Please Contact Stan Klein, co-chair,
Boston Prostate Cancer Walk 617-625-4875,
klein@rcn.com
A seed Grant awarded by the Boston Prostate Cancer Walk (BPCW) to Dr. Garraway in 2002 lead to additional funding from the NCI. The BPCW is pleased to announce that in 2008, Dr. Levi Garraway from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, received an award of $1,500,000 from the National Cancer Institute (NCI). In addition, he and two other scientists received another $1,000,000 from The Prostate Cancer Foundation to further research in prostate cancer.
In 2002, The Boston Prostate Cancer Walk raised money to help support a Career Development Award given to Dr. Levi Garraway. This type of award is specifically aimed to entice and support bright MD/PhDs to become involved in research in the field of prostate cancer, and hopefully continue in prostate cancer research. The $2,500,000 follow-on awards are a result of our walk's seed money award.
In the past nine years we have raised $3,220,000, including $320,000 this year, for prostate cancer research, awareness and education. This includes $1,900,000 in complementing funds from the NCI, and has enabled us to fund sixty one (61) new prostate cancer research projects to eleven research institutions. About 1/3 of these research projects were then selected for additional funding from the NCI and other organizations.
Our seed money projects are doing what we planned, i.e., attracting additional large sums of research funding, specifically for prostate cancer.
We also held our first Boston Prostate Cancer Walk Dinner Dance on September 20, 2008, which was a wonderful evening of food, entertainment and camaraderie. The second dinner dance is scheduled for October 24, 2009. Please join us. $75 a person.
In 2008, we funded a major awareness campaign with 33 awareness talks at firms and organizations, and plan to continue funding in 2009. In addition, in 2009, the Boston Prostate Cancer Walk arranged for medical professionals from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to offer free medical screenings for blood pressure, diabetes, and prostate cancer. This was available to all men. Literature about health issues was also distributed.
We hope that in the next few years a major breakthrough will occur. The Boston Prostate Cancer Walk will continue to fund both Career Development Awards, and Developmental Project Awards, as well as expand our educational and awareness activities
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About six new research grants will be awarded to Massachusetts' institutions in 2009. The grants will be selected by a review committee of doctors, and research scientists from many institutions.
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Philip Kantoff, MD and Glen Bubley, MD receive a check for prostate cancer research from Stan Klein, Co-Chair of the Boston Prostate Cancer Walk. The money will be distributed to the 2009 research award winners.
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In the past nine years the Boston Prostate Cancer Walk has awarded $3,000,000 to the following eleven institutions:
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
- Boston Medical Center
- Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Children's Hospital
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
- Harvard School of Public Health
- Lahey Clinic
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- Mount Auburn Hospital
- Northeastern University
- University of Massachusetts Medical School
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In 2009, the Boston Prostate Cancer Walk furnished 90 percent of all new prostate cancer research in Massachusetts and was the largest donor, excluding any possible contributions made by the federal government.
The Boston Prostate Cancer Walk is a grass roots effort to increase public awareness and education and raise money for prostate cancer research. Grants are awarded annually to Massachusetts'-based prostate cancer research programs. According to the walk co-chair, Stan Klein, 90 percent of this year's donations were awarded to research programs.
History of Boston's Prostate Cancer Walk
For many years prostate cancer has been a well-kept secret and consequently has not received its share of awareness or state and federal research money. In December 2000, members of the Longwood Medical Area Prostate Cancer Support Group decided to do something about it, and agreed to form a committee to plan and implement a walk for prostate cancer, to educate, increase awareness and raise money for research. The first annual prostate cancer walk took place on June 15, 2001.
The Boston Prostate Cancer Walk
This all-volunteer committee, under the guidance of co-chairs Jeffrey Steinberg, MD and Stan Klein, began organizing a walk, and six months later 1400 people came together to walk in friendship, joy and camaraderie with the common goal-- to increase awareness about prostate cancer. Thousands of people and corporations donated more than $135,000 in 2001. In our nine walks, we have raised $3,220,000 for prostate cancer research. The event has increased in number as well, to 5000 walkers in recent years.
In 2005, The Boston Prostate Cancer Walk organized a Women’s Speaking Bureau, the Massachusetts Women Against Prostate Cancer. The purpose was to target women’s groups to allow the women in these groups, to be more actively involved in fighting prostate cancer, to help them save the lives of the men they love. The speakers will discuss the dangers of prostate cancer, the benefits of early detection and to urge women to have the men in their lives, have a prostate cancer examination.
Jeanette Clough, RN, President and CEO of Mount Auburn Hospital and Chairwoman of the Massachusetts Hospital Association is chairwoman of this group.
In 2008 we held our first dinner dance, a wonderful evening of fun, food, and dancing to celebrate survivorship, and raise money for our cause. The 2009 dinner dance is scheduled for October 24, 2009.
The Boston Prostate Cancer Walk is a project of the Dana Farber/ Harvard Cancer Center. We are also supported by US TOO International, Inc., the world's largest independent charitable network of prostate cancer support groups.