The William Raveis Charitable Fund has made a major expansion of its mission to support cutting-edge research against all forms of cancer, in addition to assisting cancer patients and their families during treatment.
Earlier this year, the Charitable Fund partnered with the prestigious Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, an industry-leading organization that identifies the most brilliant, creative and passionate young cancer researchers, and provides them with funding to pursue their boldest ideas in search of innovative new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat all forms of cancer.
Since 1946, Damon Runyon has invested over $287 million in the best young minds in the nation. Their alumni include 12 Nobel Laureates and leaders of major cancer centers across the United States. Many of their more than 3,460 scientists have gone on to make breakthroughs in the way we prevent, diagnose and treat many forms of cancer. Additionally, 100% donations to the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation fund cancer research.
We interviewed one of our own sales associates, Lori Wallace, of the New Milford office, who has dealt with cancer. She shares her story of how she benefited from the William Raveis Charitable Fund’s relationship with Damon Runyon.
“Local doctors rose up their hands and said there was really nothing they could do for me. They suggested Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center – which was great, but I wouldn’t have been able to get in until the end of July, and the way my cancer was metastasizing, I needed to be in sooner. I was put in touch with Dr. Yung Lie of Damon Runyon and sent my biopsy to them. They just so happened to have a connection with someone at Sloan who was dealing with triple negative breast cancer.
Through this connection I was able to speed the process up. If it weren’t for Damon Runyon I don’t know if I’d still be here. They got me into Sloan much quicker and put me in touch with one of their funded scientists.
It’s a strange experience; what the Damon Runyon scientist told me was exactly what I was told by local doctors: there’s no cure. But he told me in a different way. He said, ‘We’re going to treat this like diabetes. We’re going to maintain this until we find a cure.’ That calmed me down.
The Damon Runyon scientists are constantly researching and they’ve given me hope. They work every day for a cure, and they want me to keep as normal of a life as possible. I don’t know if it weren’t for the relationship between Raveis and Damon Runyon where I’d be right now.
It’s something to be so grateful for. The resources they have…how smart they are… This is what these guys live and breathe for – it’s definitely not in-the-box thinking. They get who they’re dealing with. They’ve made this horrible experience so much better.”
The William Raveis Charitable Fund held it’s first Ride + Walk event this summer and raised $550,000 to support Damon Runyon.