RENTON, Wash. – The Seattle Seahawks, in partnership with Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, the team's Official Medical Services Provider, today announced cancer awareness activities to promote early detection through the NFL's Crucial Catch: Intercept Cancer initiative. The Seahawks will host the team's annual Crucial Catch game on October 6 vs. the New York Giants. In celebration of the campaign, representatives from the Seahawks and Virginia Mason Franciscan Health held a ceremonial raising of the Crucial Catch flag at Lumen Field.

"It is an honor for all of us at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health to partner with the Seattle Seahawks to fight cancer and improve health in our region," said Ketul J. Patel, CEO of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health and President of CommonSpirit Health's Northwest Region. "At this year's Crucial Catch game we are breaking new ground by offering lung and prostate cancer screenings for fans at Lumen Field during the game, taking an important step from awareness to action."

Each year, every NFL team hosts a Crucial Catch game featuring on-field and in-stadium activations. To encourage scheduling regular health care screenings, fans will see a variety of colors in the Crucial Catch logo and on gameday that represent the multiple cancers that can be detected early, including: Navy: Colon Cancer; Pink: Breast Cancer; Lavender: All Cancers; Teal: Cervical Cancer; Blue: Prostate Cancer; Gold: Childhood Cancers; White: Lung Cancer.

The first 50,000 fans will receive a special Crucial Catch bracelet, courtesy of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health. Leveraging NFC technology, the bracelets will unlock a special video message from WR Tyler Lockett about the importance of early detection and scheduling routine doctor visits.

Pregame in Ticketmaster Tailgate, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health will be conducting on-site lung and prostate cancer screenings for ticketed fans. Lung screenings will be done via VMFH's mobile CT trailer, and prostate screenings will be done via a simple blood test. Fans interested in participating can fill out a screening form in advance. Screening forms can be found here: Lung Cancer Screening. Prostate Cancer Screening. Fans in Ticketmaster Tailgate will also be able to fill out "I Celebrate" cards, and cancer survivors will be able to ring the official Crucial Catch bell.

At halftime, the team will celebrate six local Virginia Mason Franciscan Health cancer patients as they officially ring the Crucial Catch bell on the field.

Throughout the month of October, the Seahawks will donate 12% of the proceeds from in-store Seahawks Pro Shop purchases of official Crucial Catch gear to the Crucial Catch Fund. In partnership with Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, the Crucial Catch Fund will help local patients who cannot cover the incidental costs of cancer treatment. At the Crucial Catch game, $0.25 for every bottle of water purchased will be donated to the Crucial Catch Fund. Fans can also donate to the Crucial Catch Fund at Pro Shop registers or at buy.seahawks.com.

For more information, visit seahawks.com/crucialcatch.

About Virginia Mason Franciscan Health

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health (VMFH) is an integrated health system serving the Puget Sound region, including 10 hospitals and 300 care sites. Founded in 1891, VMFH embraces its long history of caring for the most vulnerable, especially the poor and underserved, and meeting the evolving health care needs of the vibrant, diverse communities it serves. VMFH is a proud home to the Bailey-Boushay House, the first skilled nursing and outpatient chronic care management program in the United States designed specifically to meet the needs of people with HIV/AIDS, and the Benaroya Research Institute, an internationally recognized institution for autoimmune disease research. VMFH is part of CommonSpirit, one of the nation's largest health systems, dedicated to advancing health for all people. Learn more at www.vmfh.org.