DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Susan G. Komen®, the Milburn Foundation and the Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Foundation today announced that they have raised nearly $550,000 to fund research into inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) as well as other critical breast cancer research and community health programs. IBC is a less common but very aggressive form of breast cancer.
Throughout the month of March, Milburn and the Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Foundation teamed up to match all donations made to Komen up to a predetermined goal – a campaign which ultimately raised more than half a million dollars, and exceeded the goal ten-fold. In total, over $548,000 was raised through the campaign, which will support, in part, research aimed at finding new ways of detecting and treating IBC.
This marks the second time the three organizations have partnered to advance IBC research. Last fall, the partners announced two funding opportunities for investigators with novel ideas about diagnosis and treatment of IBC. Recipients of these awards include:
- John Martens, Ph.D., from Erasmus Universitair Medisch Centrum Rotterdam, who received funding to combine patient information from an established Dutch IBC registry with the latest genomic technology to improve the diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of IBC.
- Mihaela Skobe, Ph.D., from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai also received funding to understand how the interactions between Triple Negative IBC and the lymphatic system influence the aggressiveness of the disease, ultimately providing insight on potential new treatment strategies.
“Our partnership has already allowed us to fund important research, and will go a long way toward helping to reduce deaths from breast cancer,” said Ellen Willmott, interim President and CEO for Susan G. Komen. “Komen has set a Bold Goal to reduce the current number of breast cancer deaths by 50 percent in the U.S. by 2026, but we know we will not be able to achieve this alone – only as a community, which is why our partnership with the Milburn Foundation and the Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Foundation is so valuable.”
“The success of this partnership proves that strategic collective action across multiple charities can yield powerful results for specialized research,” said Bryon Davis, President of the Milburn Foundation. “This partnership was actively designed and facilitated for results, requiring all parties to look at challenges in new ways and leveraging each organization's strengths.”
“Research progress, in a disease like IBC, requires vision, creative thinking and action. Through the collaborative IBC research grants and the recent matching gift campaign we’re developing a new model for meeting the needs of those facing an IBC diagnosis,” said Ginny Mason, RN, BSN, Executive Director of the IBC Research Foundation.
A portion of the funds from the March campaign will be used to provide additional research support to the most promising of the two recipients named above, following a review of their progress to date and other prerequisites. To date, Komen has invested $9.1 million into research focused on IBC – part of the organization’s $920 million research investment since its founding in 1982.
About Susan G. Komen®
Susan G. Komen is the world’s largest breast cancer organization, funding more breast cancer research than any other nonprofit outside of the federal government while providing real-time help to those facing the disease. Komen has set a Bold Goal to reduce the current number of breast cancer deaths by 50 percent in the U.S. by 2026. Since its founding in 1982, Komen has funded more than $920 million in research and provided more than $2 billion in funding to screening, education, treatment and psychosocial support programs serving millions of people in more than 30 countries worldwide. Komen was founded by Nancy G. Brinker, who promised her sister, Susan G. Komen, that she would end the disease that claimed Suzy’s life. That promise has become Komen’s promise to all people facing breast cancer. Visit komen.org or call 1-877 GO KOMEN. Connect with us on social at ww5.komen.org/social.
About The Milburn Foundation
The Milburn Foundation is a private charity that actively structures creative partnerships with corporations and other charities to drive philanthropic innovation for targeted causes like breast cancer. Large or small companies interested in inventive Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) solutions may have an opportunity to double or triple their impact through Milburn Foundation programs. The Milburn Foundation is the proud recipient of the 2016 Susan G. Komen Reach Award (for fundraising innovation) and the Milburn Foundation is delighted to join the ranks of Conde Nast and other notable organizations who previously won this award. Find out more by visiting TheMilburnFoundation.org.
About IBC Research Foundation
Since 1999 the Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Foundation (IBCRF) has been leading the way in improving the lives of those touched by inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) through the power of action and advocacy. This is accomplished by tenaciously fostering innovative research, creatively educating stakeholders, and tirelessly advocating for both current IBC patients and survivors.
As a web-based non-profit, IBCRF relies on its dedicated volunteers across the country. Guided by the Medical Advisory Board, a group of extraordinary oncology professionals, IBCRF has funded patient-focused IBC research resulting in new discoveries as well as clinical trials. Learn more at www.ibcresearch.org or call 1-877-stop ibc. On social media? Join us on Facebook and Twitter (@IBCResearch)
