Hundreds of supporters gathered at the Atlanta History Center March 28 to celebrate the discoveries and advances being made at Emory Winship Cancer Institute, Georgia’s newly designated National Cancer Center.
As a National Cancer Institute-designated center, Emory Winship has joined an elite group of 64 centers nationwide that are on the forefront of the battle against cancer. Gala proceeds will benefit research and development of cancer drug programs at Emory Winship, providing vital support that “will augment research efforts and aid our mission to find a cure,” says Brian Leyland-Jones, director of Emory Winship.
The event also honored Lou and Tom Glenn, who donated $2 million to establish the Louisa and Rand Glenn Family Chair in Breast Cancer Research at Emory University. The chair was named in honor of the Glenns’ daughters, Louisa Glenn D’Antignac and Rand Glenn Hagen.
Emory researcher Ruth O'Regan was named to the Glenn Family Chair March 30. Associate professor of hematology and medical oncology in Emory School of Medicine, O'Regan directs Emory Winship's translational breast cancer research program. She co-directs the Jean Sindab Endowment Research Team, which develops scientific studies of breast cancer in African American women.
"This chair will enable us to aim high for the benefit of future generations, while taking care of the vital responsibilities that are before us each and every day," Leyland-Jones says.
Bolstering donations from more than 400 attendees, the gala was sponsored by more than a dozen corporations and key benefactors, including Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc., Aflac, and The Coca-Cola Company. In addition, 85 businesses and organizations donated services or merchandise to the event.
In addition to the money raised from the event, the gala served as an important window into the innovative cancer research and treatment being pursued at Emory Winship.
Gala co-chairs Jan Bennett and Dell Rearden said the resounding success of the event opens the door to the possibility of future fund-raising galas to benefit Emory Winship.
Emory Winship was founded in 1937 with a gift from Coca-Cola Company president Robert Woodruff, who lost his mother to cancer that year. The center opened in 1938 in a sun porch at the end of the east wing of Emory Hospital, with four people on staff. In April 2009, Emory Winship was designated a National Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute. NCI designation for Emory Winship gives Georgians improved access to clinical trials and resources available only through designated cancer centers.
In the photo: The Glenn Family, L-R: Michael D'Antignac, Louisa Glenn D'Antignac, Lou Glenn, Tom Glenn, Rand Glenn Hagen, and Seth Hagen.
April 2009
