Daredevils raise donations towards male cancer awareness

The official handover of proceeds from the 2022 Hollard Daredevil Run celebrates the brave men who ran through the streets of South Africa in purple speedos to make a difference.

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Thousands of brave daredevils recently took part in over 450 locations countrywide, in an initiative which included the return of the much-loved Zoo Lake event.

The event, which sees men running 5km dressed only in purple speedos, challenges stereotypes about male cancers and starts conversations about understanding prostate and testicular cancer, how to lower cancer risk and how to catch it early.

With these runners raising more funds than before, representatives from Hollard were able to present a total of R 700 000 to the Cancer Association of South Africa and the Prostate Cancer Foundation of South Africa.

The funds raised will go towards raising awareness of prostate and testicular cancer, as well as increased screening initiatives.

“To the Cancer Association of South Africa and the Prostate Cancer Foundation, we express gratitude for partnering with Daredevil for so many years, and for the amazing work that has been done as well as the endless support that provided for those suffering from cancer,” says Joana Mondon, Head: Group Brand and Marketing at Hollard.

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“Funds raised by the Hollard Daredevil Run and donated to the Prostate Cancer Foundation are used to help raise awareness about prostate cancer and the importance of age- and risk-appropriate screening, to ensure that the disease is diagnosed in the early stages when it is potentially curable,” says Andrew Oberholzer, CEO of the Prostate Cancer Foundation of South Africa.

If detected early, men have a 95% chance of being cured from prostate cancer.

“One of the biggest challenges that we face is that prostate cancer screening is not easily available to many South African men even though a simple blood test, called a PSA test, can help identify the disease. In 2023 we’ll be embarking on more widespread PSA testing campaigns so that men who wouldn’t normally have access to a PSA test can have one.

“Funding from the Hollard Daredevil Run may well end up saving lives, as prostate cancer that’s treated in the early stages has an excellent cure rate,” he says.

The incidence of testicular cancer, a cancer that primarily affects young men between the ages of 15-40 years, has doubled in the last 50 years. Once again, early detection and knowing the risks is key.

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“At Hollard, we are all about providing for better futures, which is why the Daredevil Run is such an important event to us. Early detection saves lives.

“Catching prostate and testicular cancer early means better futures for those men affected by these cancers, better futures for their families, and, ultimately, better futures for communities around the country,” says Mondon.

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