MLB announces efforts to raise awareness for prostate cancer, including new multi-year partnership with Roman, the Men's Digital Health Clinic

Major League Baseball today announced details of league-wide efforts to raise awareness about prostate cancer as well as funds for research to fight the disease during games on Father’s Day 2019, June 16th. Notably, Roman, the Men’s Digital Health Clinic, has become a Proud Partner of MLB. In a new multi-year deal, Roman will sponsor the league’s television and digital media coverage of Father’s Day efforts.

Roman, in their first partnership with a professional sports league, will launch an educational content hub about prostate cancer in advance of Father’s Day. Fans can discover resources and information about the disease via Roman’s website, provided in concert with the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

“Roman is humbled to launch our partnership with MLB,” said Zachariah Reitano, Cofounder and CEO of Ro (powering Roman). “I watched as my dad fought to regain his health and take care of our family, so Father’s Day felt like the perfect occasion to partner with MLB and celebrate every dad’s commitment to taking care of themselves for their family. We’re ecstatic to share our service with baseball fans nationwide and are blown away by MLB’s commitment to raising awareness for serious health issues like Prostate Cancer, which affects millions of men and their families across the country.”

“We are thrilled to have a partner in Roman as we continue to find new, innovative ways to educate our fans and the general public about prostate cancer,” said Melanie LeGrande, Vice President of Social Responsibility, MLB. “The visual message communicated by players and all on-field personnel of wearing blue apparel every Father’s Day has been instrumental in our sport making a real difference. We look forward to offering our support alongside our Clubs, partners and players for the important and outstanding work done every day by the Prostate Cancer Foundation and Stand Up To Cancer.”

During Father’s Day games, players and on-field personnel will wear the symbolic blue ribbon on their uniforms along with blue wristbands. Also, for the fourth consecutive year, players will wear specially-designed New Era caps to raise awareness and funds for the fight against prostate cancer. The caps feature a light blue crown to accent team colors on the brim and logo. Players also have the option to wear Stance multi-pattern blue-dyed socks. MLB will again donate 100% of its royalties from the sales of specialty caps and apparel emblazoned with the symbolic blue ribbon – a minimum $300,000 collective donation – to the Prostate Cancer Foundation and Stand Up To Cancer.

Commemorative base jewels and dugout lineup cards also will be blue. In addition, the following game equipment can be used for prostate cancer awareness throughout Father’s Day Weekend: light blue bats, light blue compression sleeves, light blue batting gloves, light blue footwear, light blue wrist/elbow/leg guards and catcher’s equipment. Players and all on-field personnel have worn blue ribbons and sported blue wristbands on Father’s Day since MLB first partnered with the Prostate Cancer Foundation in 1996.

Several MLB Clubs will host special pregame ceremonies, including ceremonial first pitches and representatives from the Prostate Cancer Foundation attending games. On Father’s Day, MLB.com, all 30 Clubs and broadcast partners will express their gratitude by sharing their favorite baseball moments of Dad on social media using #MLBDads, and fans are encouraged to do the same.

This effort also includes the annual Prostate Cancer Foundation “Home Run Challenge,” which has given fans the chance to make a one-time monetary donation or pledge for every home run hit by their favorite MLB Clubs during the time period of Saturday, June 1st through Father’s Day, Sunday, June 16th, all the while tracking where their team stacks up in a “Team vs. Team” competition. Every dollar donated through the Home Run Challenge goes to PCF to fund critical research to defeat prostate cancer. As of June 13th, more than $1.26 million has been pledged via the Home Run Challenge in 2019. Since inception, the Home Run Challenge has raised more than $51 million for PCF, the world’s leading philanthropic organization funding and accelerating prostate cancer research.

Founded in 1993, Prostate Cancer Foundation has funded nearly $800 million of cutting-edge research by 2,200 scientists at 220 leading cancer centers in 22 countries around the world. Because of PCF’s commitment to ending death and suffering from prostate cancer, the death rate is down more than 52% and 1.5 million men are alive today as a result. PCF research now impacts 67 forms of human cancer by focusing on immunotherapy, the microbiome, and food as medicine. Learn more at pcf.org.