TGen News & Press Releases

• Written by Steve Yozwiak /
• Posted Friday October 30, 2009

Valley volunteers set new highs for TGen Foundation event

StepNOut for Pancreatic Cancer planned Sunday at Kiwanis Park

TEMPE, Ariz. - Oct. 30, 2009 - More than 1,000 racers are expected Sunday morning (Nov. 1) for TGen's 4th annual StepNOut for Pancreatic Cancer Research run, walk and dash at Tempe's Kiwanis Community Park.

Already, 591 participants have registered this week, representing an increase of nearly 200 racers over last year's pre-event numbers. And, the StepNOut event already has raised more than the $88,000 donated last year.

"This group of extraordinary and generous people recognize the impact that they are having and will undoubtedly raise more than $100,000 this year," said Michael Bassoff, President of the TGen Foundations, the fundraising arm of the non-profit Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), which conducts groundbreaking biomedical research in cancer and other major diseases.

One group of volunteers, "Team Rick" of the Phoenix law firm Lewis and Roca LLP, has more than 125 participants who have raised more than $15,000 in memory of Rick Halloran, a partner at Lewis and Roca, who died of pancreatic cancer Oct. 22.

In memory of JoAnn and Frank Cadwell, who both died earlier this year of pancreatic cancer, the Cadwell family and CWIE Holding Company Inc. already have gathered 104 participants.

More than $13,000 worth of items will be auctioned Sunday, and MidFirst Bank will match every coin donated up to $1,000.

This year's event is expected to attract nearly 25 percent more than the nearly 750 people who participated in last year's event.

Mark Curtis, the co-anchor for 12 News who lost his mother to pancreatic cancer, is the honorary chair and master of ceremonies.

Contributions will help fund TGen's pancreatic cancer research, headed by world-renowned expert Dr. Daniel Von Hoff, TGen's Physician-in-Chief and Director of TGen's Clinical Translational Research Division.

Dr. Von Hoff and Dr. Craig B. Thompson, Director of the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania, are co-leaders of the national Stand Up to Cancer pancreatic cancer "Dream Team." They are leading a three-year investigation into new approaches to treating pancreatic cancer, the most lethal of all cancers and the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States.

The National Cancer Institute estimates that in 2009 pancreatic cancer will kill more than 35,000 of the 42,000 Americans annually diagnosed with this disease. More than 75 percent of patients die within the first year of diagnosis.

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Event Details:
What: The Translational Genomics Research Institute's 4th annual StepNOut for Pancreatic Cancer Research.
Where: The south end of Tempe's Kiwanis Community Park, 6111 S. All-America Way, Tempe. Enter off Guadalupe Road at All American Way, between Rural and Kyrene roads.
When: 8-11 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1. Registration is at 8 a.m.; the races start at 9 a.m.
Cost: Ages 13 and up $30; ages 5-12 $10; and ages 0-4, free.
Registration: Please register at the event. For additional information about the event, visit www.helptgen.org.
Why: Organizers hope to raise more than $100,000 for TGen's pancreatic cancer research.

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About TGen
The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a Phoenix, Arizona-based non-profit organization dedicated to conducting groundbreaking research with life changing results. Research at TGen is focused on helping patients with diseases such as cancer, neurological disorders and diabetes. TGen is on the cutting edge of translational research where investigators are able to unravel the genetic components of common and complex diseases. Working with collaborators in the scientific and medical communities, TGen believes it can make a substantial contribution to the efficiency and effectiveness of the translational process. TGen is affiliated with the Van Andel Research Institute in Grand Rapids, Michigan. For more information, visit: www.tgen.org.

Media Contacts:
Erin Massey
Director of Development, TGen Foundation
602-343-8470
[email protected]

Roseanna Robinson Norman
StepNOut Chair
602-300-7321
[email protected]

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