Buckeye Cruise for Cancer
The 13th annual Buckeye Cruise for Cancer sailed to a record in February — raising $4.25 million for the OSUCCC – James and exceeding last year’s record by more than $1 million!
Former Buckeye athletes, including JT Barrett, Parris Campbell and Katie Smith, were among 3,000 enthusiastic and generous Buckeyes who sailed on Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas. Highlights of the week included a recognition of the more than 300 cancer survivors on board, Buckeye-themed fun at the pool and close to 1,000 participants in a walk/run on CocoCay. The week was capped by a private concert on the pool deck by Grammy Award-winning star Darius Rucker.
The annual Fund a Need auction, which supports cutting-edge technology and initiatives, raised $460,000 toward the planned West Campus Ambulatory Facility.
The 2021 Buckeye Cruise will sail out of Miami, Fla., on Feb. 21 on Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas. The five-night cruise will feature a stop at the cruise line’s private island, Labadee, and Falmouth, Jamaica.
Raised a record: $4.25 million
Fund a Need total: $460,000
Columbus Mac & Cheese Festival
“I got the call from my dermatologist, and he said we need to act quickly. I was diagnosed with stage 3 melanoma. To be honest, I never thought at age 25 I’d hear that I have cancer,” recalls Ryan Fasold.
Ryan is one of 72,000 young people between the ages of 15-39 diagnosed with cancer each year in the United States.
The Mac & Cheese Festival is helping OSUCCC – James researchers meet the unique needs of adolescents and young adult (AYA) cancer patients. AYA cancer survivors tend to have chronic health problems, less access to health care and reduced health-related quality of life.
The fourth annual event raised over $57,000 that will help advance research projects, clinical programs and supportive care services for this population.
More than 1,200 attendees had a chance to sample over 18 types of mac & cheese at this family-friendly event. Sweet Carrot was voted this year’s fan favorite!
Attend or sponsor the 5th Annual Columbus Mac & Cheese Festival, hosted by the NextGen committee of The James Ambassadors Society, on Friday, Oct. 2.
Learn more about AYA by listening to The James Cancer-Free World Podcast, Episode 45.
Total raised in 2019: $57,000
Total raised in four years: $258,000+
Harvest of Hope
Cancer survivor Brian Baker and his wife Lachandra offered inspiration at the inaugural Harvest of Hope event. “We fully believe that there soon will be a cure, and we won’t stop until there is.” Brian is in partial remission after being treated with CAR T-cell immunotherapy.
Immuno-oncology is widely considered the next frontier for cancer treatment. Nearly 600 guests attended the Nov. 16 signature gala, enjoying an exquisite menu and wine pairings, to raise more than $500,000 to support immuno-oncology research. Thanks to underwriters, 100% of proceeds have been directed to these efforts.
“This rapidly expanding field sometimes delivers exceptional outcomes with fewer side effects, but immuno-oncology currently benefits only about 20% of cancer patients. That needs to change, and tonight we are working to do just that,” said OSUCCC director Raphael E. Pollock, MD, PhD, FACS.
Harvest of Hope was chaired by Libby and Rick Germain, Molly and Cameron Mitchell, and Sarah and Brett Hatcher. These three couples also served as Event Underwriters, along with Helena and Brad Anderson.
Total raised in 2019: $500,000+