Key points:
- Paddy Power will donate £1,000 ($1,266.19) for every 180 scored to Prostate Cancer UK
- Chris Hoy will be an ambassador for the Bigger 180 campaign
- Campaign will help towards Prostate Cancer UK’s research programme, Transform Trail
Paddy Power will once again be using the World Darts Championship as a means to raise money and awareness for prostate cancer.
Six-time Olympic champion Chris Hoy has become an ambassador for the Bigger 180 campaign, which will see Paddy Power donate £1,000 ($1,266.19) to Prostate Cancer UK for every 180 scored at the World Darts Championship, which got underway yesterday, and a £180,000 nine-dart bonus for every perfect leg.
The campaign itself also aims to get 180,000 men to take Prostate Cancer UK’s 30-second risk checker and to raise over £1m for the Transform Trial, which is a research programme by the charity to find the best way to screen men for prostate cancer.
Hoy was diagnosed with stage-four prostate cancer last year and as an ambassador of the Bigger 180 will look to inspire men to take control of their health, with figures showing 23% of men talk to nobody about their health.
Last year, Paddy Power ran a similar campaign called the Big 180, which surpassed the previous record total raised, hitting £914,000, but this total was rounded up by the operator to £1m.
Hoy said: "Men are great at cheering for their team, fixing the shed, or helping their mates move house – but when it comes to their health, they go quiet.
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"That has to change. Checking your risk takes just 30 seconds, and it could save your life."
Paddy Power added: "We've always loved making noise, but this time, it's about breaking the silence.
"Men are notoriously bad at talking about their health, so we created The Bigger 180 to change that. At the Paddy Power World Darts Championship – a place where men feel comfortable and connected - every 180 scored isn't just about cheers and beers; it's another step towards saving lives.
"By teaming up with Chris Hoy and Prostate Cancer UK, we're turning the biggest stage in darts into a platform for real change."