The launch day of the second ‘Balls to Cancer’ testicular cancer awareness calendar is being held on  Sunday 27th September 2009 at the Pia Bella Hotel in Kyrenia Northern Cyprus between 12.00-18.00.

Those of you who are regulars to Lincguide will know one of our contributors is legal Advocate Naomi Memhet. Naomi Mehmet’s husband, Hakan Temizyurek, was diagnosed with testicular cancer in early 2008. After receiving treatment in Turkey and returning to Cyprus, Naomi and Hakan realised that there is very little information available in Cyprus about testicular cancer – very few men are aware of the early warning signs and how to check themselves. Inspired by the film ‘Calendar Girls’, they decided to produce a calendar to raise awareness.

Last year’s calendar raised around 10,000TL for the Help Those with Cancer Association (Tulips) and the Association has reported an increase in the number of men contacting them who have been diagnosed with testicular cancer – many of whom had been suffering with symptoms for some time, but had been too embarrassed to discuss these before this campaign was launched.

This year’s calendar is, once again, being produced in association with the Cyprus Pumas Rugby Club whose players posed for the calendar, which features tasteful, but slightly risqué, semi-nude black and white pictures, in order to help men to realise that testicular cancer is not a subject to be embarrassed or ashamed about.

The style of the 2010 calendar is very different to the 2009 calendar, with more sophisticated, subtle and sultry photos and many new faces. Rugby is once again, an important theme in the calendar because it is a sport which is popular amongst young men between the ages of 18-35 – the age group which is, statistically, most likely to be affected by testicular cancer and because Hakan plays for the Pumas himself.

The calendar will provide important medical facts and advice for men about testicular cancer. We hope that the 2010 calendar will be even more popular than the 2009 calendar and that the message about testicular cancer will continue to be passed on.

The launch day will be a fun day for all of the family and will include a ‘Pumas’ fashion show, being produced by the fabulous Marilyn Torris, dance shows, live music, face paining, bouncy castle, raffle, tombola, children’s games and much more. In addition, the calendar will be on sale at the launch day and the Pumas players who posed for the calendar will be available to autograph their photos!

If looks like being a really fun event so if you want to raise some funds for the charity and have a good time doing it make sure you go along. All proceeds raised on the day and all proceeds from the sale of the calendars will be donated to the Help Those with Cancer Association (Tulips).