'Only through research will cancer be defeated'
Click Wine Group pours $83,000 into the fight against breast cancer
Q&A with Jacob Green
'Only through research will cancer be defeated'
A man of 'modest means,' Dan Hawkins contributes through his IRA fund
Dan Hawkins knows the difficult choices that cancer can force upon a family. Diagnosed with myelodysplasia in 1989, Dan's wife, JoAn, faced the prospect of a compromised quality of life or death from her disease.
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Dan Hawkins |
"We considered bone-marrow transplantation, but because she was older, we decided that the risk of complications was very high," Dan said. "Even though a successful transplant might have been achieved, her long-term health might be seriously compromised. So, we opted for three years of higher quality of life with certainty of death at the end. Such are the choices that cancer forces upon people, and that the researchers at the Hutchinson Center are striving to remedy."
Professor emeritus of geochemistry at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Dan spent his long career as an educator and researcher. His experience with JoAn at the Hutchinson Center underscored his faith in scientific research to solve grave problems like cancer.
"I am absolutely convinced that only through research will cancer be defeated. The advances made since my wife's death have been remarkable, but much remains to be done," Dan said. "It is for this reason that I am so pleased to be able to contribute to the research efforts at the Center."
Dan learned about the limited IRA rollover opportunity and made an outright gift to the Center through his IRA. If you are older than age 70 1/2, the federal government now permits you to rollover amounts from your IRA to charity without paying any federal taxes. These tax-free rollover gifts can be $500, $1,000, $10,000 or any amount up to $100,000 in 2007.
"I find the IRA rollover program a tremendous opportunity for a person of modest means such as me to contribute meaningfully and painlessly to this research effort," Dan said. "I certainly will continue to contribute through this program and hope that others will do so as well."
For more information about making a gift through your IRA, visit our Web site at www.fhcrcplannedgiving.org or contact us via e-mail at plannedgiving@fhcrc.org or by phone at (206) 667-3396. Join the hundreds of others who have made a planned gift for lifesaving research.
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Click Wine Group pours $83,000 into the fight against breast cancer
Click wine group recently donated more than $27,000 to breast cancer research from their annual FAT bastard wine promotion.
Every year, the company donates a portion of sales from each bottle of FAT bastard sold during September and October.
The wine bottles are outfitted with a neck tag featuring a pink ribbon and the Hutchinson Center logo. Over five years, Click has donated more than $83,000 from the program.
"Breast cancer does not discriminate, it reaches women both young and old. I hope in my lifetime we find a cure for this awful disease," said Peter Click, co-owner of FAT bastard and founder and CEO of Click Wine Group. "Together with the many consumers of FAT bastard wine, we're honored to support this important cause for the last five years running."
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Q&A with Jacob Green
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The 20th annual Jacob Green Charity Golf Classic is June 29 |
Jacob Green celebrates his 20th annual Charity Golf Classic at The Golf Club at Newcastle, Wash., on June 29, when the tournament's cumulative fund-raising totals for Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center are expected to surpass $2 million.
While the former Seattle Seahawks star now makes his home in Texas, a piece of his heart remains in Seattle at the Hutchinson Center. Juggling many charitable pursuits with a new fund-raising position at Texas A&M University, Jacob spoke with us about his passion for helping people.
Q: You lost your dad to pancreatic cancer in 1984 and you were a friend of the late Seahawks broadcaster Pete Gross, who also lost his battle with cancer. How did these experiences feed your desire to tackle cancer through fund raising?
A: I've always been a person who tried to give something back, especially in an area where something is needed. I give time and money to many causes, but things really hit home with me when it comes to my dad and Pete Gross. Playing a role in starting the Pete Gross House (the Center's furnished apartment building for visiting cancer patients) is something I wanted to do. Others who lost family to cancer came on the bandwagon, and we made something big happen. His friends had this vision of honoring him by building a place where cancer patients could afford their living expenses. Pete Gross was one of the guys, a great guy.
Q: Tell us about your plans for the 2007 Jacob Green Charity Golf Classic.
A: We go for two days, but it's one big, fun event. The night before the Golf Classic, celebrities and sports pros arrive and we have our dinner auction at The Westin Seattle. Guests bid on great leisure packages such as trips to Hawaii, golfing and a huge barbeque for 20 people. The NFL teams and my friends and sponsors donate the items.
The tournament starts at 1 p.m. on Friday, with plenty to eat and drink. We'll have steaks, chicken, you name it, and the best prizes and apparel. We make sure everyone has a great time. Twenty years is a long time to do a golf tournament, and there's lots of work involved, but my sponsors and volunteers make it so easy for me to do it. The tournament will be a blast.
Q: What is your vision for the $2 million raised in all those years of your tournament?
A: If, even in a small way, we can assist the Hutchinson Center's scientists and doctors in finding a cure, we would achieve what I've always wanted to do. Cancer touches everyone, so we want to help not only the researchers, but assist with the day-to-day basic needs of cancer patients and their families.
Q: What do you think your dad would say if he could know the extent of your own work in the community and your impact against cancer?
A: I think he would probably say "chip off the old block" — that's what he always said, and I can even hear him saying that now. At least, I hope he's saying that! I've been blessed in my life; the Lord has watched over me, and my family and friends. I was fortunate to play in the NFL. I never took it for granted. It was a fun sport for me and it made for an easy jump-start in life. About giving back, I'm at peace with what I do.
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