'Sharing Miracles' Television Program to Feature Professional Football Hall-of-Famer Len Dawson

'Sharing Miracles' Television Program to Feature Professional Football Hall-of-Famer Len Dawson

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As the football season swings into high gear, Sharing Miracles, a 30-minute public affairs television program that tells the compelling and inspirational stories of real patients, will feature Super Bowl-winning quarterback and Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Len Dawson, a prostate cancer survivor. Sharing Miracles now shows on more than 200 television stations across the United States.

A first-round draft pick out of Purdue University, Dawson played three uneventful seasons in the NFL. However, after joining his college coach and mentor, Hank Stram, he blossomed into a superstar with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Dawson spent 13 seasons with the Chiefs and retired in 1975, having thrown a career total of 28,711 yards. Noted for his calm approach to every situation, Dawson was often praised by Stram as "the most accurate passer in pro football." He is perhaps best remembered on the field for his outstanding performance in leading the Kansas City Chiefs to a 23-7 upset of the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV. He was named the game's Most Valuable Player.

Dawson still holds Chiefs career marks for pass rating, attempts, completions, passing yards and touchdowns. In 1987, he was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Following retirement, he was best known for hosting HBO's "Inside the NFL" for 25 years.

He was caught off guard in 1991, however, when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer after getting screened at the urging of his wife. Fortunately, the cancer was in its early stages and was treatable. He says, "When I grew up, when you talked about cancer, you didn't talk about surviving; you didn't talk about taking care of it or curing it. Instead, you asked, 'How long do I have?'" But that's not the reaction that Dawson received. "The doctors told me that if the cancer was contained within the prostate gland and if we removed it, it would be gone. Thankfully, it was."

Dawson remains healthy today, and is active as a spokesman for the American Cancer Society and an advocate for early diagnosis of prostate cancer. He adds, "At the time, I felt good and was symptom-free, but that just shows how rapidly cancer can get to you. And if that cancer starts to spread, you've got a problem." He is also highly active in community and charitable organizations dealing primarily with children. Len has been the Honorary Chairman of the Variety Club Telethon for several years and also hosts the Len Dawson Celebrity Golf Classic, which benefits the Truman Medical Center. He has been the sports director and anchor at KMBC-TV in Kansas City for more than 40 years.

According to a recent survey conducted by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), more than 750 medicines are currently being developed to treat different kinds of cancer, including 88 for prostate cancer, the third leading cause of cancer death in men. AstraZeneca scientist Dr. Geert Kolvenbag, a prostate cancer expert, explains the focus of current research: "The research that is being done today is looking at improving diagnosis of prostate cancer and finding new therapies for patients with the disease. We know that testosterone actually drives the tumor, so therapies have been focusing on blocking the working of testosterone or actually blocking the production of testosterone."

Previous episodes of Sharing Miracles have featured Academy Award-winning actress Marcia Gay Harden, a breast cancer advocate; Emmy Award-winning actor Joey Pantoliano, who suffers from clinical depression; Olympic gold medal winners Mark Spitz (high cholesterol), Bruce Jenner (attention deficit disorder), and Greg Louganis (HIV); syndicated television talk show host Montel Williams, who suffers from multiple sclerosis; actor and Leave It To Beaver star Jerry Mathers, who is affected by diabetes; pop icon and Broadway star Deborah Gibson, who has suffered from devastating anxiety attacks; and North Carolina State University women's basketball coach Kay Yow, a breast cancer survivor. December's Sharing Miracles will feature former Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro running back Jerome "The Bus" Bettis.

The new episode debuts November 2. Sharing Miracles airs on Sunday mornings -- in 52 television markets, reaching nearly 50 million households -- on the following network-affiliated stations:

