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October 26, 2009
Campaign Emory
Emory Winship receives $4.7 million anonymous donation

By Vincent Dollard

It isn’t every day that someone quietly leaves nearly $5 million for cancer research on your doorstep. Emory Winship Cancer Institute has received just such a gift — an anonymous donation of $4.7 million to fund key priorities.

“We are absolutely thrilled to receive this very generous gift,” says Walter J. Curran Jr., executive director of Emory Winship. “We believe the best way to show our appreciation is to invest in high impact projects that lead to advances in cancer research and care for all of Georgia and beyond.”

According to Curran, the gift will serve as a fund from which institutional research grants will be distributed. Faculty members within Emory will submit grant proposals and an internal review committee will determine which grants will be funded. The priority areas fall into specific categories:

· Recruitment of faculty researchers

· Seed grants for scientific research projects

· Investigator-initiated clinical trials

· Development of Emory Winship’s Survivorship Program

· Mentoring opportunities for young physicians and investigators.

Fred Sanfilippo, chief executive officer of the Woodruff Health Sciences Center, says, “This generous donor’s investment in Emory Winship demonstrates the level of support that exists within Georgia for groundbreaking advances in cancer research. And on the heels of Emory Winship’s recent National Cancer Institute Cancer Center Designation, this gift will help accelerate our positive trajectory in cancer research and care.”

Jessica Lucas, a seven-year breast cancer survivor, sees great opportunity in the gift.

“This generous donation provides momentum for the faculty and staff at Emory Winship to continue to make progress toward better treatment options as well as improvements in the quality of life for every survivor,” says Lucas.

This gift is part of Campaign Emory, a $1.6 billion fundraising endeavor that combines private support and the University’s people, places and programs to make a powerful contribution to the world.