2008 Winter - Lustgarten Foundation

WINTER 2008
VOL. 1 NO. 1
progress & promise
T H E L U S T G A R T E N F O U N D AT I O N F O R PA N C R E AT I C C A N C E R R E S E A R C H N E W S L E T T E R
Dr. Randy Pausch
Joins Foundation’s National Public Awareness Campaign
On September 20, The Wall Street Journal
In December 2007, Dr. Pausch generously lent
featured the story of Randy Pausch, the
his celebrity to The Lustgarten Foundation,
now 47 year-old Carnegie-Mellon University
joining forces for the taping of both long-form
computer-science professor with pancreatic
and short-form public service announcements
cancer, who delivered his “Last Lecture”
highlighting his personal experience with the
before a crowd of 400 students and
disease and his signature outlook on making the
colleagues. This Lecture was especially
most of life. The PSAs will begin airing this year.
poignant for Dr. Pausch
because he just learned
that his cancer
had recurred with
tumors to his liver
and spleen, one-year
after receiving a
Contributed by Dr. Randy Pausch
Whipple. His doctors
I have pancreatic cancer. I fought like hell and actually thought I’d be one
said it was one of
of those five-year survivors: I had a successful Whipple surgery, an aggressive
the most aggressive
chemoradiation protocol, then a vaccine. Unfortunately, I’ve now got a dozen
recurrences they
metastases in my liver, and while I’m still fighting like hell, I pretty much know
had ever seen.
how this movie will end.
Playing Your Hand After
Being Dealt Pancreatic Cancer
Like all people in this (or any) circumstance, I can’t control the cards I’m dealt,
just how I play the hand. While not in denial, I see no reason to be depressed;
that won’t help anybody. I spend my time helping my wife and three young children;
helping them today, while I’m still healthy, to be prepared for when I’m gone.
continued on page 4
...I’m going to
keep having
fun every day
that I have left,
because there’s
no other way
to play it.
– Dr. Randy Pausch
UPDATE:
Sequencing the Pancreatic Cancer Genome
In 2007, The Lustgarten Foundation awarded
its largest-ever, multi-million dollar focused
research grant to help sequence the genome of
pancreatic cancers. This research is expected
to revolutionize the ways in which pancreatic
cancer is diagnosed and treated for decades to
come. In December 2007, Dr. Bert Vogelstein
presented an update to the Foundation’s Board
of Directors, highlighting progress to date.
Dr. Bert Vogelstein
Today, it is widely understood that cancer is a
genetic disease, driven by mistakes – or mutations –
in the DNA of cancer cells. Although pancreatic
cancer is often labeled a ‘silent’ disease because
symptoms may appear without warning, the cancer
actually takes years to develop. The reason is that
cancer is the end result of a long series of
mutations in the DNA of cells. (DNA is the
powerhouse and center of activity for all cells.)
continued on page 8
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chairman
Charles F. Dolan
William Bell, Treasurer
James L. Dolan
Andrew Lustgarten
Marcia Lustgarten
Sheila Mahony
Matthew Modine
Charlie Schueler
Alan Schwartz
Robert F. Vizza, Ph.D., President
CORPORATE ADVISORY BOARD
Honorary Chairman
The Honorable Jimmy Carter
Frank A. Bennack, Jr.
Barry Diller
John Hendricks
Mel Karmazin
Gerald M. Levin
John C. Malone
Rupert Murdoch
Sumner M. Redstone
Tom Rogers
Sir Howard Stringer
Robert C. Wright
MESSAGE
From the Executive Director: Kerri Kaplan
By now, you are probably aware of the inspiring story of Dr. Randy Pausch, the
47-year old Carnegie-Mellon computer science professor and pancreatic cancer
patient who made national headlines with his now-famous “Last Lecture” and
his signature outlook on life. Dr. Pausch delivered his Lecture after learning that
his cancer had recurred with metastases to his liver and spleen, just one-year
after undergoing a Whipple. His doctors said it was one of the most aggressive
recurrences they’d seen – making the prognosis grim for this husband and father
of three small children in the prime of his life.
Stories like Dr. Randy Pausch’s touch us deeply because they speak to life’s most
poignant lessons, often learned amid our most difficult moments. Part of what
makes Randy so special is his remarkable ability to turn his attention to “the
business of living” in the face of his own mortality.
Using his newfound celebrity, Randy joined
forces with The Lustgarten Foundation for the
development of a public service announcement
to share his personal experience with the
disease, as well as his unique brand of coping.
We are honored to have the incredible
partnership of Dr. Randy Pausch and his family,
and it is our privilege to bring you his story in
the pages that follow.
SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY BOARD
Chairman
Robert J. Mayer, M.D.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Another amazing partner to the Foundation is
former President Jimmy Carter, who has
brought much-needed awareness to this
disease. In this issue, we debut a new print ad,
inspired by President Carter’s 2007 television
PSA, “My Father’s Eyes.”
James Abbruzzese, M.D.
University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Charles Fuchs, M.D., M.P.H.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Ralph Hruban, M.D.
Johns Hopkins Hospital
Tyler Jacks, Ph.D.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
David P. Kelsen, M.D.
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Scott Lowe, Ph.D.
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
We will also take an opportunity to update you on Year 2007 fundraising events,
such as our national Walk series (now a cross-country sensation), the one-and-only
Holiday Rock & Roll Bash, and the Marc Lustgarten Memorial Golf Outing. And, we
will showcase some of the community-based events that are helping to raise
hundreds of thousands of dollars for research.
Diane M. Simeone, M.D.
University of Michigan Comprehensive
Cancer Center
Finally, we will highlight some new ways you can help, and offer you a first glance
at our 2008 Calendar of Events. We will continue to update you on exciting news
throughout the year, and please check our blog periodically at www.lustgarten.org.
Joel E. Tepper, M.D.
UNC School of Medicine
Warmly,
Steven D. Leach, M.D.
John Hopkins University
David Tuveson, M.D., Ph.D.
Cambridge Research Institute
Andrew L. Warshaw, M.D.
Massachusetts General Hospital
2
Incredible celebrity partners such as these help bring important attention to this
long-ignored disease. But the enduring support of friends like you is what helps us
to continue our research funding, and we are pleased to bring you an update of
the Genome Project, as well as introduce you to our new Early Detection Initiative.
Also included in this issue is a listing of our Year 2008 research awards. We hope
you will be inspired by all of these promising research projects.
TARGETED RESEARCH:
Paving The Road To Early Detection
The best chance for extended survival of pancreatic cancer hinges
on its ability to be surgically removed in its early stages. In 2007,
the Foundation increased its support of research into focused areas
of investigation, including early detection.
FOCUS:
Pancreatic Cancer Early Detection
Biomarker Initiative
Today, it is widely accepted in
the research community that
certain proteins (known as
‘biomarkers’ or ‘antigens’) tend
to be elevated in pancreatic
cancer. Biomarkers show
particular promise for the early
detection of pancreatic cancer
because they can
BIOMARKERS show
be detected in the
particular promise for
blood before even
the early detection
the most sensitive
of pancreatic cancer
scans can find
because they can be
the disease.
detected in the blood
before even the most
sensitive scans can
find the disease.
In 2007, The
Lustgarten
Foundation
designed and
supported a special initiative
to identify the most promising
biomarkers for pancreatic
cancer, based on an extensive
literature review. For the first
time, there now exists a listing
of potential biomarkers for
pancreatic cancer.
In order to determine whether
any potential biomarker (or
combination of biomarkers)
holds a key to detecting the
disease in its very early stages,
investigators need to develop
and validate antibodies for
each promising biomarker
target. Antibodies can
eventually be used to make
assays (tests) for early
detection of the disease.
In August 2007, The Foundation
launched a multi-million dollar
Request for Applications (RFA)
to support the creation of
antibodies for the biomarker
targets. The Biomarker RFA
highlights the Foundation’s
shift to large-scale, focused
research projects. Ultimately,
it is our hope that screening
for pancreatic cancer can
someday be as simple as
receiving a blood test in
your doctor’s office.
It is our hope that this
unprecedented antibody panel
will form a basis for future
studies to evaluate the use of
antibodies for early detection
assays, diagnostic assays,
prognostication, imaging, and
developing therapeutic targets.
Early Detection Fundraising Appeal
RAISES $90,000!
Request For
Proposals
The Lustgarten Foundation’s Request
For Proposals (RFP) encourages the
best and brightest minds to bring forth
their most promising research concepts.
These broad-based, one-year grants
help investigators to establish much
needed ‘proof of principle’ to attain
larger, multiple year research grants.
The 2007 RFP prioritized focused
areas of investigation, including
pancreatic cancer “stem cells,” and
familial pancreatic cancer. Additional
areas of interest included screening,
novel therapies, and novel genetics
technologies.
Catherine Carrière, Ph.D.
Dartmouth College
Adult pancreatic progenitor cells as target
of oncogenic events
Fergus J. Couch, Ph.D.
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine
Genetic epidemiology of novel pancreatic
cancer susceptibility genes
Michael Goggins, M.D.
