BETHESDA, Md., Aug. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- The third annual Pam McDonald Drive Fore Life Ovarian Cancer Charity Golf Tournament and silent auction in memory of Pam McDonald will be held at the Musket Ridge Golf Club in Myersville, Md., on September 18, 2004. The Fund’s goal this year is to raise $100,000, the proceeds for which will benefit The Johns Hopkins Ovarian Cancer Center of Excellence and the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation (CRPF).
“The whole reason for the tournament is to promote awareness. We want to give ovarian cancer the same recognition that breast cancer has achieved,” said Matthew Blocher, Pam’s son and one of the founding members of The Pam McDonald Fund. “Education and awareness are key, because ovarian cancer is often misdiagnosed and the symptoms are not commonly known. It is often detected at a late stage, like my mother’s.”
Pam McDonald understood the need for continuous support and education. Between treatments, she volunteered her time with the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition and the Life with Cancer program at Inova Fairfax Hospital. This, combined with Pam’s love of golf, led the group to hold this event in her honor.
Blocher added, “We are picking up where my mother left off. I am sure if she were here with us today, this is what she would be doing.”
For the past two years, the Fund has supported The Johns Hopkins Ovarian Cancer Center, which focuses on the comprehensive array of health care services necessary for the effective prevention and treatment of ovarian cancer. According to Blocher, Johns Hopkins is where Pam got her “hope, care and emotional support.” The Fund will specifically support a Center initiative to develop a comprehensive Web site for patients and their families.
Robert E. Bristow, M.D., director of the Johns Hopkins Ovarian Cancer Center of Excellence said, “Education, prevention, research and treatment each play an important role in fighting this disease, the fourth leading cause of cancer death in women. It will take effort from patients, families and friends and medical personnel to change this statistic.”
This year the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation, which is focused on cancer prevention and early detection through research and education, will also receive a portion of the proceeds. Specifically, funds have been earmarked for ovarian cancer prevention research. In the 19 years since it was founded, CRPF has provided more than $66 million in support of programs that extend its mission.
Carolyn Aldige, president and founder of the Foundation said “Ovarian cancer prevention research is a wide open field since we know so little about it. It is an area that will be in need of continuous support for years to come. Every effort, no matter how great or small, is important.”
Sponsors for this year’s tournament vary by contribution levels and organization types, but their support is equally important, according to Gary Lytle, a senior vice president at Qwest whose wife, Barbara, is battling ovarian cancer. Lytle is also helping to secure corporate sponsorships for the cause. Sponsors include Qwest, Bristol Myers Squibb, American Council for Excellence and Opportunity, National Association of Broadcasters, Stohlman Volkswagen/Subaru, Communications Workers of America, Direct Affect, Daimler Chrysler, McWilliams/Ballard, Silo Smashers, American Plant Food, Norman Shorb, Bell South, SBC Communications, Federal Computer Week, immixGroup, PostNewsweek, Wachovia Securities and Waste Management.
Sponsors and donations are still needed. Please contact Mary Doherty at 301-493-5454 for more information.
About The Pam McDonald Fund
The Pam McDonald Fund was organized in memory of Pam McDonald, who died of ovarian cancer at 57 years old. Pam’s family and friends have organized this charity golf tournament to raise funds for ovarian cancer research, treatment and prevention. http://www.pammcdonaldfund.com/
About The Johns Hopkins Ovarian Cancer Center of Excellence
The Johns Hopkins Ovarian Cancer Center of Excellence provides a fully integrated and cooperative model of skilled clinicians committed to excellent patient care using a multidisciplinary holistic approach to the prevention and treatment of ovarian cancer. Team members are renowned for performing complex surgical procedures, safely and effectively administering chemotherapy, offering cutting-edge clinical trials, providing expert gynecologic pathology reviews, and utilizing advanced imaging techniques.
About The Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation
The Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation (CRPF), formerly the Cancer Research Foundation of America, was started in 1985 when Founder and President Carolyn Aldige first understood the power of prevention to defeat cancer -- and recognized that too few of the country’s resources were used to promote cancer prevention research or education. Today, it is one of the nation’s leading health organizations and has catapulted cancer prevention to prominence. Since its inception the Foundation has provided more than $66 million in support of cancer prevention and early detection research and education programs. CRPF peer-reviewed grants have been awarded to more than 250 scientists from more than 150 of the leading academic medical centers nationwide. This research has been pivotal in developing a body of knowledge that is the basis for important cancer prevention and early detection strategies.
Pam McDonald Fund
CONTACT: MacKenzie Ruggiero, +1-301-408-4500, ormruggiero@gotostrategic.com, for the Pam McDonald Fund
Web site: http://www.pammcdonaldfund.com/
