Honor Your Father Campaign Hits Million Dollar Mark - Campaign for Prostate Cancer Research Well On Its Way to $7 Million Goal

Since its September 9 launch at Houston City Hall, the Honor Your Father Campaign for Prostate Cancer Research has raised more than $1 million, including a dollar-for-dollar matching gift from The Lester and Sue Smith Foundation.

HOUSTON October 20, 2004 -- The Honor Your Father Campaign is a series of fundraising and awareness events through Fathers Day 2005, directly funding critical prostate cancer research projects at Baylor College of Medicines Scott Department of Urology. The impressive early success of the Honor Your Father Campaign is made possible through the generous support of members of The Partnership for Baylor College of Medicine, along with other individual donors, corporations, and foundations and the Smiths challenge match.

Two events provided a major portion of the contribution total to date. On September 17, 2004, Tony Masraffs Evening of Hope Gala benefiting the Honor Your Father Campaign raised $225,000, generating a $225,000 match from The Lester and Sue Smith Foundation for a grand total of $450,000.

On October 11 the Honor Your Father Campaign presented the 10th Annual Baylor College of Medicine Prostate Cancer Golf Tournament, raising $260,000. A match from The Lester and Sue Smith Foundation brings the total tournament proceeds to $520,000.

The Honor Your Father Campaign for Prostate Cancer Research is a yearlong project of The Partnership for Baylor College of Medicine. The campaigns goal is to raise $7 million for prostate cancer research at Baylor College of Medicines Scott Department of Urology, ranked the #1 academic urology department in the U.S. by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). All contributions made to the Honor Your Father Campaign will be 100% matched by The Lester & Sue Smith Foundation, up to $3.5 million. Not only are contributions doubled through this match, all campaign expenses are totally underwritten by Stuart Smith and Michelle Smith Hendry, in honor of their father, Lester Smith.

Mayor Bill White and Andrea White are serving as Honorary Chairs for the Campaign, which launched September 9 at Houston City Hall. Honor Your Father Campaign founder Lester Smith, a successful Houston oilman, Baylor College Of Medicine Board Trustee and prostate cancer survivor, announced an unprecedented effort to fund prostate cancer research at Baylor College of Medicine.

Smith, who successfully battled bladder cancer for 17 years, was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer in 2001. I thought it was my death sentence, said Smith. I feel I owe my life to the incredible care I received at Baylor, and I vowed to do whatever I could to help find a cure for this disease.

Those close to Smith describe him as driven and dedicated to eradicating prostate cancer, a disease that takes the lives of 30,000 men each year. Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer affecting men. One out of every 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. Prostate cancer has no early warning symptoms. Thats why screening and early detection are critical to saving lives. A simple PSA blood test takes only a few minutes and can detect the presence of the prostate cancer. All men are potentially at risk, and should get annual PSA screenings and exams.

Free PSA Screenings Offered
Free PSA blood tests will be offered at H-E-B stores throughout the greater Houston area beginning Saturday, October 30. For a complete list of dates and locations, please visit www.HonorYourFather.org. In addition, free PSA screenings are available every Friday afternoon, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm at the Scott Department of Urology at Baylor College of Medicine in the Texas Medical Center, Scurlock Tower, 6560 Fannin, Suite 2100. To schedule an appointment, call 713-798-6030.

The Campaigns fundraising effort will culminate in the Honor Your Father Gala Celebration scheduled for Saturday, May 7, 2005 at the InterContinental Houston. Chairs Jan Carson and Tim Connolly, along with co-chairs Jan and Dan Duncan, are planning an extraordinary evening.

We are determined to take full advantage of the generosity of The Lester & Sue Smith Foundation and reach our goal of $7 million to fund prostate cancer research, said Jan Carson. Those funds will greatly impact the significant research taking place at Baylor and will help us make strides in finding a cure for this disease.

The Gala Celebration will pay tribute to the generous spirit of Lester and Sue Smith who have donated more than $10 million in the past 2 years to Baylors Scott Department of Urology. The Smiths have also been instrumental in raising an additional $12 million in gifts and pledges for the Department.

The Honor Your Father Campaign for Prostate Cancer Research is dedicated to increasing awareness of this disease; encouraging early detection and appropriate treatment; and funding research to find a cure. If youd like to help, please visit our website at www.HonorYourFather.org, or call 713-600-0600.

###