SEATTLE — August 15, 2005 — The Moyer Foundation and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center rallied local celebrities and businesses to raise more than $250,000 during the third annual Catch a Cure for Cancer™ weekend Aug. 11-14. Proceeds from the weekend's events support The Gregory Fund, an initiative established by The Moyer Foundation and the Hutchinson Center to fund early cancer detection research. Founded in 2003, The Gregory Fund is named in honor of Gregory Chaya, a young cancer survivor and close friend of Seattle Mariners pitcher Jamie Moyer and his wife, Karen.
A special event marked each day during the Catch a Cure for Cancer weekend. On Thursday, Sport Restaurant & Bar hosted a thank you reception for the many corporate sponsors that supported this year's efforts. On Friday, KOMO 1000 News held an 18-hour radiothon staffed by numerous volunteers and KOMO radio personalities. On Saturday, patients from the Hutchinson Center and their families were treated to a special day at the ballpark with entertainment, lunch and tickets to the Mariners game that afternoon. On Sunday, Union Square Grill, of Consolidated Restaurants, sponsored the Celebrity Waiters Dinner and Auction in which local celebrities served an exceptional five-course dinner and wine. Celebrity waiters included Seattle Mariners pitcher Jamie Moyer, along with Rick Rizzs, voice of the Mariners; Lorenzo Romar, head coach of men's basketball at the University of Washington; KING 5 television's John Curley; Eric Johnson of KOMO -television and Tom Glasgow, Sports Director and Mariners game-time host on KOMO 1000 News. In addition, the evening included a live auction in which guests bid on one-of-a-kind collectibles and sports memorabilia, benefiting The Gregory Fund
"I'm thrilled about the incredible community support for Catch a Cure for Cancer weekend this year," said Jamie Moyer, Seattle Mariners pitcher and co-founder of The Moyer Foundation. "We are so grateful to our title sponsor D.A. Davidson and Company and all who came together to make this a memorable, amazing weekend for the sake of early cancer detection research at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center."
"It is very clear that when cancer is detected early people survive their disease at least 90 percent of the time, but when cancer is detected late, people do not survive ," said Dr. Lee Hartwell, president and director of the Hutchinson Center. "So the purpose of early detection is to improve survival. We know it works. We know that early detection saves lives."
Fifteen-year-old Gregory Chaya, whose cancer survival story inspired The Gregory Fund, traveled from Pennsylvania to help support Catch a Cure for Cancer events and raise awareness about the importance of early cancer detection research.
"I think it's important to raise awareness — not only for families that are dealing with cancer right now, but for people who aren't dealing with it — to make everyone more aware that early detection does help save lives. I'm thankful for everybody's support tonight and throughout the weekend, and I'm proud to be a part of this important cause," commented Chaya at the Celebrity Waiters Dinner on Sunday evening.
Contributions for The Gregory Fund and The Moyer Foundation can be made by contacting The Moyer Foundation by phone at (206) 298-1217 or online at http://www.catchacure4cancer.org.
Media Contacts
Sandy Murray
The Moyer Foundation
(206) 298-1217 office
(206) 372-7772 cell
sandy@moyerfoundation.org
Christi Ball Loso
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
(206) 667-5215
closo@fhcrc.org
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The Moyer Foundation
The Moyer Foundation was founded in July 2000 by Jamie Moyer, Seattle Mariner's all-star pitcher and wife, Karen. The Foundation's mission is to provide comfort and support to children enduring a time of profound physical, emotional or financial distress. The Moyer Foundation has contributed more than $3 million in grants to help support over 100 different organizations that help children in distress. In addition to awarding grants to individual organizations, The Moyer Foundation spearheads several initiatives and funds for children in severe distress, including Camp Erin, bereavement camps for children and teens, The Gregory Fund (in partnership with Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center) for early cancer detection research, and The Moyer Foundation Endowment for Excellence in Pediatric Palliative Care for Seattle's Children's Hospital.
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
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 www.fhcrc.org.