Chuckstrong Initiative

Thanks to you and Coach Pagano, no one fights alone

Even though Chuck Pagano is retired from coaching in the NFL, his captivating and resilient battle with leukemia continues to inspire us through his Chuckstrong initiative. This partnership with the Indianapolis Colts has generated more than $14 million for IU cancer research since 2013.

It all began shortly after Pagano, who was the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts from 2012 to 2017, publicly shared his leukemia diagnosis in 2012. The Colts immediately sprang into action and launched the Chuckstrong initiative.

Save the Date: The 12th annual Chuckstrong Tailgate Gala will be April 12, 2024.

The initial sales of T-shirts and wristbands and other community efforts raised $486,000 – all of which was designated for leukemia research. This funding was used by the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center to recruit leukemia experts and purchase laboratory research equipment.

In succeeding years, annual Chuckstrong events have brought together hundreds of guests and sponsors to raise money for cancer research.

Chuckstrong funding is used to help recruit new researchers, provide seed money for researchers to launch new ideas, and purchase laboratory instruments to support innovative cancer research.

The Chuckstrong impact: New recruits, new equipment

In 2018, Rachel Katzenellenbogen, MD, joined IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center as the inaugural Chuck and Tina Pagano Scholar.

Dr. Katzenellenbogen – or Dr. K, as Coach calls her – studies the fundamental way human papillomavirus (HPV) drives cancer development and progression and is identifying ways to detect and disrupt these pathways to intervene early in treatment.

Questions?

To learn more about the Chuckstrong initiative’s impact at IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, contact Ashleigh Wahl, assistant director of development, at 317-274-7409 or awahl2@iu.edu.