Atlanta, GA--(Marketwired - Jan 12, 2015) - Curing Kids Cancer (CKC) announced the 2014
recipients of $1 million in grants that will go toward innovative programs
and groundbreaking childhood cancer research to save children's lives. The
nonprofit also announced that it has raised more than $6 million since its
inception in 2005.
"Finding cures for childhood cancers requires funding doctors and research
facilities that are breaking new ground in pediatric cancer research and
treatment," said Grainne Owen, founder of Curing Kids Cancer. "We are
thrilled at the quality of this year's recipients and that we have raised
more than $6 million. We look forward to the day when childhood cancers are
no longer life threatening."
$175,000 was given to Texas Children's Cancer Center to fund the training
of pediatric oncologist Dr. Eric Schafer in the pharmacology of childhood
cancer. The training makes Dr. Schafer one of only six doctors in the
country trained to understand the ways new drugs can work for children who
suffer from cancer. The work of Dr. Schafer in this facet of cancer
treatment could make traditional chemotherapy, and its harsh side effects,
a thing of the past. This grant fulfills a three-year commitment of
$525,000 to Dr. Schafer's training.
Another $200,000 was committed to the research of Dr. David Poplack,
director of the Texas Children's Cancer Center at Texas Children's Hospital
and deputy director of Baylor College of Medicine's Dan L. Duncan Cancer
Center. Dr. Poplack is co-editor of "Principles and Practice of Pediatric
Oncology," the leading textbook of pediatric oncology.
Building upon groundbreaking work that identified the genetic synthesis of
Ewing's Sarcoma, a childhood bone cancer, CKC also granted $100,000 toward
research with zebra fish at University of Texas Southwestern Children's
Hospital conducted by Dr. James Amatruda. CKC has provided more than
$500,000 in total to support Dr. Amatruda's work for the last seven years.
Other beneficiaries of CKC include:
- A $200,000 research grant given to the Aflac Cancer and Blood
Disorders Center at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.
- A $100,000 grant for CAR (Chimeric Antigen Receptors) T-cell research
awarded to The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
- A $100,000 research grant to understand the connection between Down
Syndrome and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) given to Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute
- A $60,000 grant awarded to Palmetto Health Children's Center for Cancer
and Blood Disorders.
- A $50,000 donation given to Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital
of Chicago to purchase the patent of Xerecept to treat childhood brain
tumors.
As part of CKC's "Blow the Whistle on Kids Cancer" awareness program with
major college football teams -- including the University of Alabama,
Mississippi State University, Vanderbilt University, the University of
South Carolina, Texas A&M and the University of Georgia -- the following
grants were disbursed:
- $25,000 to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt.
- $25,000 to The Children's Hospital of Alabama and the University of
Alabama Hospital.
- $25,000 to Batson Children's Hospital at The University of Mississippi
Medical Center.
- Portions of the donations to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Palmetto
Health Children's Hospital, UT Southwestern and Texas Children's Hospital
were given in appreciation for their participation in "Blow the Whistle on
Kids Cancer."
Nine-year-old Killian Owen, who lost his hard-fought battle with leukemia
in July 2003, inspired CKC. His parents, Clay and Grainne Owen, founded
Curing Kids Cancer in Killian's memory to raise money for cutting-edge
pediatric cancer research, and to make the newest, most innovative
treatments available to children who need them.
Working to make childhood cancer curable in our lifetime, CKC targets
innovative treatments with fewer side effects. CKC raises money through
partnerships with sports teams at local and national levels, corporate
sponsorships such as AT&T and CFO4Life, community involvement, and support
from national sports figures including Lee Corso and Craig Kimbrel, and the
powerhouse Mecum Auction Company, the world leader of collector car,
motorcycle and road art sales.