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Novel strategies and technologies for
identifying familial pancreatic cancer genes
Kimberly A. Kelly, Ph.D.
Massachusetts General Hospital
Plectin-1 as a biomarker for the early
detection of pancreatic ductal
adenocarcinoma
Anirban Maitra, M.B.B.S.
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Targeting the Herpes Virus Entry Mediator
(HVEM) as a novel therapeutic strategy in
pancreatic cancer
Timothy Wang, M.D.
Columbia University
Special thanks to the
many friends who
supported the
Foundation’s Fall
2007 special appeal
to raise funds for the
Early Detection
Biomarker Initiative.
Development of an inflammation-based
pancreatic cancer model and Exploration
of the origins of pancreatic cancer*
*Supported by a generous donation
from The Lefkofsky Family Foundation.
See ‘Donor Spotlight,’ pages 10–11.
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Dr. Randy Pausch
Pancreatic cancer
has taught me
that brick walls are
there for a reason –
not to keep us out,
but to give us a chance
to show how badly
we want something.
– Dr. Randy Pausch
Playing
Y
our
Hand
After Being Dealt Pancreatic Cancer
continued from cover
I also try to help other people. I’m a
professor at Carnegie Mellon University,
and I recently gave a “Last Lecture” to my
students. I became an accidental celebrity
when a video of it was uploaded to the
internet and viewed by millions of people.
You can view it, and related information,
from www.randypausch.com. Six thousand
people have sent me emails – some have
told me they are now going to stop feeling
sorry for themselves; that if I can stay
positive as a terminal cancer patient, then
they can stop obsessing about whatever is
wrong in their life. I am thrilled that this
Last Lecture has helped so many.
In the lecture, I talk about the importance of
having dreams, and of working hard to achieve
them. Many of my dreams I was fortunate
enough to accomplish; many others I was not.
But by striving for them, I learned a great
deal whether or not I achieved them.
I had a childhood dream to play in the
NFL. At the tender age of nine, my parents
signed me up for little league football.
While I obviously did not earn an NFL career,
I learned more from not accomplishing
this dream than from any of the ones I did
accomplish. Let’s just say I was not the team
MVP, and sometimes my coach chewed-out my
performance. But one of my most valuable
lessons from the field – which has stuck with
me all my life – is this: “Your toughest critics
are the ones telling you they still love you
4
and care.” Looking back, I realized that
parents don’t really send their kids to
football to learn the game; we send them
to learn more intangible, important things:
teamwork; sportsmanship; perseverance.
Keep your eye out for this kind of ‘indirect’
learning because it’s everywhere in life. In
particular my experience with football gave
me the physical and mental toughness that
allows me to face cancer they way I do.
I never dreamed I’d be given a second
chance to fulfill (a slightly modified version
of) my childhood NFL dream – which has
led to another important lesson: “Never
give up on your dreams, because you never
know when they might come true.” A few
weeks after delivering my Last Lecture at
Carnegie Mellon, I was invited to practice
with the Pittsburgh Steelers!
Available Now !
Ask An Expert:
Coping With Pancreatic Cancer
One of my favorite expressions is, “Experience
is what you get when you didn’t get what
you wanted.” I never dreamed I’d apply this
to my experience with pancreatic cancer.
But pancreatic cancer has taught me that
brick walls are there for a reason – not to
keep us out, but to give us a chance to show
how badly we want something. Find your
something. And fight like hell. My oncologist
said something that stuck with me: “Not
everybody who stays positive survives.
But everybody who survives is positive.”
When I told the President of Carnegie Mellon I
was giving a Last Lecture, he said, “Please tell
people about having fun – because that’s what
I will most remember you for.” And I explained,
“I can do that, but it’s a bit like asking a fish to
underscore the importance of water, because
I don’t know how not to have fun.” I’m dying
and I’m still having fun. And I’m going to keep
having fun every day that I have left, because
there’s no other way to play it.
Specific advice from my Lecture included:
• Always tell the truth
• Apologize when you make a mistake
• Be patient, and people will show their
‘good’ side
• Show gratitude
• Don’t complain, just work harder
One last thing: Millions of people have already
seen the lecture, but the truth is, I was really
making it for my children – so someday, they
could see what was important to their old man.
President Jimmy Carter:
Public Awareness
Campaign
An Enduring Partner in the Fight
Against Pancreatic Cancer
The October 1999 Radio City
Music Hall re-opening gala produced
by Cablevision Systems Corporation
marked The Lustgarten Foundation’s
launch of a national pancreatic cancer
public service announcement (PSA)
campaign. The original PSA (“We Can
Do It Again”) features former President
Jimmy Carter, Honorary Chairman of the
Foundation’s Corporate Advisory Board,
urging public support for research funding.
