BIG-HEARTED Knights prop Ben Cross hopes every step he takes in the NRL next season will raise money for prostate and breast cancer charities.
The premiership-winning former NSW Origin metre-eater wants to establish his own "metre meter", by which Knights sponsors and supporters can donate money depending on how much ground he gains against opposing packs each week.
Cross said his own relationships with cancer sufferers, and his friendship with inspirational Hunter Paralympian Kurt Fearnley, had motivated him to generate his own fund-raising plan.
The idea hit him a month ago, while he was out jogging before pre-season training kicked off, and has grown legs since then.
"I've got people pretty close to me that have been affected by prostate cancer and breast cancer," Cross explained.
"I've had an aunty who's had breast cancer and family friends that we've lost through breast cancer. My father-in-law has overcome prostate cancer, and it got [Knights coach] Rick Stone's dad [Brian] and Rick's brother Steve Stone is my manager.
"There's going to be at least one footy player that I've played with or know that's going to get prostate cancer down the track. And one of my mate's mothers or wives is going to be affected by breast cancer that's just a known fact, according to the statistics.
"I've kept in contact with Kurt a fair bit as a personal friend, ever since he spoke to us as a team once, and the hard work he does for different charities and wheelchair athletes, it got me thinking how I could get involved in a few things.
"I was just running at the time and I wondered if people would sponsor me to run; how many metres I make. I've spoken to Rick and my manager about it and they think it's a pretty good idea."
Injuries have restricted Cross to just 16 appearances for Newcastle in the past two seasons. He has averaged 45 minutes and 100 metres in those matches.
But the 30-year-old enforcer hopes a change of luck will help him reproduce the fitness and form he demonstrated in Melbourne's premiership-winning season in 2007, when he ran for almost 2700 metres in 23 games for the Storm.
Cross, who has fully recovered from the ruptured biceps he suffered in Newcastle's round-seven loss to Wests Tigers in April, wants to finalise the logistics of his project in the next two months so sponsors and supporters can sign up before next season starts.
"If I can get our major sponsors on board Coal and Allied, NIB, Bluetongue or anyone who's willing to get on board, they can sponsor me per metre I run each game," he said.
"Then at the end of the year, we could donate it 50-50 to the locally based prostate and breast cancer charities.
"Whether it be a dollar per metre maybe ten dollars for the big companies I just thought it would be a good way to raise some money for those local cancer foundations.
"I know our major sponsors sponsor the club, but it would be good if they can dip into their pockets and sponsor me. It could be a real estate agent, corner shop anyone.
"Over the course of the season, it might work out around $2000 or so for each sponsor, so that's a good way to build up some money to donate to these organisations that really need it.
"If we get 20 or 30 sponsors even just a dollar a metre it all adds up."
Further information is available by contacting Cross through the Knights' office (4941-8200).
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