   --  WTTG-TV (FOX), Washington, DC, 10:30 am -11:00 am   --  KCOP-TV (MyTV), Los Angeles, CA, 10 am-10:30 am   --  WMAQ-TV (NBC), Chicago, IL, 11:30 am-12 noon   --  WWOR-TV (MyTV), New York, NY, 9 am-9:30 am   --  WFTX-TV (FOX), Boston, MA, 11 am-11:30 am   --  WBFF-TV (FOX), Baltimore, MD, 11 am-11:30 am   --  WPHL-TV (MyTV), Philadelphia, PA, 11 am-11:30 am   --  WXIN-TV (FOX), Indianapolis, IN, 11:30 am-12 noon   --  WGCL-TV (CBS), Atlanta, GA, 7 am-7:30 am   --  KABB-TV (FOX), San Antonio, TX, 8 am-8:30 am   --  WCIA-TV (CBS), Springfield/Champaign/Urbana/Decatur, IL, 10:30 am-11       am   --  WLAJ-TV (ABC), Lansing, MI, 11 am-11:30 am   --  WNYT-TV (NBC), Albany/Schenectady/Troy, NY, 11:30 am-12 noon   --  KQCA-TV (MyTV), Sacramento/Stockton/Modesto, CA, 11:30 am-12 noon   --  KXTL-TV (FOX), Sacramento/Stockton/Modesto, CA, 6:30 am-7 am   --  WBRZ-TV (ABC), Baton Rouge, LA, 11 am-11:30 am   --  WAPT-TV (ABC), Jackson, MS, 9 am-9:30 am   --  WOWK-TV (CBS), Charleston/Huntington, WV, 11:00 am-11:30 am   --  WSYX-TV (ABC), Columbus, OH, 7:30 am-8 am   --  WTVO-TV (ABC), Rockford, IL, 9 am-9:30 am   --  KGEM-TV (NBC), Quincy, IL, 11 am-11:30 am   --  WNAC-TV (FOX), Providence, RI, 10:30 am-11 am   --  WMTW-TV (ABC), Portland/Augusta, ME, 11:30 am-12 noon   --  KHBB-TV (ABC), Helena, MT, 10 am-10:30 am   --  KIVI-TV (ABC), Boise, ID, 8 am-8:30 am   --  WMBD-TV (CBS), Peoria, IL, 10 am-10:30 am   --  WTWC-TV (NBC), Tallahassee, FL, 10 am-10:30 am   --  WWL-TV (CBS), New Orleans, LA, 7:30 am-8 am   --  WOI-TV (ABC), Des Moines, IA, 6:30 am-7 am   --  WKOW-TV (ABC), Madison, WI, 11 am-11:30 am   --  KFBB-TV (ABC), Great Falls, MT, 10 am-10:30 am   --  WVNY-TV (ABC), Burlington/Montpelier, VT, 11:30 am-12 noon   --  WHBF-TV (CBS), Rock Island, IL/Davenport, IA, 10 am-10:30 am   --  KEYE-TV (CBS), Austin, TX, 10:30 am-11 am   --  KDEV-TV (ABC), Cheyenne, WY, 7:30 am-8:00 am   --  KTKA-TV (ABC), Topeka, KS, 8:30 am-9 am   --  WRAZ-TV (FOX), Raleigh, NC, 7:30 am-8 am   --  KLRT-TV (FOX), Little Rock, AR, 9 am-9:30 am   --  KDLT-TV (NBC), Sioux Falls, SD, 9 am-9:30 am   --  WRLH-TV (FOX), Richmond, VA, 10 am-10:30 am   --  KTBY-TV (FOX), Anchorage, AK, 6 am-6:30 am   --  KXD-TV (CBS), Fairbanks, AK, 5:30 am-6 am   --  KWBQ-TV (CW), Albuquerque/Sante Fe, NM, 10 am-10:30 am   --  KRCG-TV (CBS), Columbia/Jefferson City, MO, 10:30 am-11 am   --  WNCF-TV (ABC), Montgomery, AL, 9:30 am-10 am   --  KBMY-TV (ABC), Minot/Bismarck, ND, 9 am-9:30 am   --  KLKN-TV (ABC), Lincoln, NE, 10:30 am-11 am   --  WACH-TV (FOX), Columbia, SC, 11 am-11:30 am   --  WHTM-TV (ABC), Harrisburg, PA, 11 am-11:30 am   --  KXTU-TV (CW), Colorado Springs, CO, 10:30 am-11 am   --  KOCO-TV (ABC), Oklahoma City, OK, 11 am-11:30 am   --  WSIL-TV (ABC), Carbondale, IL/Paducah, KY/Cape Girardeau, MO, 10:30       am-11 am.   

The show also airs on 150 community broadcast stations across the country. For free DVDs of Sharing Miracles, please contact the PhRMA press line at 202-835-3460 or go to www.sharingmiracles.com.