The Lustgarten Foundation’s PSA Campaign
has gained significant recognition, and
now includes updated messages from
President Carter, as well as a message
from Lustgarten Foundation Board Member
and veteran actor Matthew Modine, and
a long-form PSA. This year, the Foundation
will release PSAs featuring “Last Lecturer”
Dr. Randy Pausch.
“I
never told the others that I was undergoing
experimental medical procedures because of my high
risk of cancer. My father had died of pancreatic cancer
in his late fifties, and in the 1980s my two sisters, my
brother, and my mother all succumbed to cancer, three of
the cases proven to be in the pancreas. Probably because
I was a famous person, this previously unknown familial
pattern aroused great interest in the medical community,
and a worldwide search was mounted for other similar
families. (One was found in Japan with three deaths from
cancer of the pancreas.) Since only about one
In his new book,
person in ten thousand dies from this disease
BEYOND THE WHITE HOUSE:
in the United States, the high incidence in our
Waging Peace, Fighting
family defied mathematical odds–unless there
Disease, Building Hope,
was a genetic or familial cause. I agreed to
President Jimmy Carter
undergo definitive physical examinations every
shares his personal experience
three months in the hope that they might help
with pancreatic cancer,
lead to better information about the cause of
including his work with
The Lustgarten Foundation.
early detection of pancreatic cancer.
NEW!
Online PSA Library
In 1999 a prominent television executive named Marc Lustgarten died
from pancreatic cancer, and a foundation was established bearing his
name to promote research on and public awareness of the disease.
I have helped the foundation with public service media spots, and
recently they announced that medical scientists supported by them
have discovered the first gene associated with cancer of the pancreas.
So far, CAT and MRI scans and blood tests have not revealed that
I have a problem. The only
difference between me
and other members of my
family is that all of them
smoked cigarettes."
visit >> www.lustgarten.org
President Jimmy Carter
• "We Can Do It Again" (1999)
• "We're Not Standing By" (2002)
• "My Father's Eyes" (2007)
Matthew Modine
• "Join Me to Find a Cure" (2005)
Long-Form PSA
• "Reason for Hope"(2006)
From BEYOND THE WHITE HOUSE:
Waging Peace, Fighting Disease,
Building Hope by Jimmy Carter.
Copyright © 2007 by Jimmy Carter.
Used by permission of Simon &
Schuster Adult Publishing Group.
©iStockphoto.com/L. Kirschbaum
COMING SOON
Dr. Randy Pausch
The PSAs air on major television
and cable network stations
nationwide, and have
been seen by well over
30 million Americans.
New Print PSA
Compliments Successful Television-Based Campaign
In 2007, The Lustgarten Foundation released a print
PSA based on the television PSA featuring President
Jimmy Carter, entitled “My Father’s Eyes.”
5
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6
Lustgarten Foundation Executive Director Kerri Kaplan, News 12 Anchor Colleen McVey, Lustgarten
Foundation Chairman Charles Dolan, Lustgarten Foundation Board Member Marcia Lustgarten,
Lustgarten Foundation President, Dr. Robert F. Vizza
Jessica Lustgarten with Lustgarten Foundation
Board Member Andrew Lustgarten, and
Rachel Dower
New York Walk Reaches Fundraising Milestone:
Raises $1 Million in 2007
Pancreatic Cancer
a National
Terry’s Team
2007 Grand Prize Winner:
W
hen Laura’s mother was diagnosed with
pancreatic cancer in March of 2004, she and
her family scoured the Web, but found little in
the way of information and support.
At about the same time, the family happened to see a
public service announcement featuring former President
Jimmy Carter and the work of The Lustgarten Foundation
on TV. President Carter’s message, “there is a cure, it’s
called research” proved a rallying cry for Laura and her
family. They knew they wanted to support the Foundation
in its research funding efforts to find a cure.
The family soon learned about the Pancreatic Cancer
Research Walk and immediately formed a team,
which they named “Terry’s Team” in honor of
Laura Hull
their mom, Theresa Romeo. Over the years, the team has
grown, and the New York Walk has turned into a muchanticipated annual event for Laura, her family and friends.
Terry’s Team appreciates being able to share this special
day with other families who understand the many
challenges of a pancreatic cancer diagnosis. The
day helps the family to remember that they are
not alone in the fight against this disease.
Special thanks and congratulations
to Laura Hull and Terry’s Team
for raising more than $40,000
for pancreatic cancer research
through the 2007 Walk!
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Kerri Kaplan, Quinta Andersen, Kirsten McAuliffe, Lustgarten Foundation
Special Events Manager Ann Walsh
Research Walk
Sensation!
