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Upstate receives $49,600 from St. Baldrick's Foundation for childhood cancer research

Upstate receives $49,600 from St. Baldrick's Foundation for childhood cancer research

The Center for Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders provides oncology care to the children, adolescents, and young adults of the central New York area. By being active members in the Children’s Oncology Group (COG), Upstate is able to offer patients state of the art clinical trials. Funding from St. Baldrick’s will help support the salary and educational advancement for one clinical research assistant.

“Since there is limited and decreasing financial support supplied by federal funding and by private pharmaceutical companies, we rely more and more on private financial support,” explains Karol Kerr, MD, pediatric hematology oncologist at Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital and assistant professor of pediatrics at Upstate Medical University. “The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is an invaluable resource to the Upstate community in our long-term goal of caring for all children with cancer and the short-term challenge of curing one child at a time.”

This series of grants, combined with the more than $24.7 million awarded in July to fund cutting-edge research, brings the St. Baldrick’s Foundation’s funding total to more than $27.2 million awarded in 2014. Grants were awarded based on the need of the institution and its patients, anticipated results of the grant and local participation in St. Baldrick’s fundraising events and activities.

“These grants are critically important to saving children’s lives, and would not be possible without our dedicated volunteers and generous donors who believe kids deserve better than medicine is currently able to provide,” said Kathleen Ruddy, chief executive officer for the St. Baldrick’s.

St. Baldrick’s is a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers. St. Baldrick’s coordinates its signature head-shaving events worldwide where participants collect pledges to shave their heads in solidarity with kids with cancer, raising money to fund research.

For several years, Upstate has participated in the annual St. Baldrick’s head-shaving events. This year, Upstate employees were among the more than 500 people to participate in the March fundraiser, raising more than $460,000 for childhood cancer research.

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