The 2010 Tie the Ribbons luncheon was a tremendous success! More than 350 people turned out for the second annual event at the Jackson Center.
Tie the Ribbons is designed to raise awareness and funds for breast and ovarian cancer research at HudsonAlpha.
Leslie Vallely, communciations director for Clearview Cancer Institute (CCI), recounted her fight with breast cancer. The married mother of three was diagnosed in 1999. Vallely completed treatment in 2000 and was pleased to report she remains cancer-free.
Susan Leighton, a 13-year survivor, shared her battle with ovarian cancer, which presently has no screening test. A former civilian personnel officer for the U.S. Army, Leighton served on the U.S. Department of Defense peer review panel for cancer research grants. She spent July in Washington D.C. fighting for the cause with the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance.
HudsonAlpha’s Dr. K-T Varley, who worked extensively on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project, is a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Rick Myers’ lab. She explained how exciting advances in ovarian and breast cancer research are translating into personalized treatments based on a patient’s DNA.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 200,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer annually and approximately 20 percent die from the disease. Nearly 20,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year with about 65 percent of patients succumbing to the disease.
Thanks to all who came out to support breast and ovarian cancer research at HudsonAlpha, including event sponsors First Commercial Bank, the Jackson Center and WHNT News 19. If you would like to make a donation, please click here.