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2022 Gray Out in Memory of Dave Arnold

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Gray Out for Brain Tumor Research

Monday, September 26th, 7:00pm

Cedar Crest High School

Cedar Crest Field Hockey vs. Donegal 

The Cedar Crest Girls Field Hockey team is honoring the life and legacy of David Arnold with a Gray Out fundraising event at their September 26th game. 

All funds collected throughout the game will go to support Brain Tumor Research at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. 

The Cedar Crest High School Field Hockey Team was inspired to host a Gray Out Game last year in 2021 in honor of Dave Arnold and his battle against brain cancer. The event last year raised thousands for research to combat this horrible disease.
Although Dave’s battle ended on January 17, 2021, it is our hope that a cure for this horrible disease can be found and that the funds we raise at the Gray Out Game on September 26, 2022, will help in this endeavor.
Dave was the husband of our team’s head coach, Alicia Arnold, and the father of one of our defenders, junior Reese Arnold. Dave was always his wife’s and daughter’s biggest fan, and no matter how exhausted he was from his cancer treatments, he refused to miss a Falcon Field Hockey game during our 2020 season. The Falcons will be playing in Dave’s honor on September 26, and will be wearing special Gray Out warm-up shirts. 
Dave was a Falcon himself, graduating in 1989 from Cedar Crest. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree and law degree from Kutztown University and Widener University, respectively. Dave served as Lebanon County’s District Attorney from 2006-2020, where he enthusiastically defended the rule-of-law. Ready for a new challenge, Dave entered the race for the 48th District Pennsylvania Senate seat in 2020. He won the election and was sworn in as a Pennsylvania Senator in January, 2021. Dave represented the people of the 48th District until his passing. 
June 24, 2020, became one of Dave’s most memorable days serving the people of Pennsylvania when he delivered an emotional address on the Senate Floor naming June 2020 as 'Cancer Survivors Recognition Month'. During that speech he stated, “There is no cure for most of the current survivors of cancer, but to all survivors, I say thank you. You give those of us who are afflicted the strength to keep fighting on ourselves. Some of us will win the battle; sadly, many of us will not. All are heroes the same to me, and I pray for all of you.”
Dave was deeply loved by family and friends alike. He had a smile that could light up a room. He believed in and exhibited hard work and integrity in all aspects of life. He was a man of few words, however the statements he chose to make were meaningful. He loved fighting for the underdog. He has passed on these qualities to Reese, and in that way he will continue to share his gifts with the world. 

   

Brain Tumor Statistics

Source: www.abta.org 

Brain tumors do not discriminate. They affect all ages, genders, and ethnicities. Information source (unless otherwise specified): Central Brain Tumor of the United States Annual Report (1).

  • Over 700,000 Americans are living with a brain tumor today (2).
  • More than 84,000 people will be diagnosed with a primary brain tumor in 2021.
  • There are more than 120 different types of primary brain and CNS tumors.
  • Nearly one-third (29.7 percent) of brain and central nervous system (CNS) tumors are malignant.
  • More than 28,000 kids in the United States are fighting brain tumors right now (2).
  • This year, approximately 18,000 people will die as a result of a primary malignant brain tumor (3).
  • Survival after diagnosis with a primary brain tumor varies significantly by age, geographical location, tumor type, tumor location, and molecular markers.
     

Brain Tumor Statistics by Age

  • The median age at diagnosis for all primary brain tumors is 60 years.
  • From 2013-2017, brain tumors were the most common cancer among children 0-14. They were the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in this age group.
  • About 3,400 children will be diagnosed with a primary brain tumor in 2021.
  • From 2013-2017, malignant brain tumors were the 3rd most common cancer among those age 15-39 .
  • More than 4,600 children and adolescents between the ages of 0-19 will be diagnosed with a primary brain tumor in 2021.
  • About 11,700 adolescents and young adults will be diagnosed with a primary brain tumor in 2021.
  • From 2013-2017, brain tumors were the 8th most common cancer among persons age 40+, and the 3rd most common cause of cancer death.

References

1. Ostrom QT, Patil N, Cioffi G, Waite K, Kruchko C, Barnholtz-Sloan JS. CBTRUS Statistical Report: Primary Brain and Other Central Nervous System Tumors Diagnosed in the United States in 2013–2017. Neuro Oncol. 2020.

2. Porter KR, McCarthy BJ, Freels S,Kim Y, Davis FG. Prevalence estimates for primary brain tumors in the United States by age, gender, behavior, and histology. Neuro-Oncology 12(6):520-527, 2010.

3. Siegel RL, Miller KD, Jemal A. Cancer statistics, 2020. CA Cancer J Clin. 2020 Jan;70(1):7-30. doi: 10.3322/caac.21590. Epub 2020 Jan 8. PubMed PMID: 31912902.

Risk Factors for Brain Tumors

Risk factors are things that may increase a person’s chance of getting a disease. Some risk factors, like age, genetics, and family history, are out of our control. Other risk factors, like smoking, are within our power to change.

Most of the time, we don’t know what causes a given person to develop a brain tumor. Having one or more risk factors does not automatically mean that you’ll develop a brain tumor, just as the lack of risk factors doesn’t guarantee that you’ll never develop one. Talk with your doctor about what you can do to reduce your risk.

Environmental Risk Factors

Of the many potential risk factors scientists have studied, only one – exposure to ionizing radiation – has been clearly shown to increase the risk of developing brain tumors. Ionizing radiation is frequently found in X-rays, which is why human bodies are protected by lead shields when some X-rays are performed.

Genetic Risk Factors

Anything that refers to the genes can be called “genetic.” However, only about 5 to 10 percent of brain tumors are passed down from one generation to another in a family (heredity).

In cases of hereditary brain tumors, a mutation change in the DNA sequence that makes up a specific gene is passed from parent to child. Most genetic risk factors are not present at birth, but actually develop as we age. While most of our genes do their jobs as expected, a small number develop a mutation or other error that causes them stop working the way they should. This malfunctioning can change the way cells grow, which may eventually lead to the development of cancer.

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