Cologuard Classic raises colon cancer awareness while providing safe space for survivors

It is hard to know what to do.

When someone is told that they have cancer, nothing else seems to really matter. Dealing with this kind of adversity is a challenge that far too many people in our world face and the Cologuard Classic is doing everything they can to help in that regard.

A PGA Tour Champions event, the Cologuard Classic is particularly noteworthy as it serves to teach people about colon cancer, the survivors of it, and how early detection is key in combatting it. Tournament host Jerry Kelly spoke to SB Nation about all of the above and shared his passion for the subject at large.

You need only spend 60 seconds with Jerry to learn how passionate he is about saving lives from colon cancer. In many ways he is the Cologuard Classic as his disposition has helped turn the event into the smashing success that it is today.

The growth of this event has gone beyond anything we could have imagined. From about a dozen colorectal cancer patients, survivors, and loved ones the first year in 2018 to almost 500 this year, it has evolved into one of the largest gathering places in the world for the colorectal cancer patient community.

The evolution of the Cologuard Classic is a testament to what Jerry Kelly has done as the Cologuard Ambassador. He has gotten the players bought in to what this event is all about. Every PGA TOUR Champions professional in the field plays on behalf of a patient, survivor, or in memory of someone who has passed from colorectal cancer. The players go above and beyond to make this as meaningful as possible for the honorees involved.

I will never forget in our first year seeing stage four colon cancer patient John MacLeod do cartwheels down the fairway while playing in the Pro-Am. That was the eye-opening moment that showed what this event could mean to the colon cancer community. We do not take for granted the role the Cologuard Classic plays in creating lifetime memories for people impacted by colorectal cancer.

— Bryan Goettel, Director, Advocacy and Alliance Relations, Exact Sciences

Exact Sciences helps by raising awareness of colon cancer, but they also serve to highlight available screening options. Their mission is to change the way that people think about detecting and treating cancer. They believe that they can eradicate cancer by preventing it, detecting it earlier, and guiding personalized treatment for individuals.

You can learn more about the Cologuard Classic at large or Exact Sciences here.

A big part of the Cologuard Classic is also celebrating survivors. As Jerry noted, there are a lot of emotions that they grapple with on a daily basis: Joy, sadness, guilt, confusion, wonder. Establishing a place where they can be vulnerable with one another is important and part of what makes this event so special.

There are hundreds of cancer patients, survivors, and loved ones who attend the tournament every year. Exact Sciences provides grants to all sorts of organizations to help make this possible.

If you are interested, you can help sponsor a survivor to help them attend the event as well.

The work that Jerry Kelly, the Cologuard Classic, and Exact Sciences are all doing together needs to be what happens across the world each and every single day.

Here’s to helping make that happen as much as we can.