The Upstate Foundation raised more than $116,000 at its sixth annual Call In for Cancer to benefit patients at the Upstate Cancer Center.

The record-setting amount was raised during last month’s nearly 14-hour event that featured radio broadcasts by local iHeartMedia stations and television broadcasts by CNY Central, live from the lobby of the Upstate Cancer Center.  

Included in the broadcasts were patient stories and interviews filled with courage and hope. During the event, two patients were invited to ring the bell, signifying the end of cancer treatments, during the broadcast/ With loved ones by their side, the patients shared their joy with volunteers and onlookers cheering them on.

“When the patients shared their triumph with us by letting us join them in celebrating their milestone, it connected all of us in the room with the ‘why’ of what we’re doing here,” said Pamela Wells, development director at the Upstate Foundation and Call In for Cancer coordinator. “There was so much joy and meaning in those moments.”

The event relied on volunteers, former patients, local businesspeople, and Upstate Cancer Center and Upstate Foundation staff members who fielded calls from all across New York to help raise critical funds for the unmet needs of patients being treated at the Upstate Cancer Center.     

Barbara Ackley, from Upstate Human Resources, volunteered to answer calls. “It was amazing to be a part of this and talk to the donors about their loved ones and desire to honor them. Congratulations on a great outcome!” she posted on LinkedIn.

For Aimee Andersen, the opportunity to participate in Call In for Cancer was personal. Her late husband, Michael, was treated at the Upstate Cancer Center, so she volunteered out of gratitude for the compassionate care Upstate provided her husband.

“It was a good day,” she said. “I’ll be back next year. It’s a wonderful way to honor my Mike. His memory lives on.”

Interested in supporting the Upstate Cancer Center, go here.

Caption: The Upstate Foundation raised a record-setting $116,000 during its annual Call In for Cancer event to benefit patients at the Upstate Cancer Center.