Karmanos Cancer Institute's 20th Annual Partners events raise more than $800,000 for cancer research

Funds will be used to hire best, brightest scientific faculty

DETROIT, Oct. 9, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute's 20th Annual Partners Golf and Night events raised more than $800,000 to fund cancer research and to recruit top scientific talent. Honored this year were the Institute's most generous benefactors Danialle and Peter Karmanos, Jr. 

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"Danialle and I are so pleased and gratified to be honored tonight," Peter Karmanos said. "More than that, we really appreciate the help and money that the Institute's friends and supporters raise, which will go towards saving someone's life. Karmanos doctors are truly heroes and do everything to bring patients more life and more hope."

Partners is a combination of two fundraising events that support cancer research. The 20th Annual Partners Golf Classic took place Sept. 9 at Franklin Hills Country Club. Guests took part in a competitive golf scramble, silent auction, lunch reception and an awards dinner. The 20th Annual Partners Night took place Oct. 5 at The Fillmore Detroit. Guests enjoyed a strolling dinner presented by Forte Belanger, raffle presented by Somerset Collection, live auction, musical entertainment by the Vagabonds of Vaudeville and special guest comedian J Chris Newberg.  Detroit-based musician and actor Dan John Miller served as emcee.  

The live auction raised $33,000 for the Institute. Live auction items included: an Enchanted Afternoon Tea party at the home of Danialle and Peter Karmanos, Jr.; tickets to the 2014 Super Bowl; VIP tickets to the NCAA Final Four Championship; a Thanksgiving Day package to watch the Detroit Lions take on the Green Bay Packers from the Quicken Loans Dream Seats; and a downtown Detroit family skating party for 12 at Campus Martius with Detroit Red Wings' Chris Chelios as the personal instructor. Partners event sponsor Quicken Loans donated a second Dream Seats package during the live auction featuring four Quicken Loans Dream Seats to a Detroit Lions Monday night football game at Ford Field. Guests also had a chance to win a raffle for a $5,000 gift card from Somerset Collection.

"Partners Night is one of the preeminent fundraisers in metro Detroit and an event not to be missed by those who are philanthropically minded," said Gerold Bepler, M.D., Ph.D., president and CEO, Karmanos Cancer Institute. "The kind of research that Karmanos scientists are known for wouldn't be possible without the very generous benefactors who attend Partners Night and the Golf Classic.

"It is a heart-warming testament to the generosity of our community that we can raise the kind of monetary support that we do to recruit the best and brightest faculty. In having these brilliant scientists on staff at Karmanos, we can pave the way to a brighter future for all our cancer patients."

Over the past 20 years, Partners, a group of hands-on volunteers, have raised more than $13.5 million through the Partners events to support the Karmanos Cancer Institute's exceptional state-of-the science research.   

Partners Executive Committee Co-Chairs this year are Brian Eisenberg and Michelle Mio.

Major event sponsors of the Partners events include Presenting Sponsor Quicken Loans, Lead Sponsor Compuware Corporation, Platinum Sponsors Becker Ventures, Cambridge Consulting Group, Credit Union ONE, Lil and Alex Erdeljan, The Ferrantino Foundation, Marjorie S. Fisher, The Forbes Company/Somerset Collection, Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP, Kenwal Steel Corp., The Suburban Collection and Word Karma Books.; Magazine Sponsor Hour Detroit and dbusiness magazines, and Radio Sponsor, News/Talk 760 WJR.   

About the Partners
The Partners are a group of hardworking and "hands-on" volunteers, ages 25 – 50, who have pooled their ideas and resources and joined together for the sole purpose of raising funds for the Karmanos Cancer Institute. Many of these dedicated volunteers are motivated by their own personal struggles or those of loved ones battling this disease. The Partners are dedicated to making sure that other families, who are facing this illness, always have a place to turn where they will receive the ultimate in patient care, education and treatment. For more information, go to http://www.karmanos.org/partners.    

About the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute
Located in mid-town Detroit, Michigan, the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute is one of 41 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the United States. Caring for more than 6,000 new patients annually on a budget of $260 million, conducting more than 700 cancer-specific scientific investigation programs and clinical trials, Karmanos is among the nation's best cancer centers. Through the commitment of 1,000 staff, including nearly 300 physicians and researchers on faculty at the Wayne State University School of Medicine, and supported by thousands of volunteer and financial donors, Karmanos strives to prevent, detect and eradicate all forms of cancer. Its long-term partnership with the WSU School of Medicine enhances the collaboration of critical research and academics related to cancer care. Gerold Bepler, M.D., Ph.D., is the Institute's president and chief executive officer. For more information call 1-800-KARMANOS or go to www.karmanos.org.

SOURCE Karmanos Cancer Institute