EVERY three hours one man dies of prostate cancer in Australia. The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia has found men in rural areas are 21 per cent more likely than their city counterparts to lose their battle with the disease.

Diagnosed with prostate cancer two years ago, Cooma fire brigade captain Chris Reeks has jumped behind a campaign to raise the profile of the disease.

“Prostate cancer kills as many men as breast cancer does women,” he said.

Bathurst Regional Council needs more than 6,000 men’s ties to link together around the Mount Panorama Racing Circuit and Mr Reeks has put his hand up to help.

“I’m going to collect them and take them to Bathurst myself in September,” he said.

“I’ve got quite a few ties already but I’d like a ute load.”

The group hopes to break the record for the longest chain of ties that will see them entered into the Guinness Book of Records.

Mr Reeks said attitudes toward the disease had changed over the past 10 years with more men now visiting their GP and asking for a check up.

“There was no indication for me,” he said.

“I found out through a blood test from a yearly check up.”

Age is no barrier. Prostate cancer can affect men as young as 40 but the likelihood of the disease increases with age.

Mr Reeks said that anybody who wanted to donate ties could do so by contacting him or dropping them off at the Cooma Fire Station.

A collection is also taking place in Jindabyne through David Farmer at the Jindabyne Fire Station or Brian Farmer from the Lions Club.