This month, Philly Fights Cancer was included as one of 25 companies recognized within the Philadelphia Business Journal’s 2020 Faces of Philanthropy award.  This annual award highlights praiseworthy pairings of companies and nonprofit organizations who serve their communities through philanthropic efforts large and small, from multimillion-dollar programs to grassroots initiatives.

Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center with Philly Fights Cancer was recognized for a philanthropic partnership of over five years. The award states:

“Since its founding in 2015, Philly Fights Cancer has raised $39 million for life-saving clinical trials and translational research and has helped achieve more than nine FDA approvals for groundbreaking cancer treatments discovered by researchers at Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center. The nonprofit’s largest annual fundraiser is Philly Fights Cancer. In October, more than 2,000 guests attended Philly Fights Cancer: Round 5 at the Philadelphia Navy Yard starring John Mulaney, Hugh Jackman, Andy Grammar and Lauren Hart, cancer survivor and voice of the Philadelphia Flyers. Round 5 raised nearly $13 million and was dedicated to Breast Cancer Awareness.”

The Philadelphia Business Journal is a weekly paper providing local business news to Southeastern Pennsylvania and South Jersey. The Philadelphia Business Journal has been recognized for general excellence by the Society of American Business Editors and Writers in 2009 and 2005, and is one of only 14 publications nationwide to receive the association's inaugural “Best of the Best” award.

To read the full story and learn more about this year’s other honorees please see here: https://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/news/2020/04/16/2020faces-of-philanthropy-the-stories-of-our-25.html

To our supporters and friends, we understand that we are amid challenging and uncertain times. Our normal way of life has been interrupted, with lingering questions and fear surrounding the long-term impact of COVID-19. Especially for those caring for a loved one with cancer or battling the disease themselves at this time, the health risks of COVID-19 can be especially concerning.

Penn Medicine and Abramson Cancer Center continue to be fully-operational hubs for patient health and treatment. We encourage our Philly Fights Cancer family to stay up-to-date on CDC guidelines and best-practices through the Penn Medicine website.  You may also access Penn Medicine’s hotline if you have any questions about the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 disease. 267-785-8585. Penn Medicine staff are fully prepared to evaluate and care for patients who may be infected with COVID-19 disease, while taking the strongest possible precautions to ensure the health and safety of all other patients, their families, and hospital staff.

We look forward to the incredible medical advancements to come, and thank the heroes on the front lines- the nurses, doctors, medical staff- who selflessly and tirelessly continue to fight for the health and wellbeing of us all.

Nancy Wolfson and Missy Dietz
Philly Fights Cancer Co-Chairs

Photo courtesy of Penn Medicine

On February 18th Abramson Cancer Center and the Philly Fights Cancer Young Friends had the pleasure of hosting an open forum panel discussion at the Fitler Club. The Young Friends invited specialists from Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center to discuss their work at Penn and answer all questions from attendees about all things relating to cancer. This rare opportunity allowed Philly Fights Cancer supporters, and those interested in learning more about cancer, to gain insight into the world of cancer from experts in the field and become familiar with a disease that unfortunately affects millions every day. The discussion was open to people of all backgrounds, including medical students interested in oncology, healthcare professionals, or those who have been personally affected by cancer. The panel discussion was followed by a cocktail reception with passed bites.

The panel was comprised of the following physicians:

Avery D. Posey, PhD- Dr. Posey is an immunologist and glycobiologist who completed his post-doc training under Dr. Carl June, the world’s leading expert in T cell engineering and cancer immunotherapy. He has over 25 peer reviewed publications and has been instrumental in the design and of many of the CAR-T cell treatments that are currently in clinical trials.

Mark H. O’Hara, MD- Dr. O’hara specializes in gastrointestinal cancers, particularly pancreatic cancer. He has authored over 30 peer reviewed papers and is the principle investigator on multiple phase one clinical trials at the Abramson Cancer Center.

Stephen Bagley, MD, MSCE- Dr. Bagley has expertise in malignancies of the central nervous system. His research interests include immunotherapeutic approaches to glioblastoma and the use of circulating biomarkers for nervous system tumors. He not only has over 50 peer reviewed publications but also is the principle investigator for multiple clinical trials that are testing novel treatment approaches for patients with recurrent glioblastoma.

Tara C. Mitchell, MD- Dr. Mitchell is a medical oncologist and skin cancer specialist. Penn is lucky to have her as the principal investigator of several clinical trials in both the Melanoma Program and the Developmental Therapeutics Program.

On Monday, January 14th,  the honorable Mayor Jim Kenney, Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell, Abramson Cancer Center Director Dr. Robert Vonderheide, CEO of University of Pennsylvania Health System, Ralph Muller and Dean of the Perelman School of Medicine, Larry Jameson joined to celebrate Philly Fights Cancer in honor of an official citation being presented to co-chairs Nancy Abramson Wolfson and Missy Dietz.

In a ceremony taking place within Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center, the City of Philadelphia recognized Philly Fights Cancer as an ally to the city in representing the region on a global scale. To date, the organization has raised nearly $26 million to benefit essential clinical trials, including those that led to the historic FDA approval of CAR-T Cell Therapy in 2017. In November 2018, Philly Fights Cancer: Round 4 starring Jerry Seinfeld and Maroon 5 raised close to $10 million. The evening also honored Sean Parker, Founder of the Parker Research Institute and Dr. Carl June, named one of Time Magazine’s Most Influential People of 2018 for their work in cellular immunotherapy. With the help of Philly Fights Cancer, the Abramson Cancer Center has been able to radically transform the lives of thousands, giving patients hope that even greater discoveries lie ahead.