UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute ‘Be a Part of the Cure’ Telethon Airs Statewide on ABC Sept. 8
| Arkansans are invited to “Be a Part of the Cure” on Sept. 8 when the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) holds its second televised event to raise funds and awareness for its cancer research and treatment programs.
The event is set for 11 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. Sept. 8 on KATV Channel 7 in central Arkansas, KHBS/KHOG 40/29 in Northwest Arkansas and KAIT Channel 8 in northeast Arkansas.
Viewers are encouraged to phone or text their donations in support of the institute’s programs. Natalie and Win Rockefeller Jr. are the event chairs. Presenting sponsors are Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort and Highlands Oncology Group.
Members of the Cancer Institute’s Board of Advisors, along with other supporters and local celebrities, will answer phones throughout the event.
To make a donation prior to Sept. 8, text WPRCI to 41444 or visit the Be a Part of the Cure webpage at cancer.uams.edu/cure/telethon. The day of the telethon, you can also call 501-320-7100.
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.
“We’ve all lost someone to cancer, or we know someone who is battling it right now. Win and I understand how important it is to be able to get the best cancer care close to home, said Natalie Rockefeller.
“Researchers at the Cancer Institute are making new discoveries every day, and Arkansans are living longer and beating cancer because of it. In a state with high rates of cancer, it’s vital that we support the life-saving work of the Cancer Institute,” said Win Rockefeller.
The Cancer Institute is home to 160 researchers who focus on one of four areas: cancer biology, cancer prevention and population sciences, developmental therapeutics, and DNA damage and host response. The Institute’s 90 oncologists, surgeons and cancer specialists provide clinical care for 35 cancer types, including CAR T-cell therapy, immunotherapy, stem cell transplantation, advanced breast imaging and breast tissue realignment, in addition to chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Currently under construction, UAMS will be home to the state’s only Proton Therapy Center for treatment of adults and children with solid tumors.
“The Be a Part of the Cure telethon has been a creative solution by Natalie and Win to address cancer communication and fundraising in the era of the COVID pandemic. We are thankful for their effort, and it’s likely this will be a permanent event,” said Michael Birrer, M.D., Ph.D., UAMS vice chancellor and director of the Cancer Institute that is named in honor of Win Rockefeller’s father, the late Arkansas Lt. Gov. Winthrop Paul Rockefeller.
Viewers will also 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 eight 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, Institute for Digital Health & Innovation and the Institute for Community 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 3,275 students, 890 medical residents and fellows, and five dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 12,000 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, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube or Instagram.
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