NORMAN — Heisman Trophy winners Steve Owens, Jason White and Billy Sims, along with Oklahoma First Lady Kim Henry, today joined high school student leaders to launch a unique statewide initiative to promote cancer prevention.  They announced a new program, Win-Win Week, Sept. 13 through 17, at this morning’s news conference in the Norman High School football locker room. 

“”Every community in Oklahoma has been affected by cancer.  Steve, Billy, Jason and I are excited to encourage our state’s young people to take part in the fight against cancer,” Henry said.  ”We are looking forward to seeing firsthand the creative ways that students will communicate this important information to their schools and communities.”

Henry is chair of Oklahoma Students Care, which developed the Win-Win Week idea to encourage high school students to use their athletic events to draw attention to the disease that is the second leading cause of death in Oklahoma.  Schools are encouraged to “pink out” every athletic event during the week to increase cancer awareness and raise funds to support Oklahoma cancer patients.

“High school athletics is such an important part of Oklahoma’s culture, so it seems like a great way of reaching out to communities,” said Owens.  “Win-Win Week will not only celebrate the excellence of our high school leaders, but it will also draw community attention to a very serious health issue in our state.”

Approximately 17,000 new cases of cancer are diagnosed in Oklahoma every year, and 7,500 Oklahomans die from the disease.  But those numbers can be improved, according to the director of the OU Cancer Institute.

 “Almost half of all cancer deaths can be prevented by eliminating tobacco, eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly,” said Robert S. Mannel, M.D.  “We are grateful that Oklahoma’s high school students are taking a stand against this disease that takes so much from so many in our state.”

Sarah Hartley, Norman High School Student Congress president, is helping organize a variety of activities at her school.

 “Students at Norman High are very passionate about reducing the impact of cancer and are excited to participate in Win-Win Week,” Hartley said.  “Our goal is to help raise a healthier generation by encouraging better health habits, and we want to raise money to help the people in our state who are battling cancer.  We already have pinked out our softball game against Norman North, and we look forward to pinking out our football game against Moore.”

To help encourage schools to participate, the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association will award a coveted state championship trophy to a school in each classification that conducts the most effective prevention and fundraising programs.

“The OSSAA is proud to partner with Mrs. Henry and three of our state’s athletic legends to support our student leaders in this important endeavor,” said Amy Cassell, assistant director of the OSSAA.  “We believe that Oklahoma is the first state to organize a statewide effort like this to use the excitement and passion associated with high school athletics as a way of improving the health of our state.  We hope that communities will place as much emphasis on our youth’s health as we do their on their athletic successes.  We are pleased that students are bringing their enthusiasm, energy and creativity to these efforts.”

In a state where one in two men and one in three women will be diagnosed with cancer, providing financial support for programs to benefit cancer patients and their families is important, Mannel said.

“We appreciate the involvement of high school students from across the state in their effort to support cancer patients.” said Mannel.  “Every dollar raised will stay right here in Oklahoma and will provide important support for cancer patients treated at the OU Cancer Institute.”

“We are doing several different activities to raise awareness. We are taking ‘Coins for Cancer’ to the elementary schools. Whatever school brings in the most coins, raises the most money gets a pizza party,” Chandler Hudson, a cheerleader at Duncan High School said. “We are also taking pink banners around to the schools ... students and teachers will right names of people that have been affected by cancer, and we’ll hang those banners up at our game on sept. 17. We are also having a ‘Harley’ pep rally. We are dedicating it to ‘Win-Win’ week. We are selling T-shirts that say ‘Real Demons Wear Pink,’ and for the bikers, we’ll have shirts that say ‘Real Bikers Wear Pink.’”

The OU Cancer Institute is Oklahoma’s only comprehensive academic cancer center, with significant programs in prevention, research, treatment and education.  It is working toward National Cancer Institute “designated cancer center” status, the gold-standard of cancer research and treatment.  More than 100 Ph.D.-level scientists are conducting innovative research, and patients from every county in Oklahoma are treated by one of the largest oncology physicians groups in the state.  A new 210,000 square-foot clinical facility will open at the Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City next year. 

For more information regarding Win-Win Week, visit www.OKStudentsCare.org or contact Von Allen at 405-271-4880 or von-allen@ouhsc.edu.