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U A B C O M P R E H E N S I V E C A N C E R C E N T E R 27

IN FEBRUARY, the Breast Cancer

Research Foundation of Alabama

(BCRFA) presented $500,000—its largest

donation yet—to the UAB Comprehensive

Cancer Center.

Since its inception in 1996, the BCRFA

has made an annual contribution to the

Cancer Center with the proceeds from its

fundraising efforts, including events, dona-

tions and sales of specialty breast cancer

license plates. This year’s contribution,

in honor of dedicated board member and

BCRFA treasurer Donna Clark, brings the

organization’s total donations to UAB to

nearly $3.5 million.

This year, a portion of the gift will help

fund the new O’Neal-Sokol Breast Cancer

Research Foundation of Alabama Endowed

Professorship, named for the organization’s

co-founders, Dolly O’Neal and Bruce Sokol.

Nationally renowned breast cancer expert

Andres Forero, M.D., a Cancer Center

senior scientist, is the inaugural holder of the

endowed professorship.

“We are fortunate to have the support

of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation

of Alabama,” says Dr. Forero. “This dona-

tion represents the work of many business

and community partners with the common

goal of fighting breast cancer and providing

patients with viable options to do just that.”

Over the years, the BCRFA has provided

pilot funding for key breast cancer research.

This has led to the award and renewal of the

Cancer Center’s Breast Specialized Program

of Research Excellence, a five-

year, $11.5-million grant from

the National Cancer Institute,

among other grant funding.

“This gift allows us to focus

on extremely important inter-

disciplinary, patient-centered

research with hopes of delivering new thera-

pies faster and safer from the laboratory to

the bedside,” says Edward Partridge, M.D.,

Cancer Center director. “We are so pleased

that this commitment from the BCRFA has

enabled us to build a breast cancer research

program characterized by scientific excel-

lence and compassionate care for the citizens

of Alabama and the region.”

BCRFA MAKES ANNUAL DONATION B Y B E E N A T H A N N I C K A L A N D J O S H T I L L

Top: Cancer Center director Dr.

Ed Partridge and BCRFA president

Dianne Mooney. Bottom: Dolly

O’Neal, Dr. Andres Forero and

Bruce Sokol.