Community stations airing Sharing Miracles are located in the following cities: Harrison, AR; Mountain Home, AR; Chino Valley, AZ; Claremont, CA; Compton, CA; Del Mar, CA; Gilroy, CA; Hayward, CA; Pasadena, CA; Petaluma, CA; Sacramento, CA; San Francisco, CA; Santa Barbara, CA; Aurora, CO; Longmont, CO; Bridgeport, CT; Hamden, CT; Hartford, CT; Madison, CT; North Haven, CT; Plainville, CT; Tampa, FL; Atlanta, GA; Douglasville, GA; Fort Oglethorpe, GA; Hilo, HI; Des Moines, IA; Mount Vernon, IA; Olin, IA; Muscatine, IA; Mountain Home, ID; Pocatello, ID; Aurora, IL; Batavia, IL; Glen Ellyn, IL; Bloomington, IN; Fort Wayne, IN; Lawrence, KS; Covington, KY; Highland Heights, KY; Lafayette, LA; Amherst, MA; Arlington, MA; Boston, MA; Carver, MA; Chelmsford, MA; Dracut, MA; East Longmeadow, MA; Easthampton, MA; Holden, MA; Hopkinton, MA; Leominster, MA; Lexington, MA; Longmeadow, MA; Lynn, MA; Marion, MA; Marshfield, MA; Sandwich, MA; Worcester, MA; Easton, MD; Greenbelt, MD; Largo, MD; Bridgton, ME; Brunswick, ME; Mexico, ME; Ann Arbor, MI; Cadillac, MI; Farmington Hills, MI; Holland, MI; Kalamazoo, MI; Lake Orion, MI; Manistee, MI; Portage, MI; Romeo, MI; Waterford, MI; Wyandotte, MI; Blaine, MN; Bloomington, MN; Champlin, MN; Coon Rapids, MN; Duluth, MN; Fergus Falls, MN; Hibbing, MN; Hutchinson, MN; Minneapolis, MN; Rosemont, MN; Spring Park, MN; Stillwater, MN; White Bear Lake, MN; Helena, MT; Columbia, MO; Vicksburg, MS; Albemarle, NC; Fargo, ND; Hastings, NE; Omaha, NE; Claremont, NH; Derry, NH; Durham, NH; Londonderry, NH; Manchester, NH; North Conway, NH; Metuchen, NJ; Princeton, NJ; Albuquerque, NM; Los Alamos, NM; Taos, NM; Minden, NV; Chappaqua, NY; Fairport, NY; Staten Island, NY; Tivoli, NY; Webster, NY; Cincinnati, OH; Hudson; OH; Macedonia, OH; Norwood, OH; Perry, OK; Oregon City, OR; Silverton, OR; Berwyn, PA; Gettysburg, PA; McMurray, PA; Reading, PA; Wayne, PA; Murfreesboro, TN; Dallas, TX; Houston, TX; Cedar City, UT; Logan, UT; Blacksburg, VA; Bristol, VT; Hyde Park, VT; Manchester Center, VT; Middlebury, VT; Springfield, VT; White River Junction, VT; Bainbridge Island, WA; Bremerton, WA; Ellensburg, WA; Kent, WA; Longview, WA; Port Townsend, WA; Seattle, WA; Toppenish, WA; Janesville, WI; Muskego, WI; River Falls, WI; Whitehall, WI and Wisconsin Rapids, WI.

The show's corresponding Web site, www.sharingmiracles.com, is an interactive forum for people to relate their own personal stories of hope and survival. Every patient's battle is unique, but the collective power of shared experiences can offer great help and courage to others who are fighting for their lives.

The Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA) helps uninsured and financially-struggling patients access information on programs that provide prescription medicines for free or nearly free. To find out if they may qualify for help, patients should call toll-free 1-888-4PPA-NOW to speak with a trained specialist or visit www.pparx.org.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) represents the country's leading pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies, which are devoted to inventing medicines that allow patients to live longer, healthier, and more productive lives. PhRMA companies are leading the way in the search for new cures. PhRMA members alone invested an estimated $44.5 billion in 2007 in discovering and developing new medicines. Industry-wide research and investment reached a record $58.8 billion in 2007.

PhRMA Internet Address: http://www.phrma.org/

For information on stories of hope and survival, visit: http://sharingmiracles.com/

For information on how innovative medicines save lives, visit: http://www.innovation.org/

For information on the Partnership for Prescription Assistance, visit:http://www.pparx.org

For information on the danger of imported drugs, visit: http://www.buysafedrugs.info/

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America

CONTACT: Kate Michael of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of
America, +1-202-835-3460

Web Site: http://www.buysafedrugs.info/
http://www.innovation.org/
http://www.phrma.org/
http://www.pparx.org/
http://www.sharingmiracles.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment