Wilmington Brain Tumor Foundation Merges With National Leader

WILMINGTON, Del.,  March 25 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kelly Heinz-Grundner Brain Tumor Foundation (KHG), headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, has announced that it recently agreed to merge with the National Brain Tumor Society (NBTS), the nation's largest non-profit organization serving the brain tumor community through Patient Services, Research, and Advocacy.  

Details of the signed Association Agreement have not been released, but under the terms of the agreement, KHG will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of NBTS and will serve as the organization's Awareness/Education arm. KHG will be tasked with turning its trademark slogan – GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME® – into the nationwide call-to-action for brain tumor awareness.

"NBTS is one of the most well-respected brain tumor organizations in the country and to have them take such an interest in what we've created is like a dream come true," stated Christopher Grundner, KHG's Executive Director. "When I launched KHG in 2005, a year after my wife and best friend, Kelly, passed away from a brain tumor, my goal was to fight back by raising awareness and bringing the national spotlight to this terribly dark disease. Now, I will have a chance to do that on a scale that I could never have generated on my own," Grundner continued.

"We are excited to have KHG join the NBTS family to champion awareness for all those who have been affected by this disease and all those who someday will be," stated N. Paul TonThat, Executive Director of NBTS. "Our efforts to date have focused on funding transformative research, comprehensive patient support, and advocacy. While we have heavily invested in these areas, it became evident that awareness is a needed area of focus. Bringing in KHG will allow us to address that gap and, in the process, rally more attention for the brain tumor cause," TonThat continued.

As part of the agreement, KHG will remain Delaware-based and will continue to be a local resource for patients and their families. "This was a critical component for me," said Grundner. "I owe so much to this community and have also forged so many great relationships, so leaving was never an option. Thankfully, keeping KHG here was an important component for NBTS, as well," Grundner added. "We clearly understand the uniqueness of the relationships KHG has with the community it serves and look forward to deepening these relationships by integrating NBTS' program offerings and staff," stated TonThat.

The parties will work together in the coming months to assess potential marketplace and programming adjustments and to develop a strategic implementation plan based on the results of the assessment. KHG's Third Annual GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME® Brain Tumor Awareness Walk at Dravo Plaza at Riverfront Wilmington remains slated for Saturday, May 1st and interested patients, families and friends can register for this event at www.getyourheadinthegame.org. "With the inclusion of NBTS, I know this year's walk will be even better than our highly successful events in years past and I hope everyone comes out to see why I am so excited about this new relationship," stated Grundner.

About KHG

The Kelly Heinz-Grundner Brain Tumor Foundation (KHG) was founded in 2005 to (1) raise national awareness and educate the public and medical professionals about brain tumors and (2) provide emotional and financial support to individuals and families of individuals suffering from a brain tumor. For more information about KHG, please visit www.khgfoundation.org.

About NBTS

With offices on both coasts, and events and influence across the United States, National Brain Tumor Society (NBTS) brings together the best of research, patient services, and advocacy to be a comprehensive resource for patients, families, caregivers, researchers, and medical professionals. For more information about NBTS, please visit www.braintumor.org.

SOURCE The Kelly Heinz-Grundner Brain Tumor Foundation