer Research ($20,000 AUD (£9,319)), Prostate Cancer Foundation Australia ($20,000 AUD (£9,319)), and Prostate Cancer Canada ($10,000 CDN (£4,922)).
The #pass4prostate campaign has already run through the month-long build-up to last weekend’s USA Eagles versus Qantas Wallabies match at Soldier Field in Chicago.
