■❚ PHILANTHROPY
Thank You to our Community Partners
THE O ’ NEAL COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER WOULD LIKE TO THANK ORGANIZATIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO HELP OUR RESEARCHERS ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS .
BREAST CANCER RESEARCH FOUNDATION OF ALABAMA
The Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama funds research proposals that accelerate breast cancer research in Alabama . Since its founding in 1996 , the organization has invested more than $ 15 million in cutting-edge breast cancer research initiatives across the state .
BCRFA dollars function as seed funding for early-stage studies , allowing researchers to generate the additional data needed to attract major national funding . Many BCRFA-funded projects have later received multi-million-dollar national grants from the National Institutes of Health and others .
In 2023 , the BCRFA provided funding in the amount of $ 525,000 for UAB breast cancer researchers through the O ’ Neal Invests program , the O ’ Neal NextGen Scholars predoctoral award and research vouchers .
RISE
Students at Vestavia Hills High School raised $ 230,023 for the Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Program at the O ’ Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center through the 2023 Vestavia Hills RISE program .
RISE is a student-led service-learning effort promoting philanthropy and community outreach within the Vestavia Hills student body that began in 2018 . With last year ’ s RISE program , Vestavia Hills students have donated more than $ 1 million to the AYA Oncology Program at UAB .
The semester-long fundraiser culminated with RISE Day on April 15 , 2023 , a community-wide event where students gathered to enjoy food , live music and activities , to honor and remember those who have been affected by cancer and to celebrate their fundraising efforts .
HOMEWOOD WITCHES RIDE The 11th annual Homewood Witches Ride took place on Oct . 29 , 2023 , raising more than $ 50,000 for clinical trials research at the O ’ Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center . More than 500 costumed witches participated in the 2.5-mile bike ride through Homewood , tossing candy to bystanders while raising awareness of the importance of cancer research .
OAK MOUNTAIN COLOR RUN Students from the Oak Mountain High School Student Government Association hosted the annual Oak Mountain Color Run on Saturday , March 11 , 2023 , raising more than $ 20,000 for the O ’ Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center . Funds raised at the Oak Mountain Color Run benefit the O ’ Neal Fund for Excellence and create opportunities for cancer patients at UAB to participate in clinical trials .
MIKE SLIVE FOUNDATION The Mike Slive Foundation for Prostate Cancer Research funds cutting-edge research projects that accelerate prostate cancer research in Alabama . Since its founding in 2017 , the organization has raised over $ 4 million and funded 27 prostate cancer research grants , including 13 projects at the O ’ Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center . In 2023 , Selvarangan Ponnazhagan , Ph . D ., received $ 160,000 in funding from the Mike Slive Foundation through the Spring 2023 cycle of O ’ Neal Invests .
Multiple Myeloma Program
The multiple myeloma program at the O ’ Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center is leading innovative approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of the disease , a blood cancer of plasma cells . A group of former patients has partnered with the multiple myeloma team to create philanthropic support for a world-class multiple myeloma program at UAB .
The group hosted an inaugural reception in 2022 and a second effort in the fall of 2023 to create philanthropic support for the multiple myeloma program at the O ’ Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center . Attendees heard from researchers and clinicians about the important work already happening to advance the diagnosis and treatment of the disease and learned how their support would allow the program to grow .
The multiple myeloma program currently offers 16 clinical trials , ranging from the treatment of recently diagnosed patients to the treatment of patients whose myeloma has become refractory to all available therapies .
In 2022 , 60 percent of patients enrolled in myeloma clinical trials at UAB received first-in-human treatments . These potentially revolutionary , highly complex treatments are only available at the top cancer centers in the country .
Philanthropic support of the multiple myeloma program at the O ’ Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center allows the multiple myeloma team to expand its ability to diagnose and treat patients with the latest advances in the field .
To support the O ’ Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center ’ s vision for a worldclass multiple myeloma program or learn more , contact Lisa Roth at ( 205 ) 934-0930 or leroth @ uabmc . edu .
72 | O ’ NEAL COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER