Impact - The Jimmy Fund

Leave a legacy. Visit dana-farber.org/giftplanning to learn how.
“
Samis Fund to support “a team
that radiates with passion”
Before I came to Dana-Farber for treatment, I had done extensive research
on radiation oncology for prostate cancer, and the name Anthony D’Amico
kept coming up,” said Mike Samis, a resident of Oklahoma City, Okla. “I
soon found out why. I have never been around people with the kind of focus and
passion that I saw in Dr. D’Amico and his staff. They are absolutely committed to
eradicating prostate cancer.”
Inspired by this dedication,
Samis and his wife contributed
$250,000 to establish the Karen
and Michael Samis Family Prostate
Cancer Research Fund under the
direction of Anthony D’Amico,
MD, PhD, who is chief of
Genitourinary Radiation Oncology
at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and
Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
“The gift will be used to
elucidate the relationship between
the use of hormonal therapy to
treat prostate cancer and its effect
Mike and Karen Samis (far right), with daughters Carter and her
fiancée, Fred Fellers (center), and Katharine and her fiancée, on a patient’s overall health,”
Kent Regens, “want to participate in a small way and to push explained D’Amico.
promising prostate cancer research along.”
D’Amico has gained
international attention for his work
in the detection, staging, and treatment of prostate cancer, a disease that will
be diagnosed in 186,000 men in the United States this year and claim the lives
of nearly 29,000. In addition to treating patients, he is also a mentor to young,
talented physician-scientists who work in his clinic. The Samis Fund will allow
D’Amico’s team to spend more time on innovative, promising studies.
“This very generous gift supports research by building the careers of our young
men and women who are performing these studies,” added D’Amico. He believes
it continues Dana-Farber’s tradition of training and supporting exceptional
individuals who will become the next generation of cancer researchers. n
Music of the heart
Dana-Farber supporters and music lovers alike found their interests in harmony
during “Tezz Yancey’s Rhythmic Journey,” an hour-long, melodic program created
to benefit the Leonard P. Zakim Center for Integrative Therapies. Held May 8 at the
Cutler Majestic Theatre in Boston, the show featured Yancey, an accomplished singer,
dancer, and actor, and his company of performers taking the audience of nearly
200 on a lively journey through different eras of music, from jazz and swing to rock,
disco, and funk.
At right: Following the inspiring performance, the event committee members
celebrated the more than $100,000 raised to benefit the Zakim Center’s mission to
provide Institute patients with therapies—such as massage and acupuncture—that
complement more traditional forms of treatment.
Early detection project
launched by Karp family
and H. H. & M. Metals, Inc.
Cancer-screening tests enable physicians to detect certain cancers in their
early stages, which can dramatically improve survival. Screening tests are
particularly helpful for individuals considered at high risk, such as those with
a family history of cancer.
Recently, the Karp family—Harvey
and Jean Karp, Harvey’s brother,
Michael, and sister-in-law, Charlene
Karp—contributed $250,000 to the
Karp Family/H. H. & M. Metals, Inc.
Fund for Cancer Research at Dana-
Farber. The Karps’ gift will launch a
pancreatic cancer-screening project led
by Sapna Syngal, MD, MPH, director
of Gastroenterology and the Familial
Gastrointestinal Cancer Program at
Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s
Cancer Center.
Sapna Syngal, MD, MPH, will utilize CT scan,
“Cancer is prevalent in so many MRI, and endoscopic ultrasound technology to
families, and my hope is that people screen high-risk individuals for pancreatic cancer.
understand the importance of testing,”
said Jean Karp, a colon cancer survivor with a family history of cancer. “Patient
screening for pancreatic cancer is an area that particularly needs a lot of support.”
In the U.S., pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related
deaths in males and the fifth in females. The disease’s early stages are often without
symptoms, so patients are typically diagnosed at an advanced stage, which
contributes to high mortality rates. Syngal’s team aims to combat this through
improved detection.
“Our study will help identify many patients with early-stage lesions that may
progress to pancreatic cancer while evaluating detection methods that may be
applicable to many populations,” said Syngal. “Initial support from the Karp family
allowed us to conduct critical pilot work, and their recent gift enables us to fully
launch this important endeavor.” n
SAY “I DO”
Markin gift elevates support for Yawkey Center for Cancer Care
As members of Dana-Farber’s community of supporters in Palm Beach,
Fla., David Markin and his wife, Tracy, knew they wanted to support
Mission Possible: The Dana-Farber Campaign to Conquer Cancer. Their
family, like so many others, has been affected by cancer, and the Markins
were impressed by the Institute’s focus on high-level patient care and research.
