GOSHEN, N.Y. (September 5, 2019) – The Burke Catholic football team is all about making an impact. They’re known in Section IX and beyond for leaving it all on the field. But the hard hitting Eagles have just as much heart off the field. September is National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. This week, to help raise awareness of this often deadly disease, the team tied teal ribbons on trees in the Village of Goshen for the fifth year straight. They also handed out awareness posters and cards to local businesses in the hope that more people will learn the symptoms. Early detection increases survival.
“It’s a really good day for a great cause,” said quarterback Jackson Hoovler. “It’s all about education. So many people ask about the ribbons and what they’re for. If we can make more people aware of ovarian cancer, we can save more lives.”
Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecologic cancers in the United States. There is no early detection test. The symptoms are subtle and often misdiagnosed, which is why knowing the symptoms is very critical.
“We want to get people asking questions about ovarian cancer; that’s why this effort is so important,” said Nicole Feller Lee, founder of the Corinne Feller Memorial Fund. “With early diagnosis, treatment is 90 to 95 percent effective. These young men are empowering women with life-saving information, and I am so proud of them.”
Classic symptoms of ovarian cancer include pelvic or abdominal pain and discomfort (bloating), vague but persistent gastrointestinal upsets, frequent or urgent urination, unexplained changes in bowel habits, unexplained weight gain or loss, ongoing unusual fatigue, back pain, menstrual changes, and pain during intimacy.
In 2015, Burke Catholic graduate and Montgomery resident, Cory Lee, spearheaded the effort in memory of his aunt, Corinne Feller, who died of ovarian cancer at age 18. Corinne was a lifelong Montgomery resident and standout student and athlete at Valley Central High School. She died of ovarian cancer after a 10-month battle.
Lee received full support in the effort from his teammates and coaches for three straight seasons. He graduated in 2018 and is now a student at the University of South Carolina, but the Burke Catholic football team and coach picked up where he left off.
“When I spoke to the team, they said they love volunteering for this cause, and want to keep it an annual Burke Catholic football tradition,” said Coach Aaron Hasbrouck.
“Personally, it means I am doing something bigger than myself and supporting a teammate’s family,” added long snapper and offensive lineman Brendan Durkin. “It’s a good way to end two weeks of camp with our football family.”
The awareness effort wouldn’t have happened without the entire community’s support. The Goshen mayor and village officials approved the team’s request, and James Murray Florist created the bows the team used to adorn the trees.
The team’s mission to raise awareness extends back to the Burke Catholic community. The players will wear teal ribbons on their uniforms for games during the month of September and ovarian cancer awareness cards will be handed out at the gate.
“It means a lot to have this tradition carry on,” said Cory Lee. “I’m really proud of my team’s commitment to this important cause.”
To learn more about John S. Burke Catholic High School, visit www.BurkeCatholic.com.
Since 1999, the Corinne Feller Memorial Fund has raised funding for local ovarian cancer awareness programs and quality of life initiatives, as well as research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. A survivors group, C.A.S.T., has also been formed through the fund that speaks regularly to women’s groups and health practitioners throughout the Hudson Valley.
Turn The Towns Teal is a national campaign being represented in all 50 states as well as in Canada and Bermuda.
For more about the Corinne Feller Memorial Fund, visit www.CorinneFeller.org.
