 |
 |
| |
|
Gary Reece |
|
Cancer League of Colorado
President’s Message, Gary Reece
Cancer League
of Colorado was established more
than 40 years ago to raise money
for cancer research and patient
care in Colorado. Over that
time, we have awarded more than
$10 million in grants for
cancer-related service programs
and research within our state.
Research funded by Cancer League
has lead to groundbreaking
discoveries that have advanced
the pursuit of our mission to
secure the ultimate cure for or
control of cancer. |
Like most, if not all, of our
members, my wife Barbara and
I were drawn to Cancer League of
Colorado in connection with a
personal experience with cancer.
Having recently watched a very
dear friend lose his battle with
the disease, we saw this
organization as a way to fight
back. Several key attributes of
Cancer League caught our
attention as we made our
decision on where to dedicate
our personal and financial
resources, as follows:
• An all volunteer, non-profit
organization, with no offices or
paid staff;
• All operating expenses covered
by membership dues and member
donations;
• 100% of money raised given for
cancer-related service and
research only in the state of
Colorado; and
• Each dollar donated to
research generally matched by
national institutions more than
20-to-1.
In addition, Cancer League of
Colorado significantly increases
the potential for success of the
research we fund through a
unique process that requires all
requests for research grants be
reviewed and ranked by our
Scientific Advisory Board, which
is comprised of approximately 15
physicians from the state of
Colorado. Given all of
these attributes, supporters of
Cancer League can make a real
difference in the search for a
cure for cancer.
I am honored to serve as
President of Cancer League of
Colorado for the next two fiscal
years. In this capacity, I look
forward to the coming year with
great anticipation and an
expectation for building upon
successes of the past, most
recently led by our Immediate
Past President Martha Jentz, to
create an even greater impact on
the cancer-related service
organizations and research
efforts in our state.
After more than 30 years of
experience in an ever-changing
business environment, I have
found two factors, among others,
to be essential to long-term
success of an organization:
passion and opportunity. Cancer
League of Colorado is driven by
the passion shared by our more
than 400 members to fulfill our
goal of finding a cure. Our
opportunity is to raise
awareness of Cancer League, in
the business community and
across the state, as a major
force in the battle against
cancer. This increased awareness
should lead to additional
memberships, higher
participation in events,
expanded sponsorships and
donations and, ultimately,
significantly greater financial
support for Cancer League’s
research and service grants in
the state of Colorado.
Specifically, our goal is to
double the level of our annual
funds available for research and
service grants by the end of the
next two years. While this
growth goal is aggressive, its
accomplishment is essential to
meet the growing needs of the
cancer-related research and
service community.
As we pursue these objectives, I
would like to express my deepest
appreciation to our dedicated
Board of Directors, including
our committee and event chairs,
who do the heavy lifting to make
sure this organization runs
smoothly, efficiently and
effectively, and the fundraising
events are organized and
productive. I would also like to
thank the members of our
Corporate Advisory Board for
their commitment to Cancer
League and their efforts to
increase our exposure in the
business community. I would also
like to give a special thanks to
the members of our Scientific
Advisory Board for their efforts
in providing the guidance needed
to maximize the potential
effectiveness of our research
grants. And, of course, we
extend our deepest gratitude to
the sponsors of our events and
the many charitable
organizations that support our
mission through donations and
grants.
Finally, I would like to thank
all of the Members of Cancer
League of Colorado. They are the
lifeblood of this organization.
Without their financial support,
willingness to serve on
committees and passionate
commitment to the mission, none
of our objectives would be
possible. If you are currently a
Member, we trust that you will
continue to renew your
membership, or perhaps consider
becoming a Lifetime Member. If
you are not a Member but are, as
my wife and I were five years
ago, looking to join an
organization that is poised to
make a meaningful impact in the
search for a cure for cancer, we
encourage you to become a member
of Cancer League of Colorado.
With
Dedication,
Gary Reece
President, Cancer League of
Colorado, 2010-2012
|
|
|
|
|
|
Did you know that each dollar donated to Cancer League research generates
another $20 in funding?
