UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center Magazine Winter 2018 | Page 25

Lucy and Ruby’s Brainy Day
Back in May 2013, Lucy and Ruby Harris held a lemonade-and-
cookie stand to raise money for UAB, “daddy’s hospital,” the hospital
that cared for their dad. Scott Harris, the little girls’ dad, suffered from
glioblastoma brain cancer. When their dad passed away in November
2013, it made Lucy and Ruby want to help other families.
Lucy and Ruby’s lemonade stand raised $3,000, and that’s when Lucy
and Ruby’s Brainy Day, a community event, was born. The events have
raised more than $55,000 for brain cancer research and patient support
services at UAB and Children’s of Alabama. In May 2017, the girls’ held
several events throughout the month at different ice cream and frozen
yogurt shops around Birmingham. The idea was to give more people the
opportunity to participate.
What started out as just a lemonade stand is now a fundraising
event every May. “To me, these events are more about brain cancer awareness than about
actually raising money,” says Lisa Harris, Lucy and Ruby’s mom and a member of the UAB
Comprehensive Cancer Center Advisory Board. “It’s really important for people to know
that even with small contributions that they can make an impact.” Most importantly for
Lucy and Ruby, it keeps alive the memory of their dad.
Leon Edwards provides
funds for specialized
equipment
Leon Edwards of Edwards Chevrolet has donated $100,000 toward
the purchase of a High Resolution Orbitrap Mass Spectrometer for the
UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Mass Spectrometry/Proteometrics
(MSP) Shared Facility. Mr. Edwards donated this lead gift to James
Mobley, Ph.D., associate professor in the UAB Department of Surgery, in
memory of his son, Sterling Edwards, who had a fatal aneurysm.
The Mass Spectrometer instrument will aid in a better understanding
of cancer biology, early identification of biomarkers of disease, and
improving identification of new and better drug targets. Mr. Edwards
continues to support the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center and we are
appreciative of his generosity.
Pictured, L to R: Dr. James Mobley, Leon Edwards and Lee Edwards.
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