More than any other major sport, baseball is a numbers game. Just ask any diehard fan. Tracking stats and scores can become an obsession unto itself. For diligent managers and coaches, historical trends and averages can paint quite a picture.
That information can speak volumes about an opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. And even if the competition seems formidable, knowing the odds is the first step in beating them.
In support of ongoing efforts to bat away the catastrophic effects of cancer, the Idaho Falls Chukars are once again teaming up with local sponsors for 2017 with a special cancer awareness night. The game and festivities are set for Friday, Sept.1 at Melaleuca Field. The game starts at 7:15 p.m.
Teton Radiology will be returning as a sponsor of the event with 500 T-shirts and 500 tickets. Cherry Glass, another perennial sponsor, will return this year as the main ticket fundraiser. (This group purchases tickets for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life and then sell the tickets and keep all of the proceeds.) Numerous “Donating” sponsorships by local companies have also made a huge impact on fundraising for the event, as well as donations of bikes, kayaks, gift baskets and other items.
One of the main beneficiary vehicles for the awareness night is the Look Good Feel Better program – a free, national public service program that helps women cancer patients improve their appearance and self-image by teaching them hands on beauty techniques to manage the appearance side effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Also in the mix is the American Cancer Society's Reach to Recovery program, which has helped people (female and male) cope with their breast cancer experience. It is staffed by Reach to Recovery volunteers who offer understanding, support, and hope as they themselves have survived breast cancer and gone on to live normal, productive lives.
According to www.cancer.org, breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, exceeded only by lung cancer. The chance that breast cancer will be responsible for a woman's death is about 1 in 36 (about 3 percent). Death rates from breast cancer have been declining since about 1989, with larger decreases in women younger than 50. These decreases are believed to be the result of earlier detection through screening and increased awareness, as well as improved treatment.
All women are at risk for breast cancer, and as you get older, your risk increases. Researchers estimate that 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer at some time in their lives. This means that the average woman has about a 12-13 percent risk of developing breast cancer.
Recent statistics show that nearly 40,000 women die of breast cancer every year. That number is alarming, but the weight of it is nothing compared to the fact that more than a handful of these women are friends and family members of those of us living right here in East Idaho.
There are many ways that people can support this cause. According to the Chukars, the simplest act of support is the purchase of Breast Cancer Awareness Night fundraising tickets. All of your ticket money will go back into the aforementioned programs. And of course, that ticket will also allow you to attend the game on Sept. 1.
For more information, visit the Chukar website at www.ifchukars.com.