Saluting our best friends...
For the past 10 years, the Indianapolis Colts have been generous philanthropic partners with the IU Simon Cancer Center. While the Colts' leadership on the field is remarkable, it is their leadership and commitment off the field that holds a special place in our hearts. The Indianapolis Colts have generously donated or helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars throughout the years, including naming the IUSCC their favorite charity in 2010. In addition, Colts leaders have given time, effort and special deeds to countless cancer patients and families. No price tag can be put upon the joy the Colts have offered our patients, their families and our community. To see more ways the Colts are making a difference, please visit www.colts.com.
The generosity of the Eli Lilly and Company Foundation has been instrumental in many achievements of the IU Simon Cancer Center. Gifts from the Lilly Foundation have greatly enhanced our ability to recruit and retain some of the brightest minds and nationally renowned scientists. Eli Lilly and Company understands firsthand how important research is to improve our ability to diagnose, treat and provide good quality of life to cancer patients. Our friends at the Lilly Foundation understand that research is a collaborative process of translating today's scientific discoveries into tomorrow's treatments that impact our patients' lives. To learn more about the vision of the Lilly Foundation, please visit www.lilly.com/responsibility/foundation.
Long before the IU Simon Cancer Center was founded in 1992, the Indiana Elks Association was generously funding cancer research at the IU School of Medicine. In the past 50 years, Elks lodges from communities all over the state have worked together on their "state major project" to generate more than $4 million for cancer research at IU. From golf outings to luncheons to casino nights to Valentine's Day dances, generations of Elks have worked tirelessly to support cancer research. In more recent years, Elks funds have been directed specifically to young IU Simon Cancer Center scientists who are in need of start-up funding for their research careers. In 2008, the Elks committed to fund a new $1 million endowment that will permanently generate annual funding for young investigators and will encourage brilliant young people to pursue careers in cancer research. For more information about our generous friends the Indiana Elks, please visit http://www.indianaelks.org/Project.htm.
Like the IU Simon Cancer Center, this homegrown enterprise was founded on the principles of personal, caring service. HH Gregg's leaders have always believed that resources, vision and ability lead to results. This mantra has guided the company's growth from a local, family-owned appliance store into a nationally recognized brand. It is with this same enthusiasm and confidence in the IU Simon Cancer Center that HH Gregg has given so generously. HH Gregg resources, to date, amount to more than $3 million in endowed gifts. In recognition of this generosity, the director of the IU Simon Cancer Center will always have the title "HH Gregg Senior Professor in Oncology." Learn more about HH Gregg by visiting www.hhgregg.com.
In 1996, cyclist Lance Armstrong came to IU seeking treatment for his advanced testicular cancer. He, like thousands of other young men, travel to the IU Simon Cancer Center to receive care from Lawrence H. Einhorn, MD, who discovered the chemotherapeutic cure for testis cancer in 1973. Dr. Einhorn's ongoing testis cancer research has saved the lives of countless young men affected by this disease and made the once-grueling treatment regimen far more tolerable for most patients. In recognition of his life-saving work, in 2005 the Lance Armstrong Foundation/LIVESTRONG made a gift of $1.5 million to fund the Lance Armstrong Foundation Chair in Oncology. To learn more about LIVESTRONG's incredible efforts to improve the lives of people affected by cancer, please visit www.livestrong.org.
The Indiana Lions Cancer Control Fund has touched countless numbers of cancer patients and families through their many avenues of support. In nearly 65 years, the Indiana Lions have raised more than $4.2 million, most of which has been dedicated to their partnership with the IU School of Medicine Department of Radiation Oncology. Though the Lions have made possible the purchase of many pieces of medical equipment over the years, their gift of $1 million toward the purchase of the Gamma Knife and Stereotactic Body Frame is particularly outstanding. The Lions also help fund a patient advocate who provides emotional and non-medical support to cancer patients and their families. In 2008, the Lions initiated their current campaign to provide funding to a faculty member who will work to develop necessary programs and long-term outreach for the growing number of cancer survivors in Indiana and beyond. For more information about the good work of the Indiana Lions Cancer Control Fund, please visit http://www.lionscancercontrol.org/home.html.
The Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer is the single largest donor to the IU Simon Cancer Center's breast cancer research program. Led by remarkable professionals and volunteers, this Fort Wayne-based organization's generous gifts and pledges - now totaling $20 million - are allowing our researchers to make worldwide impact in how breast cancer is diagnosed and treated. The Vera Bradley Breast Cancer Research Laboratories at the IU Simon Cancer Center are home to 34 investigators, including Drs. Linda Malkas, the Vera Bradley Chair in Oncology, and George Sledge, President of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the largest clinical cancer research organization in the world. To learn more about the Vera Bradley Foundation, visit http://www.verabradley.org/.