Leading up to Father’s Day this past weekend, MLB and the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) asked fans to help “Keep Dad in the Game” in the fight against prostate cancer, the second-most common cancer in American men behind skin cancer. Since 1996, MLB and the PCF have teamed up to combat prostate cancer through the MLB-PCF Home Run Challenge. The initiative encourages everyone to join the fight against prostate cancer by raising awareness and funds for research through America’s favorite pastime: baseball.

This year’s challenge kicked off on May 20 and ran through Father’s Day on Sunday. Fans were able to participate by pledging a donation for every home run hit during this time. While the official challenge window for this season has ended, one-time donations can be made at any time.

Reds CEO Bob Castellini and the club have taken part in the efforts, donating $1,000 for every home run hit by a Reds player from May 25–June 18 to the PCF. That total ended up at 24 homers, meaning $24,000 toward the fund. In addition to the money raised through each home run, Castellini and the Reds agreed to donate another $10,000 to make the grand total of a $34,000 contribution to the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

“The Reds gratefully make this donation to the Prostate Cancer Foundation on behalf of our fans throughout Reds Country who have been impacted by prostate cancer,” said Castellini. “And we thank Major League Baseball for supporting the work being done by the PCF.”

The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2023, the United States will see about 288,300 new cases of prostate cancer and approximately 34,700 deaths from prostate cancer. About 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime, and more than 3 million men are currently living with the disease. It is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men, behind only lung cancer.

But thanks to 27 years of proactive efforts by the PCF and its Home Run Challenge, the fundraiser has generated more than $70 million for prostate cancer research and is helping treat those with prostate cancer, whether they discover it early on or later in life.

“The success rate in treating this has vastly improved,” chairman and founder of the Prostate Cancer Foundation Michael Milken said. “With the $70 million we’ve raised from home runs and the 10-time match of $700 million, we fund over 200 universities throughout the world, and there are 25 new therapies we’ve backed. So whether it’s early or late when you discover it, there’s a good chance you’ll live a normal life. This year, between 3 and 4 million dads will be in total remission from prostate cancer and enjoying Father’s Day.”

When the Reds hosted the Cardinals on May 25, representatives of the Prostate Cancer Foundation, including Milken, took the field for a pregame ceremony and first pitch.

“We not only want to thank Major League Baseball, but we want to thank the Reds,” Milken said. “We used to always kick this program off here in Cincinnati. They’ve been a leader in this area from the start, and it’s made a significant difference for men not just in Cincinnati, but throughout the country.”

To learn more or to donate, visit PCF.org.