NEW YORK, May 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation raised $2 million at its Annual Breakfast at the Rainbow Room yesterday to support young cancer scientists whose innovative research is most at risk due to funding cuts at the national level.
The event’s approximately 380 attendees included Michael Eisner, Donald Trump, Ronald Perelman, Connie Chung and Ken Langone.
Recipient’s of the Foundation’s newest grant, the Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovation Award, which was created specifically to address the urgent need to support “high risk, high return” research, announced details of their work (see below):
James Burrows, Emmy Award-winning sitcom producer and director (Cheers, Frasier, Will & Grace), spoke about his personal connection to the Foundation: His father, Abe Burrows, wrote the book “Guys and Dolls,” which was based on the stories of Damon Runyon.
John Angelo, Chief Executive Officer of Angelo, Gordon & Co., the Honoree, received a standing ovation from the audience after speaking about the driving need to support ongoing cancer research.
Lorraine Egan, CEO of the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, cited the urgent need to provide seed funding for the revolutionary ideas of young scientists, and announced the Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovation Award Winners:
Photos available at http://picasaweb.google.com/damonrunyon1/DamonRunyonAnnualBreakfast2008Photos
About us:
The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation invests exclusively in top young scientists, recruiting the best new minds into cancer research and seeding their bold ideas. The Foundation offers an alternative to programs supported by the NIH and large organizations, which typically favor senior scientists with established track records.
Since its founding in 1946, the Foundation has invested over $200 million and funded more than 3,000 young scientists. Eleven scientists supported by the Foundation have received the Nobel Prize, and others are heads of cancer centers and leaders of renowned research programs. The Foundation currently is funding more than 120 scientists at leading medical centers and research institutions. This year, it will invest approximately $10 million in outstanding young minds.
100% of all direct donations are used to support scientific research. www.damonrunyon.org
CONTACT: Catherine Bright, Director of Communications, Damon Runyon Cancer
Research Foundation, +1-212-455-0506, Mobile: +1-917-496-9166,
catherine.bright@damonrunyon.org
Web site: http://wwwdamonrunyon.org/
