More than 160 quizzers gathered at the Rugby Indian Centre for a charity quiz night that raised £2,400 for cancer-related charities. The event, organised by cancer patients Willy Goldschmidt and Councillor Jerry Roodhouse, along with Councillor Maggie O’Rourke and Gill and John Nelson of the Rugby Rokeby Lions Club, will support Prostate Cancer Research, the Neuroendocrine Cancer charity, and the Lions Club. The funds will contribute to the costs of a prostate cancer testing event scheduled for Saturday, September 19, at the Queen's Jubilee Sports Centre.
Organisers and supporters
Willy Goldschmidt, president of The Friends of St Cross and a member of The Rotary Club of Rugby Dunsmore, and Councillor Jerry Roodhouse, who both have personal experience with cancer, decided to collaborate to raise awareness of prostate cancer and the importance of early diagnosis. They were joined by Councillor Maggie O’Rourke and Gill and John Nelson of the Rugby Rokeby Lions Club to organise the event.
The Mayor of Rugby, Councillor Nooria Sayani, opened the evening by thanking Willy and Jerry for their courage and commitment in sharing their stories. She also expressed gratitude to Maggie O’Rourke and Cllr Barbara Brown for gathering an impressive range of raffle and auction prizes, Gill for organising the event, and Ish Mistry for generously hosting the evening in the Indian Centre free of charge.
Personal stories and awareness
Quizmaster Peter Kay shared that he had prostate cancer some years ago and had been treated successfully. During the evening, Gill, Jerry, and Willy spoke about the causes they were supporting. Gill explained that the Lions have been running prostate cancer PSA blood testing events for nine years. During that time, 1,863 men without symptoms have been tested, and 148 of those have been advised to make an urgent hospital or GP appointment for further tests.
Jerry spoke about his experience of being diagnosed with stage four of one of the rarest forms of cancer. He noted that men are notoriously reluctant to discuss their health and many believe that typical symptoms are just a sign of ageing. He urged all men aged 50 or older to speak to their GP to request a free NHS test or to attend the next Lions Club testing session on September 19.
Impact and next steps
Willy took over from Peter to ask the final round of questions, which were all about prostate cancer. The variety of answers given was a real eye-opener, demonstrating the need to raise awareness of the disease and in particular the importance of early diagnosis. It also highlighted research leading to new types of treatment with fewer side effects that might otherwise discourage men from coming forward.
At the end of the evening, Gill was delighted to report that 28 men had made appointments to attend the testing session in September. Places can be booked by creating an account on the Coventry & North Warwickshire Prostate Cancer Support Group website. The team is continuing to raise funds with the aim of collecting a total of at least £3,000 by the end of August. Anyone who missed the quiz and would like to donate can do so on the Rotary Club of Rugby Dunsmore’s donation page.
