Welcome

Real Men Get Tested. Who are we?

Real Men Get Tested is a group of men who have heard those awful words “I’m sorry, you have cancer.” We’re guys who were diagnosed early, were successfully treated, and are now cancer survivors! Now, we want to take our experience and good fortune and put it to work for the betterment of men in Central New York.

Our mission is simple: inspire other men to take an active part in their health, specifically regarding cancer. We want guys to follow their doctor’s advice, which often suggests guys get tested for cancer. We men don’t live in a vacuum. There are people who love us, and perhaps depend on us for their own wellbeing. So, we believe, avoiding the facts is not only dangerous; but, to some extent it’s selfish to the people in our lives who are important to us. 

Real Men Get Tested is an awareness campaign. We use traditional media, social media and events to make a connection with guys, their families and friends. That’s all we do. Our purpose is not to cure cancer (because we can’t) and we are not here to judge (because we shouldn’t). We direct men and their friends and families to our website, RealMenGetTested.com, where there’s information about cancer and tests that are currently available. We also offer a downloadable pledge, designed to be signed by men to commit to getting tested. It’s a pledge they can make to their family and friends and it’s one we hope they stick to.

Real Men Get Tested is a donor-designated fund with the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida County, which is a 501c3, thus making every donation tax deductible. Nearly every dollar raised for Real Men Get Tested nudges men to follow their doctor’s orders to get tested. We have no salaries or administrative costs and many of the services we require, such as website costs and radio/television production, are donated. Furthermore, the first-ever donation made to our effort was $25,000 from one of our founding members, Tim Reed. 

Men are not like women. Many of us are stubborn and refuse to get tested, even though statistics show early detection is the one thing that saves lives from this horrible disease. Men are also not the best listeners; therefore, we use every media method to get our point across. Television and radio, billboard, print, and social media are strategically used to spread our message effectively. The campaign runs into Spring 2020 with our grand conclusion on Father’s Day - certainly a fitting day. 

Every time we inspire a guy to get tested, there’s one more man who might just avoid the dreadful conversation we had to have with our wives and children. We do a great job in this country talking about cancer; but, somewhere along the line society forgot to target men and we intend to change that. 

Please contribute by helping us spread the ‘get tested’ message to those men in your life who are special, because we truly believe that Real Men Get Tested.

‘Running away from any problem only increases the distance from the solution.’ -Anonymous .