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An Update on the Amschwand Sarcoma Cancer Foundation
by
Ginger Kyle Director for External Relations and Programs Amschwand Sarcoma Cancer Foundation
The loss of his mother, Kathryn, to sarcoma, in addition to his own eighteen-month battle with the disease, led Tom Amschwand to establish the Amschwand Sarcoma Cancer Foundation (ASCF) in 2001. He and Melissa founded ASCF with the purpose of educating the public about sarcoma, providing tangible support those with the disease and their families, and encouraging sarcoma-specific research. It was his dream that the foundation might be able to provide real hope and support to other sarcoma patients and their families.
Tom Amschwand, Founder of ASCF
In 2001, the Amschwand Sarcoma Cancer Foundation’s Shared Families Program opened our doors to the first family needing a free short-term place to stay while their loved one received treatment in the Texas Medical Center. The program was initiated to provide free short-term housing to countless families who, due to the rarity of their condition, often travel incredible distances for treatment and follow-up. Since our first guest family, the program has grown, and continues to grow exponentially. Each month we are surprised by the out pouring of support from local Houston families that offer their homes as a safe haven for sarcoma patients and their families while they are going through one of the most difficult times of their lives. We have improved and redesigned both our guest and host family application forms based on feedback from previous guests and hosts. And our web designer is working on building a more interactive program-specific web page.
Another way that we provide tangible support to patients and their families is with the Sarcoma Survivor Starter Notebook. Borne of a desire to reduce the feeling of isolation and confusion that can often result from a diagnosis of sarcoma, the Sarcoma Survivor Starter Notebook is one tool that allows patients to take a more proactive stance in the battle to conquer sarcoma. It was developed by patients and caregivers with support from others who have joined us in the fight. The Notebook not only provides valuable information, it is highly customizable and will serve as a way for patients and their caregivers to organize and keep track of the volumes of information, documents, contact information, and forms that come part and parcel with being a sarcoma patient. ASCF is currently working with several different support groups and social workers to make the Notebook more readily available. It is provided free of charge and can be obtained by calling ASCF at (832) 367-WISH or requesting one via e-mail.
Over the last two years the amount of money donated to the Amschwand Sarcoma Cancer Foundation has more than tripled! We are eternally grateful to those who have joined us in our fight and who support our mission to provide tangible support to sarcoma cancer patients and their families, increase awareness and education about the disease, and encourage and fund sarcoma specific research. Without the support of our generous benefactors and success of our fundraisers we would not have been able to take the strides that have gotten us to where we are today.
In order to support and further the growth of the foundation and its programs the Executive Board unanimously voted to hire Ms. Ginger Kyle as its first full-time paid employee. As Director for External Relations and Programs, Ms. Kyle will not only oversee the expansion of our current programs but will take a primary role in the development and execution of new programs, increasing awareness about sarcoma and the ASCF, as well as planning new and exciting awareness and fundraising events. Her background in government, academia, as well as the non-profit sector will prove to be valuable assets. You may reach Ms. Kyle through the ASCF office at (832) 367-WISH.
Additionally, the Executive Board of Directors welcomes four new members to its ranks—Ms. Danetta Beaushaw, Stephen Z. Fadem, M.D., FACP, Mr. Boyd Heath, and Ms. Margaret Ling. We are most pleased that they have decided to join us and are fully committed to our mission.
Last year’s inaugural Catwalk for a Cure® awareness and fundraising event sold out. And we exceeded our financial goals by raising $140,000, at this event alone. Guest speaker Ivana Trump, addressing more than 300 guests, stated, “We are now the fighters of sarcoma. And we must fight hard and conquer it together.” The first annual Catwalk for a Cure® was held in loving memory of Ms. Sherry Spradley Holmes. Mrs. Holmes was 57 years old when she passed away in October 2002 after a courageous battle with sarcoma cancer. Her extraordinary strength, determination and grace in her four-year fight with cancer was—and will always remain—an inspiration to all that had the privilege to know her. She was deeply loved and greatly admired. She is survived be her husband Ned, her three daughters, Allison, Erin and Berkeley and her son, Ned S. Holmes, Jr.
This year’s event will be held on October 6, 2005 at the beautifully renovated Hilton Houston Post Oak. Due to the overwhelming response from last year’s Catwalk for a Cure® this year’s event will be larger and more spectacular. Co-Chairs Anne Carl, Alicia Smith, and Kim Moody are working hard with our fashion underwriter Saks Fifth Avenue, the Hilton Houston Post Oak, and our many generous underwriters to ensure that this year a Catwalk ticket is again one of Houston’s most coveted fundraising tickets! At the Second Annual Catwalk for a Cure®, ASCF will honor sarcoma survivor and distinguished Houston business leader, Mr. David Solomon. Mr. Solomon serves as Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer of The Redstone Companies. He is involved in numerous charitable and social organizations and was honored as National Jewish Humanitarian of the Year in 1997 by the National Jewish Medical and Research Center. If you are interested in attending this event, or becoming involved, please contact us at (832) 367-WISH.
We kicked off the planning of this year’s event with New York City based fashion designer Charles Nolan. The launch of his new line at Saks Fifth Avenue was held in conjunction with a sarcoma awareness event. And while everyone looked beautiful in their designer duds, the focus remained sarcoma. Mr. Nolan, inspired by the mission of ASCF, made a very generous donation to the foundation.
Melissa Amschwand Bellinger, Executive Director (far left) poses with designer Charles Nolan (center) and Executive Board member Emily Hibner (far right) at fundraising and awareness event.
“Fashion is glamorous, cancer is not,” declared Candace Pinnell Griffithe, ASCF Board Member Emeritus. Truer words have never been uttered. The Amschwand Sarcoma Cancer Foundation is committed to encouraging and funding sarcoma specific research, with the ultimate goal of finding a cure. This past year, our Physician/Scientist Program doubled the grant funds we were able to offer to young sarcoma researchers. It is our aim that this seed money will not only encourage the best and the brightest to enter the field of sarcoma research, but that our start-up funds will help them to build their sarcoma related experiences and accomplishments, later enabling them to find success in securing additional monies to combat what remains one of the most difficult forms of cancer to detect and treat. In fact in 2004, our very first Physician/Scientist Dr. Jonathon Trent accomplished just that by earning a $700,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health. No doubt, Dr. Trent has made us proud, so much so that we continue to support his work and that of others like him.
We are proud to announce the 2005 recipients the Amschwand Sarcoma Cancer Foundation's Physician/Scientist Program. This year's recipients and their aims are:
Still with all of this, there is much work to be done. We will continue the fight against sarcoma until we have conquered this disease, but we need your help. Should you have any questions regarding the Amschwand Sarcoma Cancer Foundation, its programs, to purchase tickets to Catwalk for a Cure®, or should you simply want to volunteer, please contact our office. You may reach us by phone at (832) 367-WISH. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of so many.
V2N4 ESUN Copyright © 2005 Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative.
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