UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute To Host ‘Be a Part of the Cure’ Sept. 2 on KATV
June 1, 2020 | LITTLE ROCK — Arkansans are invited to “Be a Part of the Cure” on Sept. 2 when the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) hosts its first-ever televised event to raise funds and awareness for its research and treatment programs.
The event is set for 11 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. Sept. 2 on KATV, Channel 7, and will allow Cancer Institute supporters to phone or text their donations in support of the institute’s programs. Natalie and Win Rockefeller Jr. are the event chairs.
Members of the Cancer Institute’s Board of Advisors, along with other supporters and local celebrities, will answer phones throughout the event, which will air live on KATV periodically throughout the day.
To make a donation prior to Sept. 2, visit the Be a Part of the Cure webpage.
Individuals also are invited to share stories and photos about their cancer experience and how the Cancer Institute impacted their lives by visiting the Cancer Institute’s Facebook page.
“The lives of Arkansans are saved every day thanks to the world-class doctors, nurses and scientists at the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. Unfortunately, however, we are still far from finding cures for many types of cancer,” said Win Rockefeller.
“That’s why,” added Natalie Rockefeller, “we are proud to give every Arkansan the chance to support the Cancer Institute safely from the comfort of their own home.”
The Cancer Institute’s 25th Anniversary Gala for Life, originally scheduled for Oct. 2, has been postponed until 2021 due to safety measures related to COVID-19.
“We are grateful to Natalie and Win Rockefeller Jr. for working tirelessly to ensure that the Cancer Institute’s research and treatment programs can continue to thrive and benefit all Arkansans, especially during these challenging times,” said Michael Birrer, M.D., Ph.D., vice chancellor and director of the Cancer Institute.
Viewers also will learn about the institute’s quest to achieve National Cancer Institute (NCI) Designation, which is awarded through a highly competitive assessment process. To achieve designation, cancer centers must demonstrate outstanding depth and breadth of high-quality cancer research, including basic laboratory, patient/clinical and population-based research.
Achieving NCI Designation would provide many tangible benefits, including improved access to clinical trials and new therapies unavailable elsewhere in the state; greatly increased access to federal research grant awards; and the creation of more than 1,500 new jobs over five years.
UAMS is the state's only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute and Institute for Digital Health & Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS' clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,240 students, 913 medical residents and fellows, and five dental residents. It is the state's largest public employer with more than 11,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children's, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.###