In the pursuit of cancer cures, the generosity of donors fuels access to cutting-edge treatments and offers vital support to patients and families. In 2023, we celebrated the impactful donations received from various sources, large and small, monetary and meaningful.
Events, from fundraisers like the Castaways Against Cancer, to personal stories of survival, like Tony Beyer, serve as powerful catalysts for cancer donations. They ignite empathy, solidarity and a collective determination to find a cure.
Bikers, kayakers and runners have donated more than $2.3 million through Castaways Against Cancer over the last 25 years, and the organization has promised another $1.5 million over the next five years. The Beyer family is focused on a cure for melanoma as the Beyer Family Skin Cancer Prevention and Control Initiative supports innovative research led by José Lutzky, M.D., and Natalia Jaimes, M.D.
Research support is essential, as are awareness and cancer support services. Pubbelly Sushi knows that and partnered to donate a portion of sales from its Two Timing Tuna Roll to fund wigs for patients, uniting the community and helping survivors feel better.
We are determined to find cancer cures, and through the new Kenneth C. Griffin Cancer Research Building, our physician-scientists will work to discover treatments from the bench to bring them bedside. Slated to open in 2025, it will be a 12-story, 244,00-sq.- ft., state-of-the-art facility on UHealth’s Miami campus.
Flora Schnall understands the need for a center like the Griffin Cancer Research Building, and her generous donation will foster cancer discoveries and accelerate scientific progress.
But it isn’t always the most significant monetary amount or building that makes an impact; many times, it’s the feeling and message of hope for our youngest patients. Andrea’s Smiles for Hope, founded in memory of Andrea Camps, delivered joy to pediatric cancer patients through care packages, bringing smiles to families at their most difficult times.
Hope and renewed vigor in patients’ cancer stories are crucial. They can offer the momentum to help move science. This is why Kathleen Garafola, inspired by the groundbreaking work of Jashodeep Datta, M.D., DiMare Family Endowed Chair in Immunotherapy, has made a planned gift to support future research for a pancreatic cancer cure.
We celebrate the generosity of our donors, our hope, and the dedication of scientists, our heroes, who are making breakthroughs possible. Together, they illuminate the path toward a future free of cancer and filled with possibilities for survivors.