The largest private funder of ovarian cancer research awarded $6.3 million in grants while also launching new events and partnerships
(September 11, 2015) –Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF), has awarded $6.3 million in grants to scientists working to cure ovarian cancer, as well as to hospitals supporting patients through OCRF’s signature Woman to Woman program. September’s Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month will also see the expansion of OCRF’s popular Super Saturday fundraiser to Las Vegas, as well as the launch of several partnerships and many events around the country.
“Now is a critical time for ovarian cancer research. More biomarkers are being discovered that could provide methods to detect ovarian cancer earlier, and we’re learning more about genetic factors that increase a woman’s risk. Research on how, why and where ovarian cancer originates, grows and spreads is yielding new ways to stop early cancer from advancing. Researchers are discovering how to boost the body’s powerful immune system to fight ovarian cancer and identifying new targeted drug treatments, such as immunotherapy and precision therapies. On all these fronts, the pace of progress is accelerating,” says Jeff Boyd, Ph.D., OCRF’s Scientific Advisory Committee Chair and Board Member, and Professor and Chair of Genetics at Florida International University. “OCRF is committed to funding the most promising new developments in the field, and is excited to announce that over $5 million has just been awarded in new scientific research grants, which brings the organization’s total grant investment to $6.3 million this year.”
Ovarian Cancer Research Fund will expand its legendary Super Saturday shopping event to a weekend-long extravaganza at the Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian, The Palazzo and Fashion Show in Las Vegas on September 19-20, 2015. Hosted by designer, stylist, editor and author Rachel Zoe, and husband Rodger Berman, the inaugural Super Saturday Vegas-Style! will feature a VIP brunch at Barneys New York, and boast an assortment of special shopping incentives and activities with a percentage of sales from participating retailers and dining establishments donated to OCRF. This year, OCRF’s Super Saturday events in New York and Los Angeles raised $4 million with net proceeds going directly to OCRF and its programs.
OCRF will also launch several partnerships in September including the release of the Karp-Foley Band double Live CD, Live for Hope, featuring live performances by acclaimed Blues/Americana artisans, Peter Karp and Sue Foley, with 100% of digital download sales benefitting OCRF. SEE Eyewear will donate a portion of proceeds from sales in all 37 stores every Monday in September to OCRF, and will also host local in-store events during the month. Newk’s Eatery and their charity initiative Newk’s Cares will launch a fundraising and awareness campaign which includes teal cups (replacing their customary black cups) in all of Newk’s more than 80 restaurants for the month of September. And beginning in September and continuing year-round Newk’s will donate ten cents to OCRF from each sale of ”Newk’s Cares” bottled water in all their locations. Peace Cereal designated OCRF as one of four benefiting charities for the Peace Giving Back program, with a portion of proceeds from each box of Peace Cereal sold in September coming to OCRF. And for September Halo will donate 10% of sales from its teal 3000, 6000 and 9000 phone chargers to OCRF, and later in the month will allow customers to make a donation along with their online purchases.
“We are thrilled to launch Super Saturday Vegas-Style! and partner with great brands to commemorate Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. These activities will help fund OCRF’s programs and will further propel us forward as we continue to support patients, and the research that will one day find a cure for ovarian cancer,” says Audra Moran, President & CEO, Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.
OCRF recently awarded six new grants to establish Woman to Woman, a gynecologic cancer patient support program, at hospitals around the country. Woman to Woman, sponsored by long-time partner QVC, pairs gynecologic cancer patients with trained survivor volunteers who provide one-on-one emotional support and mentoring to women going through treatment. OCRF’s Woman to Woman program is available at 22 medical institutions, with the six additions of Cooper University Hospital (Camden, New Jersey), Northside Hospital Cancer Center (Atlanta, Georgia), The University of Alabama at Birmingham (Birmingham, Alabama), Upstate Cancer Center (Syracuse, New York), Shanti Project/Kaiser Permanente (San Francisco, CA), and University of Tennessee Cancer Institute (Knoxville, Tennessee).
