28 Feb “Gear Up Against Cancer” Campaign
Tanaq Health is proud to support impactful public health initiatives that save lives and strengthen communities. In partnership with the National Football League Alumni Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Tanaq has helped advance the GEAR Up Against Cancer campaign. This collaborative effort raises awareness about lung and colorectal cancer, promotes early detection, and amplifies trusted voices to encourage preventive health behaviors. Learn more about CDC’s cancer prevention work at https://www.cdc.gov/cancer.
Launched in December 2024, the campaign focuses on one of today’s most pressing and surprising public health challenges: colorectal cancer is now the leading cancer killer among younger adults. This alarming trend underscores the urgency of timely screenings and education. In 2022 alone, more than 53,000 Americans lost their lives to colorectal cancer, despite the fact that early detection can dramatically improve outcomes. Regular screening, often beginning at age 45, can identify precancerous polyps and detect cancer when treatment is most effective.
The original campaign announcement is available through the official press release: https://www.nflalumni.org/news/gear-up-against-cancer.
In its first year, the campaign featured former Atlanta Falcons and Tennessee Titans players who led community outreach, media engagement, and survivor-centered listening sessions. Ambassadors such as Warrick Dunn and Warren Moon shared powerful personal messages about prevention and proactive health care. Through social media, public appearances, and events such as Super Bowl Radio Row, these leaders helped normalize conversations about screening, survivorship, and long-term wellness.
In 2025, the campaign expanded to address lung cancer prevention and early detection, engaging additional former NFL players including Chris Draft, Devon Still, William Fuller, and Ray Crockett. These ambassadors have contributed to broadening the reach of the initiative by leveraging personal stories, community events, and multimedia campaigns that connect with audiences at elevated risk.
A defining strength of the GEAR Up Against Cancer campaign is its national reach and proven record of community engagement. The NFL Alumni has mobilized more than 200 retired NFL players in similar health initiatives across the country. These efforts have included more than 200 events, partnerships with over 1,000 community organizations, and programming in more than 30 markets nationwide.
Through this campaign, Tanaq is honored to stand alongside national leaders and community champions in the fight against cancer—helping ensure that more people get screened, stay informed, and thrive.
Key Achievements and Impact to Date:
- In year one, we created a total of 148 digital assets for the colorectal cancer awareness campaign with over 1.3 million organic impressions. Paid amplification of this content resulted in over 31.6 million impressions, over 3.9 million 3-second video views, and over 289,000 link clicks to the Gear Up Against Cancer website. The campaign later expanded to include lung cancer awareness, featuring former NFL players Chris Draft, Devon Still, William Fuller, and Ray Crockett.
- Our press release for the launch of the official Gear Up Against Cancer website had over 112.6 million impressions and 569 media hits, with additional national media coverage generated through the lung cancer campaign expansion.
- Leveraged Super Bowl Radio Row, a centralized hub for hundreds of national and international media outlets broadcasting live during Super Bowl week, to efficiently amplify colorectal and lung cancer awareness messaging. The initiative generated a total of 261 mainstream media hits and 635 million impressions.
- The project group’s abstract, “Engaging Former NFL Players to Drive Colorectal Cancer Awareness and Screening Among Men,” was accepted into the 2025 National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing & Media. The team presented a poster at the conference, authored by members of NFLA, Tanaq, and two representatives from CDC’s division of cancer prevention and control.
- Created an evidence-based, step-by-step playbook for public health organizations to use for future cancer awareness campaigns that leverage trusted messengers, incorporating lessons learned from both colorectal and lung cancer outreach initiatives.
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