Congratulations to all of the individuals
and companies whose generous support
helped us to achieve another year of success!
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7
T
he Fourth Annual
Marc Lustgarten
Memorial Golf Outing
was held on September 17 at the
prestigious Golf Club of Purchase. Marc’s
wife, Marcia, and best friend, Burt Wallack
and his family created the event to raise
much needed funding for pancreatic
cancer research, as well as awareness
about the disease. This year, 80
golfers helped raise more
than $150,000!
Rob and Jenny Schenk, Andrew Lustgarten, Marcia Lustgarten, Lynn Wallack, Burton Wallack, Jordan Wallack
2007 MARC LUSTGARTEN MEMORIAL GOLF OUTING
Brings Total Dollars Raised to Nearly $500,000!
Since its inception, the Marc Lustgarten Memorial Golf Outing has raised
close to $500,000 for pancreatic cancer research! Very special thanks
to everyone who has helped grow this annual event into a success.
UPDATE: Sequencing the Pancreatic Cancer Genome
continued from cover
Lead investigator, Dr. Bert Vogelstein,
and his research team at the Ludwig
Center and Howard Hughes Medical
Institute at Johns Hopkins believe that
by understanding mutation ‘pathways’
that cause pancreatic cancer to develop
and grow, researchers can work to
develop targeted therapies to inhibit
these pathways, and ultimately, stop
the cancer in its tracks.
Technological Savvy
The study of genetics
is not new. What is
new is the systematic
ability to isolate and
replicate exceedingly
large quantities of
genes: To conduct
sequencing on this
magnitude, scientists
“Our hope is that sequencing the
need to make one
Scott Kern, M.D.
genome of pancreatic cancers will lead
billion copies of each
to future areas of research never before
gene for each tumor under investigation.
possible, including evaluating familial
According to Dr. Vogelstein, “Five years
pre-dispositions, developing new diagnostic
ago, a genetic sequencing study like
technologies, and formulating targeted
this would not have been possible. The
therapeutics,” noted Dr. Vogelstein.
technology simply was not available.”
Kenneth Kinzler, Ph.D.
& Victor Velculescu, M.D.
8
Thankfully, Dr. Vogelstein and the team
at Johns Hopkins were among the first
to develop novel technologies to make
possible the sequencing of cancer
genomes. Recently, they completed the
first-ever sequencing of the breast and
colorectal cancer genomes, identifying a
‘treasure trove’ of genes whose involvement
in those cancers was not previously known.
These earlier sequencing projects laid an
important foundation for larger-scale
efforts like the pancreatic cancer genome.
From Discovery
to Validation
Close to one billion bases have already
been sequenced, drawing the Discovery
Phase near completion. Already, the team
feels confident. According to Dr. Vogelstein,
preliminary results suggest that “a hundred
or so” mutations are present in pancreatic
cancer, including one gene that was shown
to be mutated in every sample tested, and
another that was mutated in more than
60% of all samples. Once the Discovery
Phase is completed, the research team
will move into Validation, where larger
numbers of samples will be tested.
In addition to proving the most complete
genetic analysis of any tumor type, this
effort will lay the groundwork for uncharted
areas of pancreatic cancer investigation.
Sequencing the genome of pancreatic
cancers will serve as a steppingstone for
future studies, enabling scientists to
develop larger studies that can be applied
to more broad-based populations.
Made possible with major funding from
The Sol Goldman Charitable Trust and
The Lillian Goldman Charitable Trust, and
significant funding from The Lustgarten
Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research.
The Lustgarten Foundation once again teamed up with Cablevision
Systems Corporation, Rainbow Media and Madison Square Garden to
present the seventh annual Holiday Rock & Roll Bash. Setting a new
fundraising record for a Lustgarten Foundation event, the 2007 Bash
raised $1.5 million for pancreatic cancer research.
More than 1,100 guests gathered at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, amid
the hustle and bustle of New York City’s famous Times Square to
enjoy a blend of rock-and-roll and blues performed
by JD & The Straight Shot, led by Cablevision
President and CEO James Dolan. The 2007 Bash
included a guest appearance by New York Rangers’
star, Sean Avery, who joined the band for a song.
Completing the night was a special performance by
the world-famous Radio City Rockettes and good
friend, Santa Claus. The evening’s attendees included
Sopranos’ star Steve Schirripa, New York Knicks
legend John Starks, New York Rangers legends
Rod Gilbert and Adam Graves and model Missy Rayder.
