Cleveland Clinic and Cleveland Cavaliers Team Up to Box-Out Breast Cancer

CLEVELAND, OH - November 17, 2009: Cleveland Clinic and the Cleveland Cavaliers have announced a new partnership called “Box-Out Breast Cancer” to encourage fans to keep breast cancer screening and prevention top-of-mind year-round. The campaign involves online elements and in-arena awareness at a Cavaliers home game to encourage men and women to take an active role in the fight against breast cancer.

Cavs fans are encouraged to visit clevelandclinic.org/boxout and create a Box-Out Breast Cancer team of the most important women in their lives. Those team members will receive an annual email reminder to get a mammogram. In addition, each person is invited to create their own team to continue spreading this important message. Teams who sign up before November 20th will have a chance to win two tickets to the Cavaliers vs. Chicago Bulls game on December 4th for Breast Cancer Awareness Night at Quicken Loans Arena.

Throughout this special game, the Cavs will color Cleveland with awareness spreading the Box-Out Breast Cancer message of early detection year-round, not just during October, which is designated as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The Cavs players will wear pink and white shirts during shootaround, and the coaches and broadcasters will don pink shirts or ties. Pink and white player autographed basketballs will be available at the in-arena auction – including one by LeBron James! Additionally, a portion of the halftime tribute will include a ribbon made on the court by season ticket holders that have been affected by breast cancer.

“This year alone, 180,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, but the positive message this campaign will share is that breast cancer patients have a five-year survival rate of more than 95 percent when it is diagnosed early,” said Jill Dietz, MD, Breast Surgeon, Cleveland Clinic. “When it comes to breast cancer, early detection is the best defense.”

Cavaliers Head Coach Mike Brown’s wife Carolyn became a big supporter of breast cancer awareness when the team doctor’s wife and one of the Cavs Better Halves members, Mary Ann Garvey, was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. While she is doing well after treatment, it reiterated the importance of early detection (The Better Halves are the wives and girlfriends of Cavs players, coaches, management and staff).

“Women often are legendary for taking care of everyone but themselves, so we need to get their loved ones, men and women alike, to encourage them to put themselves first when it comes to breast cancer screening,” said Brown.

Research shows that by simply encouraging women to remind the important women in their lives to get a breast exam, the mortality rate from breast cancer could decrease by 30% in women age 50 and older.

For more information or to sign up a Box-Out Breast Cancer team, visit clevelandclinic.org/boxout.

About the Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic, located in Cleveland, Ohio, is a not-for-profit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Cleveland Clinic was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. U.S. News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation’s best hospitals in its annual “America’s Best Hospitals” survey. Approximately 1,800 full-time salaried physicians and researchers at Cleveland Clinic and Cleveland Clinic Florida represent more than 100 medical specialties and subspecialties. In 2007, there were 3.5 million outpatient visits to Cleveland Clinic and 50,455 hospital admissions. Patients came for treatment from every state and from more than 80 countries. Cleveland Clinic’s Web site address is clevelandclinic.org.