Compelled to make a gift to DFCI, the Markins have given $500,000 in support
of the new Yawkey Center for Cancer Care, a key funding priority of the
$1 billion comprehensive capital campaign.
Designed around Dana-Farber’s core principles of compassionate, comprehensive
care and cutting-edge clinical research, the 13-story, 275,000-square-foot
Yawkey Center will house 100 exam rooms and 150 infusion chairs to accommodate
the needs of Dana-Farber’s expanding patient population. The state-of-the-art
patient care facility is being designed as an environmentally friendly “green”
building and is on schedule to open its doors in 2011.
With their gift, the Markins have chosen to name an elevator bank on one of
the clinical floors where patients will go for exams, infusions, and consultations
with their Institute caregivers.
“We felt this was a great way to make a public show of support for Dana-Farber
in the hope that it would compel others to be excited about giving,” said David
Markin. “We feel that Dana-Farber’s mission deserves others’ support and respect.
“Tracy and I hope that one day cancer will be treated as a curable and
controllable disease,” he further explained. “In the future, when patients are
diagnosed, I hope to see a cure for even the types of cancers that right now have a
low probability for survival.” n
A wise investment:
Malkiel’s CGA advances
breast cancer research
Like all good investors, Julian Malkiel likes to see his dollars put to use. It
was this financial savvy that influenced his recent decision to establish a
$250,000 Charitable Gift Annuity (CGA) at Dana-Farber. With an 8.5
percent return, Malkiel’s CGA offers substantial tax benefits —including an
immediate tax deduction and partial tax-free earnings—which explains why
this is the third CGA he has established at Dana-Farber. Furthermore, his gift
advances breast cancer research at the Institute—a battle close to his heart as his
wife, Doris, passed away from the
disease in 1997.
“I have confidence that Dana-
Farber is the kind of place that could
put my money to good work,” said
Malkiel. “I receive a number of
solicitations from other institutions
where I feel my gift would not go very
far. At Dana-Farber, I know it does.”
Though he now resides in Juno
Beach, Fla., Malkiel and his late wife
spent much of their lives in Stowe, Vt.,
and were familiar with Dana-Farber’s
mission to conquer cancer, often
participating in Jimmy Fund Golf
tournaments.
“This is a special way for me to
honor my wife and further breast
cancer research by investing in an
Doris and Julian Malkiel’s longtime involvement with
the Jimmy Fund has compelled Julian to establish three
Charitable Gift Annuities (CGAs) at DFCI.
organization we both admired and
that is also located in New England,”
explained Malkiel. n
Tracy and David Markin hope that their gift to the Yawkey Center for Cancer Care will inspire others to
support the Institute.
Creating a lasting legacy
through charity
Advancements in cancer care and research by Dana-Farber’s physician-scientists are
made possible thanks to the generosity and foresight of the members of the Dana-
Farber Society, which welcomes those who have included the Institute in their estate
plans. The longstanding tradition of honoring this loyal group of donors, who have
already provided more than $80 million to DFCI since 1989, continued May 14 with
the 18th annual Dana-Farber Society Recognition Dinner.
Society Co-chairs M. Dozier Gardner, an Institute trustee, and his wife, Sandy (above), and
DFCI President and CEO Edward J. Benz Jr., MD, welcomed 150 guests to The Charles
Hotel in Cambridge, Mass., for the event. Attendees had the opportunity to hear remarks
from Chief Scientific Officer Barrett J. Rollins, MD, PhD, who spoke poignantly about the
role of stem cell research in the fight against cancer.
For more information about the Dana-Farber Society and how to include the Institute
in your estate plans, please visit dana-farber.org/society or call 800-535-5577.
Choose among our elegant selection of wedding favors or personalize
your own to inform guests that you have made a gift in their honor to
support the lifesaving mission of Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund.
Invest in cures for cancer.
ESTABLISH A CHARITABLE GIFT ANNUITY (CGA) AT DANA-FARBER. RECEIVE SECURE RETURNS
ON YOUR MONEY WHILE YOU SECURE ADVANCES IN CANCER RESEARCH AND CARE.
View and order your favors online at jimmyfund.org/favors or
contact Mary Bucci at 617-632-6099 or JFFavors@dfci.harvard.edu.
Get started today. Contact: Christopher Painter, Director of Gift Planning
Phone: 800-535-5577 or 617-632-3756
E-mail: christopher_painter@dfci.harvard.edu
14 Impact SUMMER 2008
Impact SUMMER 2008 15