SEATTLE, Nov. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- An unprecedented appeal from a Fred
Hutchinson Cancer Research Center scientist will distinguish the 2006 Hutch
Holiday Gala on Dec. 9. Jim Roberts, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Center's
Basic Sciences Division and his wife, Pamela Becker, will offer a donation
of $1.5 million as the "challenge gift" during a segment of the Gala's live
auction. Proceeds will benefit a new source of Hutchinson Center
pilot-study funding dubbed the Synergy Fund.
The Roberts/Becker challenge will mark the first time a faculty member
has provided a gift to boost the fund-raising potential of the Center's
largest benefit event. The challenge will be presented during the "Help the
Hutch" part of the live auction, when every dollar donated by a guest will
be matched dollar for dollar up to $1.5 million.
The resulting $3 million or more for the Synergy Fund would fulfill the
couple's wish to give back to the Center in a way that honors its
collaborative spirit and rewards innovation in science. "The word 'synergy'
refers to the fund's unique emphasis on promoting synergistic pilot
studies," Roberts said. "To be considered for funding, two or more
independent yet complementary new research proposals would be submitted
together for review by a panel of internal peers."
Small in scale as compared with most government-funded research, pilot
studies allow scientists to gather data quickly to test new ideas, some of
which may be on the leading edge of research. The Synergy Fund would help
compensate for the diminishing availability of pilot-study funds from other
sources such as the National Institutes of Health.
"As a research premise progresses toward having practical applications,
possible sources of funding tend to increase," Roberts said. "New ideas are
the hardest to fund; therefore, it's those new ideas that require the most
support. The Synergy Fund will support early stage research that holds the
potential to make the greatest impact."
Roberts, who has been with the Center since 1984, is an expert on the
cell cycle and cancer, focusing his own research on key proteins that
regulate cell division and how alterations in those proteins could lead to
cancer. He has founded independent biotechnology ventures including
Targeted Growth, a Seattle-based company that develops ways to increase the
yield of commercially important crops.
Beyond "Help the Hutch," Gala patrons can expect to spar over some new
live-auction packages this year, including an opportunity to rub elbows
with celebrities in New York while getting a jump on autumn couture at the
Vera Wang and Oscar de la Renta fashion shows. Also among the auction
offerings are courtside box seats for U.S. Open women's tennis matches and
a travel package via a Boeing delivery flight to China. Wine packages,
including vintages from Leonetti Cellar and Sloan Estate, are among several
auction items that will appeal to oenophiles.
The 31st annual Hutch Holiday Gala will be held at 5 p.m. Saturday,
Dec. 9 at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel & Towers. The Gala is a black-tie
event featuring spectacular live and silent auctions, an elegant dinner,
and late- night dancing with more than 850 business and community leaders
in attendance. For more information, visit http://www.hutchgala.com.
At Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, our interdisciplinary teams
of world-renowned scientists and humanitarians work together to prevent,
diagnose and treat cancer, HIV/AIDS and other diseases. Our researchers,
including three Nobel laureates, bring a relentless pursuit and passion for
health, knowledge and hope to their work and to the world. For more
information, please visit http://www.fhcrc.org.
Contact: Christi Ball Loso, +1-206-667-5215, or closo@fhcrc.org.
SOURCE Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
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Related links:
http://www.hutchgala.com/
http://www.fhcrc.org/
CONTACT:
Christi Ball Loso, +1-206-667-5215, or
closo@fhcrc.org
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