April is Testicular Cancer Awareness Month.
We've donated the latest batch of Help a Buddie tickets to Cahonas Scotland - a Scottish Charity committed to raising awareness of the signs and symptoms of Testicular Cancer.
Paul McCaffery, Cahonas Scotland Community Engagement Officer, visited the SMiSA Stadium to collect the tickets and told stmirren.com: "These tickets benefit the charity in a significant way.
Not only does it help raise our profile with St Mirren Football Club but also the wider community. The recipient will have the opportunity to feel a positive action taken by their local club and experience a game day they might not have had this season."
About Cahonas Scotland
Cahonas are Scotland’s biggest testicular cancer charity, educating, creating awareness, eradicating embarrassment and stigma, and installing a new healthy habit that could one day save a life.
The organisation is on a mission to stamp out late detection of testicular cancer. It gives men the lowdown and educates them on the signs and symptoms of testicular cancer and empowers them to have the confidence to see a doctor if they notice any changes. Early detection means more effective treatment and the potential to save lives.
Founded by Ritchie Marshall in 2009, the charity’s main goal has been to fill the void in the education of young men in Scotland about testicular cancer. Cahonas Scotland grew from the recognition that although male cancer awareness was slowly growing, there was no real Scottish focus and their mission is to get testicular health on the agenda from an early age.
Paul told stmirren.com: "Our main mission remains the same, however through the hard work of our CEO Ritchie Marshall, the charity has evolved from a single employee to being able to take on a Community Engagement officer to further our goal to take away the stigma and embarrassment around testicular cancer."
What Cahonas Scotland do
Cahonas use their awareness talks to educate people about testicular health, influencing more open discussion regarding the subject.
Their talks help to promote monthly self-checks amongst men, and their visits to events, workplaces and education establishments help get the message out about the symptoms of testicular cancer and how to check for them.
Early detection means more effective treatment and Paul told us about the importance of regular checks and how Cahonas’ self-check guide can be lifesaving.
In 2015 I was diagnosed with testicular cancer, so speaking from personal experience, it saves lives. That might sound grandiose, but I’m a cancer survivor because of Cahonas and Ritchie putting the self-check guide out all those years ago.
"We aim to continue to grow and have a real-world impact in Scotland. We want the conversation around testicular cancer to be encouraged and the information to be widely available.
"Our goal is to create a resource for all places of business, schools and wherever needs educational resources, to be made available, to help spread awareness and promote the importance of early detection through regular self checking."
To find out more about the Cahonas Scotland please visit Cahonas - The lowdown on testicular cancer. (cahonasscotland.org)
About Help a Buddie
Help a Buddie is our brand-new initiative where St Mirren supporters have the chance to purchase and donate a match ticket for those less fortunate.
The Help a Buddie scheme will continue to help benefit local community groups/organisations and those less fortunate supporters.
If you wish to purchase a Help a Buddie ticket please click HERE.
