The Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama (BCRFA) is donating over a million dollars to the University of Alabama in Birmingham’s O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, the two groups announced jointly on Wednesday.
The BCRFA makes an annual gift to the O’Neal Center, and 2020’s donation is the largest yet. The group has given the center $9.7 million since 1996.
“As a breast cancer survivor myself, I look at this as lifesaving work. I personally know how critical research is in finding new treatments,” said Jill Carter, president of the BCRFA Board of Directors.
UAB says the funds from BCRFA have gone to projects like “developing novel immunotherapeutic and metabolic approaches, identifying new drug targets, and developing more effective models for breast cancer survivorship.”
BCRFA raises its funds through events like the Pink Ribbon Project in which 33 Alabama fire departments participated. They are also successful in selling specialty car tags, the money from which made up about 50% of Thursday’s donations.
BCRFA also has many partners from the private sector including Tameron Automotive, the Thompson Family Foundation, Sirote & Permutt, the Alabama Power Foundation, Renasant Bank, Wind Creek Wetumpka, Protective Life Foundation, Thrivent Financial, Spectrum Reach and iHeart Media.
“We are extremely grateful for the generous efforts of the BCRFA and the community at large that works so diligently throughout the year with the sole purpose of supporting promising breast cancer research,” said Barry Sleckman, M.D., Ph.D., the director of the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB.
Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can contact him by email: [email protected] or on Twitter @HenryThornton95.
Don’t miss out! Subscribe today to have Alabama’s leading headlines delivered to your inbox.