.png)
Stebbins High teams up with Pros to tackle breast cancer
By Cornelius Frolik
March 29, 2011
RIVERSIDE — Two NFL safeties will team up with Stebbins High School on Thursday to tackle breast cancer by raising awareness of the disease and also money for an organization committed to finding a cure for it.
Philadelphia Eagles star safety Kurt Coleman and Kansas City Chiefs safety Donald Washington will be the guest speakers at the 7 p.m. event, and they will discuss their rise to fame and the challenges they faced as they ascended from high school to The Ohio State University to the pros.
But Coleman, who graduated from Northmont High School in 2006 and OSU last May, will also talk about his personal connection to breast cancer.
His father, Stebbins Assistant Principal Ron Coleman, was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer in November 2006 after he discovered a suspicious lump in his chest. A month later, he underwent a successful mastectomy and tests since have shown the cancer is gone.
Ron Coleman said the event will stress the importance of early detection and knowing family history.
“Cancer isn’t a death sentence, you’ll get through it, there are other people out there and many avenues for support,” he said.
Ron Coleman is one of the rare male breast cancer survivors. About one in eight women will develop invasive breast cancer sometime in their lives, but only about 2,000 men were diagnosed with the disease in 2010, according to the American Cancer Society.
Ron Coleman said he hopes Thursday’s event raises a nice sum for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the American Red Cross to help relief efforts in Japan. There will also be a raffle featuring a variety of sports memorabilia.
Tickets for “An Evening with the Pros” are $10 for adults and $5 for students and children. The event will be hosted at the Stebbins High School auditorium, located at 1900 Harshman Road.
