Brown University's football team has raised more than $16,500 through its 22nd annual Bench Press for Cancer fundraiser, according to a university account published Oct. 20.
The event brings a bench-press station to the College Green near Sayles Hall, where participants can secure pledges for repetitions or make a flat donation. Proceeds support cancer-survivorship programs offered by Brown University Health.
The fundraiser began in 2004 after team captain Lawrence Rubia was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a rare bone cancer. It initially helped with his family's medical expenses. After his death in 2005, the effort continued for the American Cancer Society and later developed a local hospital partnership.
Brown says the fundraiser has collected more than $200,000 over its history for the American Cancer Society and the Brown University Health Cancer Institute. Donations to this year's event were still coming in when the university published its account.
Dr. Fred Schiffman, medical director of the cancer institute, told Brown that the team's fundraising supports services including nutrition counseling and physical therapy.
Source: Brown University's Oct. 20 account of the fundraiser.