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philanthropiaphilanthropiaphilanthropiaphilanthropiaphilanthropiaphilanthropiaphilanthropiaBUILDING HOPE THROUGH CANCER RESEARCHWilson endowsBrain Tumor Institute chair.Karen Wilson (back) with her grandchildren (front,left to right): Morgan Lyons, Rachel Partain, HannahLyons, Stacey Partain and Samantha Partain.fter losing both her father andmother to brain tumors, KarenWilson is taking an active rolein advancing research and treatmentsat the Cleveland ClinicBrain Tumor Institute. Sherecently committed $2 millionto establish an endowed chair inpediatric brain tumor research and fundother laboratory research at the BrainTumor Institute.“This gift is dedicatedto my parents, to supportresearch, develop newtreatments and find acure,” says Ms. Wilson.“Back when my dadhad his tumor, we didn’thave the diagnostics, so wedidn’t even know whatkind of tumor he had.We’ve come such a longway in diagnosing andtreating cancer,” she notes.Ms. Wilson’s father died ofa malignant brain tumorwhen he was 49 years old.Ms. Wilson’s familyhas played an instrumentalrole in the evolution of the Brain TumorInstitute. Before her passing, her mother,Rose Ella Burkhardt – who was a patientof Gene Barnett, M.D., Chairman, BrainTumor Institute – made a gift to helpestablish the institute and create the RoseElla Burkhardt Chair, currently held byDr. Barnett. Her mother’s husband,Melvin H. Burkhardt, also continuesactive support of the Brain TumorInstitute, including the establishment ofan additional endowed chair.“My mother’s gift, given 11 yearsago, helped to create the Brain TumorInstitute. These gifts build on eachother. Through them, patient care andtreatment improve and provide for theresearch that will ultimately lead to acure. They make a difference,” saysMs. Wilson.The grandmother and former teacherfelt especially compelled to help childrenwith her endowment. In additionto the pediatric chair, a portion of hergift will support the investigative workof Robert J. Weil, M.D., the newlyrecruited Associate Director of BasicResearch at the Brain Tumor Institute.“It is my hope that this gift will helpto make a positive difference in thetreatment and survival rate of futurecancer patients,” Ms. Wilson says.Beyond her own philanthropy toexpand what her mother helped start,Ms. Wilson serves on the Brain TumorInstitute Leadership Board. As chairmanof the board and chief executiveofficer of her family-run business,Central Distributors of Beer, Inc.,Romulus, Mich., she organizes anannual golf outing, which has raised$70,000 in four years to benefit theBrain Tumor Institute.www.clevelandclinic.org 35