Gastric Cancer Foundation 10th Anniversary Event Raises Over $250,000 To Support Gastric Cancer Programs And Research

SAN MATEO, Calif., Dec. 2, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Gastric Cancer Foundation (GCF) celebrated its 10th Anniversary during its Cause For Hope fundraiser on Saturday, November 16, 2019 at the Peninsula Golf and Country Club in San Mateo, California. With 200 supporters attending, more than $250,000 was raised for important patient programs and critical stomach cancer research. Jeff Netzer, GCF Board member and event chair, served as emcee during a night celebrating progress, honoring champions of the cause, and preparing for the exciting work that lies ahead.

Board chairs Paul Gottsegen and Alice Leung presented the organization's inaugural "Champion of Hope" awards to Ron and Diane Weintraub, Hans Rueffert and Mohamad El-Zaatari, PhD. "Through these awards, we honor deserving individuals who have gone above-and-beyond to support this important cause," said Alice Leung, co-chair. "From passionate advocacy to personal giving to incredible advancements in research, these people make extraordinary contributions to progress."  Gottsegen added, "I'm proud that our foundation is continuing its commitment to providing hope and defeating gastric cancer, while also honoring the legacy of my dear friend JP Gallagher, who founded the organization."

Event sponsors included Gold Sponsors Capital Group, Merck, Playstudios, The Netzer Family Foundation; Susanna Nichols, and the Sara and Jeff Schottenstein Family Charitable Fund; Silver Sponsor Five Prime; and Pearl Sponsors First Republic Wealth Management and Parametric Portfolio. In addition, GCF is supported year-round by its National Sustaining Sponsors Astellas, Bristol-Meyers Squibb, Lilly, and Taiho Oncology.

Gastric Cancer Foundation has granted more than $2.3 million for gastric cancer research, elevating research funding for this cancer that receives only .04% of all federal funding for cancer research.  Additionally, it created the first HIPAA-compliant Gastric Cancer Registry and a perpetual Research Scholar Award to fund talented young scientists who are pursuing research on this often-neglected disease. Since 2009, the Foundation has established a track record of strategic investments in early stage research efforts that have made breakthrough discoveries.

For more information about the Foundation and this event, visit gastriccancer.org  or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

About The Gastric Cancer Foundation
The Gastric Cancer Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Since 2009, the Gastric Cancer Foundation has been working to improve the lives of people affected by gastric cancer and supporting innovative research studies in pursuit of a cure.  The impetus for the Foundation came from JP Gallagher, a Silicon Valley marketing executive, who was diagnosed with stomach cancer at age 37 and could not find reliable information about the disease. He battled the disease for six years before passing in 2013. Gallagher and other families affected by the disease formed the Foundation to increase research funding and give patients and families a place to turn to find resources. 

Learn more at: www.gastriccancer.org.

About The Gastric Cancer Registry
In 2011, Gastric Cancer Foundation launched the first Gastric Cancer Registry, a secure HIPAA-compliant database at Stanford University. Registry researchers gather comprehensive data about people with stomach cancer, including physical samples of the tumors themselves. These samples allow researchers to conduct sophisticated genomic analyses. The Registry is building a large data repository that will be informative and enable the development of methods to prevent and intercept gastric cancer. The Gastric Cancer Registry was created with the generosity of Diane and Ronald Weintraub, in memory of their beloved daughter Beth Weintraub Schoenfeld. Patients and family members may enroll at: https://gcregistry.stanford.edu/

Press Contacts:

Gastric Cancer Foundation      
Attention: Media Department
[email protected]

SOURCE Gastric Cancer Foundation

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