Father’s Day event encourages men’s cancer screenings

TAMPA, Fla. - A Tampa restaurateur and prostate cancer survivor uses Father’s Day to raise money and awareness for the disease.  

Hundreds of walkers and runners gathered on the Tampa River Walk for the ninth annual Richard’s Father’s Day Walk and Jog Sunday morning.

It is a fundraiser for the Moffitt Cancer Center, aimed at spreading awareness and raising money for prostate cancer research and resources.

Sunday’s event raised about $150,000 for the cancer center and nearly $900,000 total over the past nine years.

"Men don’t want to talk about prostate cancer. They need to understand it’s a simple blood test for you to find out. We all have what’s called a PSA, and with a simple check, you can find out and you can be treated like I was," explained Richard Gonzmart, the event’s founder. "It’s about making men understand that they can do like I did, therapy with a simple surgery, they remove it, you’re home in four hours, three days later I ran four miles, I ran four marathons over six weeks four months later."

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Gonzmart says not only does this spread awareness and raise money for the Moffitt Cancer Center, but it also allows families to come together to celebrate those who’ve won their battle with cancer, and honor the lives who did not.