Overview: During National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, The Empowerment Network (TEN) is mobilizing the St. Louis area to combat rising late-stage prostate cancer rates with aggressive, ground-level outreach. Highlighting the initiative is the “Give Me 10!” First Responders Health Fair on September 19 at Central Middle School, offering free 10-minute PSA blood screenings to police, fire, and EMS personnel across four counties. Marking 18 years of service alongside its annual luncheon gala on September 26, TEN centers its 2026 campaign on caregiver devotion, breaking medical stigmas, and promoting early detection to save men age 40 and older.

How The Empowerment Network is tackling surging late-stage prostate cancer in St. Louis with free first responder screenings, survivor brotherhood, and community support.

From Chemo Recurrence to the Gala Stage: Free Screenings for First Responders, Caregiver Grit, and St. Louis’ Fight to Save Men Over 40

Late-stage prostate cancer cases are climbing across the country, largely because routine checks fell off a cliff and too many men keep waiting until something hurts. Prostate cancer doesn’t wait around for an invitation. By the time symptoms show up, the conversation with your doctor changes completely.

The Empowerment Network (TEN) is pushing back hard this September across St. Louis. Banners are up, radio spots are running on 96.3 FM, Fox 2 is carrying the message, and billboard campaigns are meeting men right where they drive every single day. For men age 40 and up, the baseline directive is straightforward: know your numbers, get tested, and keep your follow-up appointments.

Protecting the First Responders Who Protect St. Louis

First responders live on disrupted sleep, emergency calls, and high operational stress. Routine health maintenance gets pushed to the bottom of the list. That trade-off is dangerous when 1 in 8 American men will face a prostate cancer diagnosis, a risk that surges to 1 in 6 for Black men, paired with a mortality rate double that of white men.

To take that barrier down completely, TEN partnered with the City of Moline Acres Police Department to launch the “Give Me 10!” First Responders Health Fair and Screening Event.

• Date: Saturday, September 19, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Location: Central Middle School, 9800 Patricia Barkalow Drive, St. Louis, MO 63137.
• What is offered: Free 10-minute PSA blood draws, metabolic testing, direct guidance from regional physicians, and wellness resources for spouses and kids.
• Who it covers: Police, fire, and EMS personnel across St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles, and Jefferson County.
• Partners: Siteman Cancer Center, WashU Medicine, BJC HealthCare, American Cancer Society, Home State Health, Affinia Healthcare, and PECaD.
• Registration: Call 314.385.0998 to lock in a slot.

Ten minutes in a chair for a blood draw protects your family from a late-stage discovery down the road.

Why 2026 Belongs to the Caregiver

No man survives this disease strictly on his own willpower. Real survivorship starts when a partner spots the fatigue, schedules the appointment, and refuses to let fear run the house.

Sherwin “Z” Zenon and his wife Lavinia know that dynamic firsthand. Five years ago, after Lavinia had already fought through two strokes with Sherwin by her side, Sherwin faced an enlarged prostate diagnosis that revealed active cancer. Hormone therapy followed. The script flipped, and Lavinia stepped into the primary caregiver role for the next five years of treatment.

They stayed anchored through 27 years of marriage because they had a new granddaughter to watch grow up, and because neither partner walked away when the vows turned heavy. That kind of quiet, relentless support is why TEN designated 2026 as “The Year of the Caregiver.”

Celebrate 18 Years of Impact at the Annual Gala

Survivorship deserves a room full of noise, community, and recognition. On Saturday, September 26, 2026, TEN hosts its 18th Annual Prostate Cancer Awareness Luncheon Gala at the Orlando Gardens Event Center in Maryland Heights from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The afternoon features keynote speaker Dr. Kelvin Adams, President and CEO of the St. Louis Community Foundation, with Rene Knott leading the program as emcee. TEN will also present the 2026 Guardian Angel Award to Dr. Lannis Hall, MD, MPH, honoring years of clinical leadership and direct advocacy for families across the region. Tickets are $100 per person and can be reserved directly by calling the TEN office at 314.385.0998.

Show Up, Get Connected, and Move

Isolation kills accountability. TEN keeps survivors, patients, and families connected through monthly peer support groups, clinical check-ins, and active community events throughout the fall.

• September Support Group Meeting: Saturday, September 12, 2026, at 10 a.m. Located at St. Philips Evangelical Lutheran Church, 2424 Annie Malone Drive in St. Louis, featuring guest speaker Karen Johnson, Chief Nursing Officer of Archview ER & Hospital, along with the William C. Clemons Bell of Hope presentation to survivor Etoya White. Virtual access is available via Zoom (Meeting ID: 829 5530 0200, Passcode: 731314).
• ZERO Prostate Cancer Run/Walk: Saturday, October 3, 2026, at Tower Grove Park (Sons of Rest Pavilion). Registration opens at 7:30 a.m., followed by the survivor photo at 8:25 a.m. and opening ceremonies at 8:30 a.m.

Take charge of your health right now. Call 314.385.0998, book your screening, grab your gala tickets, and get your PSA checked.

Hashtags: #ProstateCancerAwareness #MensHealthSTL #EarlyDetectionSavesLives