Moffitt Cancer Center has recently announced that Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end William Gholston has donated $225,000 to support research into cancer health disparities. The donation, made during Black History Month, will help fund discoveries in breast, colon, and prostate cancers — all of which disproportionately affect Black men and women. Gholston’s gift will go to Moffitt’s George Edgecomb Society, which seeks to eliminate cancer health disparities in communities of color. The society honors the memory of H. Lee Moffitt’s close friend, African American pioneer Judge George Edgecomb, who died of leukemia in 1976.
“When I was presented with the opportunity to donate and be a part of the betterment of cancer research for Black communities, I could not think of a better way to honor my family,” Gholston said. “My father and uncle both died battling cancer, and my mother has won her battle with cancer multiple times. This battle is hard. The fight is hard, and any amount of research or help is huge in my eyes. I hope this donation helps others who are fighting or may have to fight down the line. You can never get the time back, but with this effort we may be able to add more time for others. ”
Gholston lost his father to lung cancer and an uncle to prostate cancer. His mother, a breast cancer survivor, has volunteered at Moffitt for the last several years, participating in the center’s Healthy KIDZ events.
Gholston has directed his donation specifically to help with research into breast cancer in honor of his mother, and colon and prostate cancers because of their outsized impact in Black communities. African Americans are more likely to be diagnosed with colon and prostate cancer than any other ethnic group in the United States.
Gholston and the Buccaneers will host the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV at their home stadium in Tampa on Sunday, February 7th.
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