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- Posted Wednesday February 10, 2016
ASU student leaders raise funds for TGen pancreatic cancer research
A small idea by two freshman students ignites campus awareness of TGen's efforts to help cancer patients
PHOENIX, Ariz. - Feb. 10, 2016 - Students at
Arizona State University have raised nearly $5,000 for pancreatic
cancer research at the Translational
Genomics Research Institute (TGen).
Led by Lambda Chi Alpha, eight Greek social groups at ASU bought
t-shirts, held a dunk tank and decorated their Greek letters during
"Hunt for a Cure" events in November, which is Pancreatic Cancer
Awareness Month.
Today, members of the fraternity toured TGen to see how their
fundraising dollars are being put to work.
The fundraising idea began with Race Carter and Braden Liu, two
members of Lambda Chi Alpha. Carter and Liu hatched the idea while
considering Liu's fledgling t-shirt business, and the plight of
another fraternity brother's relative with pancreatic cancer.
"We started making all these connections. Purple is one of the
colors of our fraternity. Purple is the color associated with
pancreatic cancer. And the next month was Pancreatic Cancer
Awareness Month," said Carter, 18, a Barrett Honors College
freshman, majoring in Business.
"It was like it was supposed to happen," said Carter, who felt
that TGen, with one of the nation's leading pancreatic cancer
research units - TGen has led two Stand Up To Cancer Pancreatic
Cancer Dream Team efforts - was the perfect organization to benefit
from their philanthropy.
Carter and Liu took the idea to the leaders of Lambda Chi Alpha
who jumped on board with the idea of holding a fundraising event.
They enlisted the help of seven sororities, reached out to
non-Greek students, and eventually sold nearly 600 t-shirts.
"Whoever is affected by pancreatic cancer is the real winner of
this fundraising," Carter said. "The researchers, the patients,
everyone. It's TGen that wins, and everyone that wins. And it's not
just the money. We need to get the message out there."
Carter said he realizes that $5,000 may not make a huge difference
in a research effort that costs tens of millions of dollars to
pursue. But he and his fraternity brothers and students in the
Greek system already have plans for similar events to benefit TGen
in the future, and he is hoping the fundraisers snowball, building
greater awareness about TGen across the ASU campus.
"We want to keep doing it every year!" he said.
Pancreatic cancer annually takes the lives of more than 40,000
Americans, making it the nation's fourth leading cause of
cancer-related death. Only 1 in 4 patients survive more than a year
following diagnosis, and the 5-year survival rate is less than 10
percent for all patients. Pancreatic cancer can rapidly spread to
distant organs, especially the liver and the lungs. Survival
remains low, in part, because no early screening test exists.
TGen is working to develop early detection of pancreatic cancer
and new treatments for patients.
"We heartily applaud the philanthropic leadership of the Lambda
Chi Alpha fraternity and the hundreds of young men and women at ASU
who joined them in this fundraising effort," said TGen Foundation
President Michael Bassoff. "Race Carter,Braden Liuand
all of their brothers at Lambda Chi Alphahave shown how a
simple, but thoughtful, idea can grow into a movement, raising
awareness and hope for the thousands of patients who need our
help."
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About TGen
Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a Phoenix,
Arizona-based non-profit organization dedicated to conducting
groundbreaking research with life changing results. TGen is focused
on helping patients with neurological disorders, cancer, and
diabetes, through cutting edge translational research (the process
of rapidly moving research towards patient benefit). TGen
physicians and scientists work to unravel the genetic components of
both common and rare complex diseases in adults and children.
Working with collaborators in the scientific and medical
communities literally worldwide, TGen makes a substantial
contribution to help our patients through efficiency and
effectiveness of the translational process. For more information,
visit:www.tgen.org. Follow TGen onFacebook,LinkedInandTwitter @TGen.
Press Contacts:
Steve Yozwiak
TGen Senior Science Writer
602-343-8704
[email protected]
