Craig Melvin Shares the 1 Upside to a Colonoscopy as He Encourages People to ‘Get Tested’ (Exclusive)

After the loss of his brother, Lawrence Meadows, to colon cancer in 2020, Craig Melvin jumped into action.

In just eight or so months, he and his wife, sports reporter Lindsay Czarniak, had created and launched The Bottoms Up Invitational in 2021 — a two-day fundraiser in Connecticut for the Colorectal Cancer Alliance complete with a concert and a golf tournament. Four years later, they’ve created a community of survivors and caregivers, and they’ve raised more than 3 million dollars.

“You’d be surprised how many people are willing to help you when you’re just trying to do some good,” Melvin tells PEOPLE, crediting his friend and country music star Darius Rucker for suggesting the idea and connecting him with the right folks to put on the event and NBC for being so supportive of the function, which returns for its fourth year on Sept. 14 and 15.

Meadows died in December 2020 after being diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer years prior. He was 43.

“He was nothing like me. He was a southern Baptist minister. He didn’t drink, he didn’t smoke. He played football in college and high school as well. He was athletic. He was an entrepreneur,” Melvin, 46, says fondly of his late brother. “He was a father of two young children who’d never played golf a day in his life, which is also part of irony of the tournament. And a lot of the music that’s played is not music that he would especially enjoy. So every year I joke with my sister-in-law, his wife, I’m always like, ‘He is laughing his butt off in heaven. This is not anything he probably would’ve been a part of.'”

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Now, in the years since his brother’s death, Melvin says he’s become increasingly conscientious about his own health.

“Just two weeks ago, I was at the doctor getting the full body scan. I was in an MRI machine for an hour and some change. I’ve always taken my health fairly seriously. I’ve had two colonoscopies since he died,” the Today anchor shares. “I go to the doctor now if I have a lingering cough. Maybe I’ve overcorrected, I don’t know. But it’s one of those things that I think has been a plus.”

According to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, colon cancer has a 90% survival rate when detected early via screening, and a colonoscopy is considered the “gold standard.” The procedure allows doctors to identify and remove any polyps, which are the growths that can turn into cancer. Other, at-home screening methods are available as well.

“Colonoscopies are gold standard, but we like to encourage folks to take whatever test you want. I mean, now these days, you’ve probably seen the talking box, the at-home stool kits. There’s even a blood test that’s available right now,” Melvin says. “There are other ways that you can check, but get tested. Because that’s the thing, it’s one of those cancers that when they catch it early, the survival rate’s [high].”

And, for those who might still be apprehensive about undergoing the procedure, Melvin hopes to provide some reassurance.

“By the way, over the years, the prep has gotten a lot better. It’s a lot easier. And the propofol experience, quite frankly, is not that bad! I mean, every time I joke with my doctor, I’m like, ‘You guys are selling this wrong. Don’t sell the colonoscopy, sell them a propofol experience!’ And he’s like, ‘Well, we can’t really do that.’ I was like, ‘Well, I guess I understand that,'” he says with a good-natured laugh.

The 2025 Bottoms Up Invitational will take place in Norwalk, Connecticut, on Sept. 14 and 15. To learn more about the event and how to support it, check out the event’s official website.