Dr. Robert Vizza, Marcia Lustgarten, Kerri Kaplan
Created in 2001, the Holiday Rock & Roll Bash is The
Lustgarten Foundation's premiere fundraising event. Now in
its seventh year, the Bash has helped raise more than $6.6 million since its inception.
©iStockphoto.com/L. Kirschbaum
Andrew Lustgarten and Sopranos Star
Steve Shirippa with Radio City Rockettes
New York Post: December 12, 2007
6
We hear
THAT injured Rangers forward
Sean Avery jumped onstage at B.B.
King’s to sing with Cablevision chief
James Dolan and his band, JD and
The Straight Shot, at the annual
benefit for The Lustgarten
Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer
Research…Guests included Steve
Schirippa, Rod Gilbert, John
Starks and model Missy Rayder…
9
community
events
Inaugural
Rich Phillips
Memorial Walk
The Inaugural Rich Phillips
Memorial Walk was held on
November 4 at Sloans
Lake Park, Colorado. Rich’s
wife, Meg, hosted the event
along with daughters, Kara
and Kim. Over 200 participants
helped raise $40,000 for
pancreatic cancer research.
Rich Phillips was a beloved
husband and father who enjoyed
coaching kids in softball, soccer
and other organized sport
activities. He fearlessly fought
pancreatic cancer. Rich wanted
his body to be donated to
science, so that more research
could be done on this dreadful
disease. Rich lived by his favorite
quote, “Good friends are hard
to find, harder to leave, and
impossible to forget.”
The Phillips Family
Violin Virtuoso
Performs Benefit
Concert
When violin virtuoso Jourdan
Urbach lost his grandfather to
pancreatic cancer, he knew that
he could help raise awareness
and support for research through
his music. On September 30,
2007, The Lustgarten Foundation
partnered with Cold Spring
Harbor Laboratories to host a
Concert For a Cure For Cancer.
The event raised more than
$10,000 for research!
(l-r) Owen Cormick,
Jonathan Papelbon,
Scooter Jordan,
Dan Giese, Ann Walsh,
Drew Weber, Nick
Hagadone and
Dick Berardino
Ron Weber and
his wife, Jean
Lowell Spinners
Dinner
Daytime Fights
Pancreatic Cancer
Ron Weber Walk
For Life
The Lustgarten Foundation was
honored to be the 2007 charity
of The Lowell Spinners, Class A
Affiliate of The Boston Red Sox.
On Friday November 30, 2007
The Spinners hosted their 6th
Annual Alumni Awards Dinner,
which was the culmination of
their charitable efforts for the
2007 season. Proceeds from the
dinner, combined with a Caribbean
Cruise raffle, 50/50 raffles at
games throughout the ’07 season,
as well as a special
jersey auction enabled
fundraising efforts to
reach over $30,000
for The Lustgarten
Foundation.
When Sonia Blangiardo’s 32
year-old brother was diagnosed
with pancreatic cancer, she
wanted to help advance the fight
against this disease. On
Thursday, December 6, 2007,
Sonia partnered with soap
star and daughter of the late
Michael Landon Jennifer Landon,
and Blondie’s Sports Bar & Grill
to host “Daytime Fights
Pancreatic Cancer” to benefit
The Lustgarten Foundation. The
event featured soap actors from
'As The World Turns', 'One Life
To Live', 'All My Children,' and
'Guiding Light,’ raising more than
$10,000 for pancreatic cancer.
Special thanks to Blondies,
Patty McGreevey and Carolyn
Hinsey of Soap Opera Digest, and
Ron Corning of Fox 5 Good Day
NY. Additionally special thanks
to Plaza elementary school in
Baldwin, NY, and to everyone
who supported this event.
Held on September 30, 2007 at
Dunkerhook Park in Paramus,
New Jersey, the Ron Weber Walk
for Life attracted 200 walkers
and raised over $45,000 for
pancreatic cancer research. Ron
was a devoted husband of 40
years, a father, grandfather and
friend to many. “The time has
come to ensure that pancreatic
cancer patients have a fighting
chance. The many people whose
lives Ron touched have
organized this community walk
which we intend to be an annual
event to honor his legacy, and to
help eradicate pancreatic cancer.
With this event, we can provide
the kind of hope that my
husband never knew to patients
and families who are fighting
this terrible disease,” noted
Ron’s wife Jean.
This year Boston Red
Sox closer and 2007
World Series champion
Jonathan Papelbon, was
honored as the sixth
recipient of the Dick Berardino
Alumni Award. Several past and
present Spinners were on hand to
meet and greet fans, including twins
Joshua and Jeremy Papelbon,
Luis Alilcea, Nick Hagadone,
Scooter Jordan and Dan Giese.
