Local Father and Businessman Takes to Waters of San Francisco Bay to Raise Awareness of Gastric Cancer

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- At approximately 9:30am on Saturday, November 7^th, Tiburon resident Jeff Schottenstein will once again dive into the frigid waters off of Alcatraz Island for his annual swim of the 1.4 mile course to San Francisco in memory of his late wife, Sara Schottenstein, to raise funds to support Stand Up To Cancer® (www.StandUpToCancer.org).

To donate to Jeff's Swim for Sara, please access https://StandUpToCancer.org/jeff-schottenstein/.

Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) raises funds to accelerate the pace of research to get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives now. 100% of the donations received will support SU2C's innovative cancer research programs.

Sara was diagnosed with gastric cancer in 2014, at the age of 47. After absorbing the initial shock, Jeff and Sara became aware of the dearth of approved treatments for gastric cancer and the lack of research dedicated to the disease when compared to other types of cancer. In short order, Sara and Jeff committed themselves to identifying and supporting the development of new treatments to address this deadly disease. Together, the couple co-sponsored research at Duke University, pursued the development of a personalized vaccine with a biotechnology company and worked closely with Stanford University to launch a novel clinical trial for gastric cancer patients.

"I remain committed to Sara's and my dream of finding a cure for gastric cancer. By raising awareness of this devastating disease and supporting the scientific and medical communities in their search for treatments and a cure, I hope to help the more than 1 million people around the world who are diagnosed annually with gastric cancer. Sara was so special—she was kind, smart, beautiful and had a wonderful sense of humor. Most of all, she was caring and empathetic to others; she would be deeply moved to know that our work towards finding a cure continues."

About Gastric Cancer
Gastric cancer, commonly known as stomach cancer, is the third leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. The American Cancer Society estimates that just under 30,000 U.S. cases of gastric cancer will be diagnosed in 2020.  The five-year survival rate for advanced gastric cancer is 5 percent.  Because gastric cancer often develops without causing symptoms, only 1 in 5 U.S. cases of gastric cancer are detected in the early stages. The need for more research pursuing innovative treatment options for gastric cancer could not be clearer.

About Jeff Schottenstein
A long-standing resident of Tiburon, Jeff and his family have lived in the Bay Area for more than 20 years. In addition to his loving wife Sara (1967 – 2016), Jeff is the proud father of Adam (18), Abby (16) and Danny (12). Jeff has worked in the wealth management industry for 25 years.

Since Sara's passing, Jeff has remained dedicated to continuing the mission he started with Sara to support the advancement of gastric cancer research and patient advocacy. He actively serves on the Board of Directors of the Gastric Cancer Foundation, the Dana Farber Presidential Visiting Committee for Gastrointestinal Oncology and the Stanford Cancer Council. Jeff received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor as a result of his work as a passionate advocate for cancer research and cancer patients. To further honor Sara who died from gastric cancer on August 5, 2016, Jeff recently established the Sara Schottenstein Foundation.

Jeff's annual Swim for Sara honors his late wife's inspirational life and spirit, and her dream of finding a cure to gastric cancer. Learn more about the Swim for Sara on Twitter.

SOURCE Jeff Schottenstein