10 August 2017

This week around 500 senior students from one of Queensland's leading boys' boarding schools – Toowoomba Grammar School -  formed a human prostate cancer awareness ribbon on the school oval in the fight against the disease.

Not only does Queensland have the highest incidence of prostate cancer in Australia but it has the second highest in the world with the majority of sufferers from rural communities. (source: Queensland Cancer Council and Cancer Australia).

It's A Bloke Thing founding committee member Mr John Fitzgibbons says many of the students at the school were either from rural communities or had brothers, fathers, uncles or other male relatives living in the bush.

"The key to survival is early detection and if we can educate these young men and ensure they take responsibility for their health into the future, we are staying a step ahead," says Mr Fitzgibbons, who hopes the annual QantasLink It’s A Bloke Thing prostate cancer charity luncheon at Wellcamp Airport next week (August 15) will raise more than $1million for research and education.

More than 500 people are expected to attend the million-dollar QantasLink It's A Bloke Thing Prostate Cancer Charity Luncheon at Wellcamp Airport on Tuesday, August 15.

Since the IABT luncheon started six years ago, more than $4.5 has been raised for national and state-based research and education.

www.itsablokething.com.au