Also in attendance were
Boston Red Sox legends Bill
Monbouquette, Dick Beradino,
and Gabe Kapler.
donor
spotlight
The
Lefkofsky
Jourdan Urbach performs
with Alla Bell on piano
10
(l-r) Carlo Blangiardo,
Jennifer Landon,
Lustgarten Foundation
Special Events
Coordinator
Nelvie Howard,
Sonia Blangiardo,
Marnie Schulenburg,
Jesse Lee Soffer
Family
Foundation
Established in 2006 by
Eric and Liz Lefkofsky, The
Lefkofsky Family Foundation
supports charitable, scientific,
and educational causes
throughout the world. In late
2007, The Foundation received
a phone call from Mr. Lefkofsky
requesting information about
the work of The Lustgarten
Foundation. “Interestingly,
I learned of The Lustgarten
Foundation through the website
of Dr. Randy Pausch,” noted
Eric Lefkofsky, business
entrepreneur and co-founder
of The Lefkofsky Family
Foundation. “I was delighted
with the Foundation’s extensive
support of world-class research
into the cause and cure of this
horrible disease, which took
the life of my grandfather.”
Join The Blog!
www.lustgarten.org
Lustgarten Foundation Attends NCI
Pancreas State-of-the-Science Meeting
Lustgarten Foundation Executive Director Kerri Kaplan
attended the NCI Pancreas State-of-the-Science
(SOTS) meeting held in Bethesda, MD this past
November. The SOTS meeting brought together
investigators and other stakeholders from a variety
of disciplines to develop a research agenda for
pancreatic cancer over the next three to five years.
Participants joined in a series of workshops and
discussions designed to help translate advances
in our understanding of this disease into patient
benefits in the years ahead.
Joint Lustgarten-APA Symposium
Leverages Stem Cell Discovery
Vinny Earns $50,000 for
The Lustgarten Foundation!
Thanks to everyone who has watched with us as Vincent Pastore competed
on The Celebrity Apprentice for the chance to raise dollars for The Lustgarten
Foundation in memory of Mitchell Berke. The fourth episode of the season
was especially exciting, as Vincent helped secure $50,000 for pancreatic
cancer research!
We want to take this opportunity to thank Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Airlines
for the generous gift of $10,000 at the behest of Piers Morgan, as well as EMI
for donating $5,000 on behalf of Trace Adkins.
And, very special thanks to our MVP Vinny, who helped lead our favorite
(megaphones-blaring!) Team Hydra to another week of victory – which has fast
translated into $50,000 in important support for pancreatic cancer research!
Joint Lustgarten/APA Conference Co-Chairs Drs. Ashok Saluja
and Raul Urrutia, with Conference Co-Chair and Lustgarten
Foundation Scientific Advisory Board Member Dr. Andrew
Warshaw, Lustgarten Foundation Scientific Advisory Board
Member Diane Simeone, and Conference faculty
We are proud to accept this generous gift in Mitchell’s memory. Very special
thanks to NBC, Mr. Donald Trump, Vincent Pastore, Team Hydra, and all of the
celebrities and generous individuals and companies who helped make this
amazing gift possible! We also wish to thank Nancy Berke and the Berke family
for establishing The Mitchell Berke Memorial with us.
On November 2 – 3, 2007, The Lustgarten
Foundation and American Pancreatic Association
(APA) partnered to present Pancreatic Cancer 2007:
Stem Cells in the Pancreas and Pancreatic Cancer.
Then APA President Dr. Raul Urrutia of the Mayo
Clinic, developed the Symposium with Co-Chairs
Dr. Andrew Warshaw, Massachusetts General Hospital,
and Dr. Ashok Saluja, University of Minnesota, in
cooperation with Lustgarten Foundation Science
Director, Dr. Ralph Hruban. The Symposium
attracted more than 150 national and international
participants representing a range of disciplines.
The Lefkofsky Family Foundation
has fully underwritten a Year
2008 Lustgarten Foundation
research project. In choosing a
project for funding, Mr. Lefkofsky
embraced the same ‘risk-reward’
approach to funding research
that has earned him business
success. The selected project,
“Development of an Inflammationbased Pancreatic Cancer Model
and Exploration of the Origins of
Pancreatic Cancer” will be
conducted by Dr. Timothy Wang
of Columbia University, and
offers a progressive approach
to studying the disease. The
Lustgarten Foundation is
delighted to have the generous
support of new friends and
research funding partners,
Eric and Liz Lefkofsky and The
Lefkofsky Family Foundation.
