News & Press
Foundations Honored For Role in Fighting Melanoma
For Immediate Release: January 20, 2010
Contact: Julie Lane
Jones Public Affairs
(202) 591-4046
Foundations Honored For Role in Fighting Melanoma
-A Statement from the Melanoma Research Foundation-
HILLSBOROUGH, N.J.—The Melanoma Research Foundation (MRF), the largest independent, national organization devoted to melanoma in the United States, released the following statement thanking the many organizations that help to support innovative research into this dreaded disease.
The Melanoma Research Foundation expresses its deepest gratitude to the numerous foundations that give so generously to melanoma research each year. Through annual events and tireless fundraising efforts, these organizations raise thousands of dollars to find new pathways to a cure. Many of these contributions are generated and given in honor of someone who lost their battle with melanoma – and these gifts are critical to supporting the innovative melanoma research that remains woefully underfunded.
“The research community is poised to make unprecedented strides in melanoma,” said Tim Turnham, executive director of the MRF. “Thanks to the organizations that continue to make these essential contributions, we have an opportunity to change the face of melanoma for future generations. It is my hope that collectively, these gifts will help save the lives of others fighting this disease.”
There are many different ways foundations raise money for melanoma research. For example, recently the Brenda MacDonald Melanoma Research Foundation – created in May 2005 by Brenda’s husband and sons – hosted the First Annual Wings of Hope Gala in Washington, DC. The sold-out event raised more than $400,000 and featured a live auction with glamorous prizes such as a week in Tuscany, a trip to Turks and Caicos, and a Super Bowl package. In Chicago, we saw Teb’s Troops, which honors Tricia E. Black (or “Teb” as she was known to family and friends) rally her “troops” throughout the year to raise funds for the fight against melanoma. And other organizations, including the Bill Walter III Melanoma Research Fund (established for Bill Walter III) and the Susan Fazio Foundation for Melanoma Research (honoring Susan Theresa Fazio) have funded research grants and clinical trials in their names.
The MRF is working to bridge the gap to ensure patients of tomorrow have the help and hope they deserve. Thanks to the efforts of these foundations and other individuals, the MRF is able to provide emerging and established scientific investigators with highly sought-after grants that will allow them to explore new avenues in melanoma biology and treatments, ultimately leading to a cure.