Championing Early Screening: The Power of Sports, Survivorship, and the Cologuard Classic

March is National Colon Cancer Awareness Month, and at the Force for Health® Network, we are taking this time to honor the survivors, the advocates, and the medical professionals fighting this preventable disease. We are incredibly proud of our ongoing partnership with Butt Check, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to colon cancer awareness and education, to produce and host their inspiring "Out and About Series".

Over the years, our cameras have been on the ground in Tucson, Arizona, at the Cologuard Classic. This event perfectly illustrates something we deeply believe in: the unmatched power of combining professional sports with a critical public health message.

When a major sporting event puts its full weight behind a health initiative, magic happens. It takes a topic that many people find uncomfortable—like screening for colon cancer—and brings it into the mainstream light. Professional sports provide a massive, engaged platform that normalizes the conversation, breaks down stigmas, and ultimately drives fans to take action. When athletes, sponsors, and fans rally around early screening, it transforms a clinical recommendation into a team-driven community movement.

The "Out and About" Survivor's Night Recap To celebrate this month, we have compiled an exclusive YouTube Playlist featuring 18 interviews we’ve captured at the Cologuard Classic over the years. This playlist serves as a time capsule of courage, capturing the voices of Spotlight Heroes and champions from 2023, 2024, and 2025.

When you watch these videos, you will hear the real-life stories and triumphs of the individuals who make this advocacy so vital.

• The Survivors and Heroes: Listen to the inspiring journeys of Spotlight Heroes like Allison Knudson, Joel Barnehama, and Beth Kornegay from the 2025 and 2024 events. You will also meet incredible advocates and survivors from our "Night of Champions" features, including David Dubin, Liz Healy, Stephen Anderson, Paula and Dan McQuillan, Richard Jue, Rebecca Keller, Nikki Moore, and Caroline Motycka Michelle.
• The Medical & Industry Leaders: The playlist also highlights the professionals working behind the scenes and on the front lines, featuring interviews with Dr. Liz Caesar, Dr. Denise Bowls, and Everett Cunningham, the Chief Commercial Officer of Exact Sciences.
• The Collaborative Coalitions: We also feature conversations with our extended partners, such as Erin Peterson from the Colon Cancer Coalition, showing that population health truly is a team sport.

Your March Call to Action Early screening saves lives. Colon cancer is highly treatable if caught early, and the stories shared in our Butt Check playlist are living proof of that fact.

We encourage you to visit our Butt Check for Colon Cancer Prevention playlist to watch and share these 5-to-8 minute doses of inspiration.

• Learn It: Watch the interviews and educate yourself on the importance of early screening.
• Live It: Talk to your doctor about your own screening schedule and risk factors.
• Share It: Send these videos to a family member or friend. Your simple nudge could be the push they need to get checked.

Protect the Gift. Get screened, and let's continue to be a Force for Health for ourselves and our communities.