About The Mitchell Berke Memorial
Mitchell was a businessman who
succumbed to pancreatic cancer in
September 2005. His wife, Nancy,
wanted to continue his fight against
this dreadful disease and created
The Mitchell Berke Memorial in his
honor. A kick-off Mitchell Berke
Memorial Walk was held on October
20 in Battery Park, New York City,
where more than 40 walkers helped
raise thousands for much-needed
pancreatic cancer research.
About Eric Lefkofsky
Eric Lefkofsky is currently the President of
Blue Media, LLC, a Chicago based private
equity and consulting firm focused on
applying technology to service oriented
business models. Through Blue Media, and
its related subsidiaries, Mr. Lefkofsky plays an
active role in the management of several large
technology firms. Mr. Lefkofsky serves on the Board of Directors
of Children’s Memorial Hospital and Steppenwolf Theatre.
He graduated with honors from the University of Michigan and
received his Juris Doctor at University of Michigan Law School.
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gifts that give back
©iStockphoto.com/L. Kirschbaum
staff directory
The Lustgarten Foundation supports world-class research
into the cause and cure of pancreatic cancer. Our research
grants are 100% dedicated to the study of pancreatic cancer.
Please join our efforts to find a cure.
Free newsletter of The Lustgarten Foundation
for Pancreatic Cancer Research. Published semi-annually
as a nonprofit service.
Content Copyright ©2008. All rights reserved.
Here are some ways to help:
Newsletter Editor
Kimberly A. Johnke, L.M.S.W.
Car Donation Program
Printing generously donated by Levon Graphics Corporation.
Mailhouse Services generously donated by Lazarus Marketing.
H&R Block Tax Preparation
1-800-456-5517
www.lustgarten.org
iBakeSale.com
iBakeSale has partnered with
hundreds of merchants to offer
consumers rewards of up to 20%
cash-back, while generating
additional funds in support of
charity. Select The Lustgarten
Foundation as your charity of
choice and start shopping!
Raise $25 for The Lustgarten
Foundation when you select
H&R Block to prepare your
tax return. To get started,
download the Referral Form
at www.lustgarten.org.
Pitneymanor.com
GiftBack.com
Giftback helps people find
exceptional gifts for any occasion.
10% of every purchase from
Giftback will be donated to The
Lustgarten Foundation when you
select us as your charity of choice!
Pitney Manor offers a diverse
selection of fine products that will
stand the test of time, while bringing
you a collection of colors, fabrics,
shapes, fragrances and themes.
A portion of sales proceeds will be
donated to The Lustgarten Foundation.
The Lustgarten Foundation
For Pancreatic Cancer Research
1111 Stewart Avenue, Bethpage, NY 11714
Telephone (516) 803-2304
Toll Free (866) 789-1000 • Fax (516) 803-2303
Web site: www.lustgarten.org
Kerri Kaplan
Executive Director
516.803.2305
Cathy Weber
Database Supervisor
516.803.2307
Kimberly Johnke, L.M.S.W.
Manager, Public &
Patient Information
516.803.2306
Diane Ferris
Database Coordinator
516.803.1951
Ann Walsh
Manager, Special Events
516.803.2419
Nelvie Howard
Special Events
Coordinator
516.803.2913
The Lustgarten Foundation has provided $20 million to advance our
understanding of pancreatic cancer, including support for promising
research into early detection, targeted therapies, and more.
Sharon Sarelson
Database Coordinator
516.803.2416
Phyllis Simon
Database Coordinator
516.803.2463
Louise Sasso
Administrative Assistant
516.803.2308
For information on an existing event, to add an event to the calendar, or to learn about
Volunteering, contact: Nelvie Howard, Special Events Coordinator at 516.803.2913 or visit www.lustgarten.org.
MARCH 9
SEPTEMBER 22
Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk (PCRW): CA, Santa Monica
Marc Lustgarten Memorial Golf Outing, The Golf Club at Purchase, NY
APRIL 6
SEPTEMBER 21
PCRW In My Community: FL, Deerfield Beach
PCRW: In My Community: NY, Albany
APRIL 25
SEPTEMBER 28
Pilates & Walk The Purple Path for Pancreatic Cancer, NY
PCRW: In My Community: NJ, Paramus
MAY 1
OCTOBER 12
Beating The Odds Casino Night, Cold Spring Hills, NY
PCRW: MA, Boston
MAY 5
NOVEMBER 2
Carol Van Auken Memorial Golf Outing, NJ
PCRW: In My Community: CO, Denver
JULY 27
DECEMBER 11
PCRW: NY, Old Westbury
Holiday Rock & Roll Bash, NYC
SEPTEMBER 7
PCRW: IL, Chicago
12
©iStockphoto.com/L. Kirschbaum
calendar of community events