MISSION
STATEMENT
Prostate Cancer
awareness is significant not only because of its mortality rate
but also because of its high incidence affecting the quality of
life due to related side effects of treatments, such as incontinence
and sexual dysfunction.
Tony’s
Prostate Cancer Research is a nonprofit organization whose mission
is to:
- Raise the
awareness of prostate cancer, in both the private and governmental
sectors
- Raise funds
through various events
- Assign donated
funds to non-surgical prostate cancer research whose goals are
to search for better diagnostic procedures and treatments
- Support
research that will ultimately find the cure
 |
Houston
Restaurateur, Tony Masraff, of Masraff's Restaurant, and daughter,
Markley Masraff, race to raise money for Prostate Cancer.
|
I
am asked “why Tony’s Prostate Cancer Research?”
Less than three years ago I was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
The first advice I received was immediate surgery.
Upon
learning of the consequences of surgery, I researched other options;
Surgery, Implants, Radiation, Hormones. All had one thing in common…they
cure you of your cancer. However, I felt that often the cure had
worse side effects than the disease. I looked at it in a different
way. I valued my quality of life rather than the quantity of my
life, and hence none of the above solutions were acceptable.
Over
the last 3 years I have discovered that there is very little awareness
of prostate cancer, and those that think they know something about
prostate cancer, generally belittle the subject by responding with,
“ Oh at least it’s a very slow growing cancer. You know
Tony, the majority of men will die with prostate cancer but not
because of it”. And I think it is because of this attitude
that we tend to minimize the gravity of prostate cancer. As a result
very little money is directed to research. True, we have people
- philanthropists, like Michael Milken & Lester Smith who have
been afflicted by the disease, that are donating their money towards
research. I think that is fantastic, but what happens when they’re
gone.
Hence
my goal to make “Tony’s Prostate Cancer Research”
what “Susan B. Komen” is to breast cancer. So that in
addition to getting National awareness & recognition we can
obtain a continuous source of funding for the disease.
In the research
process, I learned that prostate cancer was not discussed openly,
and even though it is the second leading cause of death in men,
the amount of research dollars dedicated to finding a cure is significantly
less than other cancers. When the disease afflicts a man, his sons
have a third more chance of being afflicted as well. Hence my logo
of the man and boy is to depict and remind us of who is at risk.
This year alone, approximately 190,000 men will be diagnosed and
over 30,000 men will lose their lives. That is, on average, one
death every twenty minutes. Prostate cancer accounts for approximately
30% of all cancer cases in the United States and 11% of male cancer
deaths. Yet, on average, only about 5% of federal cancer research
dollars have been allocated to fight the disease.
| I
have therefore made it my mission to increase public awareness
and raise funds to support research to find more effective
treatments as well as “the cure” for prostate
cancer. In looking for a platform to launch my foundation,
I chose to run the Houston Marathon on January 19th with my
daughter, Markley. Having never run more than 200 yards in
my life, I began intense training in July.
As I
began telling our friends, customers and business associates
about my mission, many offered to sponsor my run at $10 and
$20 per mile, and some people even offered $1000 if I finished
the race. |
Collpsing
15 feet from the finish line. Tony can barely keep going, but
finds inner strength to run for the "cure." |
In addition
to the run, together with other events planned during the year,
I was hoping I’d raise approximately $100,000 through my newly
created non-profit organization, “Tony’s Prostate Cancer
Research”.
|
"The
will to succeed was far stronger than the body. Tony crawled
to the finish line." |
With the support
of my dynamic committee, together with events planned for the rest
of the year, it now appears that we will far surpass our goals for
2003. The response and support was fabulous. In the course of events,
I met Lester Smith, who committed to match dollar for dollar whatever
amount I could raise, up to $1.5 million dollars. Mr. Smith of the
Lester Smith Charitable Foundation, has presented a challenge grant
to Baylor College of Medicine, matching all gifts to Prostate Cancer
Research Initiative over the next five years on a 1:1 basis, up
to $1.5 million dollars. The funds raised through Tony’s Prostate
Cancer Research foundation during 2003, will be presented to Baylor
College of Medicine, Scott Department of Urology, currently recognized
as one of the leading prostate cancer research centers in the United
States.
Markley
and I completed the race in 5 hours despite the fact that I
had to crawl the last 12 feet.
As I hit the wall at mile 23, Markley and I saw this caption
on a man’s t-shirt that read ‘let us run with perseverance
the race marked out for us.’ as I pushed myself beyond
the limits of my body, the message was clear…”Tony’s
Prostate Cancer Research” is the race set out for me.
I will continue to run this race with perseverance for as long
as I can and until a cure is at hand. I am asking for your support
in our mission to find the cure for prostate cancer.
If you are able to help, please contact me, Tony Masraff, at
dine@masraffs.com or
713-355-1975. Thank you for your support. |
Victory
- after a long day. Tony & Markley completed the race -
more importantly, they raised money for prostate cancer research
as well as raising awareness of the need for research for this
disease. |
Tony Masraff
www.masraffs.com/prostateCancer.htm
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