Champion for Cures Award

The AACI Champion for Cures Award was established in 2018 to recognize one or more people or an organization, who, through direct financial support of an AACI cancer center, demonstrate exceptional leadership in advancing cancer research and care and in inspiring others to do the same.

Selected by the AACI Board of Directors, the awardee has gained distinction through their visionary approach to promoting our shared goal of a future without cancer. Through their transformational philanthropy, which may take many forms—including supporting a new facility, cancer center infrastructure, or programming—the cancer center can focus beyond immediate needs to foster creativity and innovation and multiply its impact on patient health, research, and its surrounding community.

Previous Champion for Cures Award recipients are Dana Dornsife, Lazarex Cancer Foundation; Pelotonia; Sidney and Caroline Kimmel; Phil and Peggy Knight; the Jon M. and Karen Huntsman family; and Richard and Susan Rogel.

Friends of Dartmouth Cancer Center and the Prouty

Since its founding in 1977, Friends of Dartmouth Cancer Center (the Friends) has raised more than $65 million to support cancer research and patient and family support services. The group’s signature fundraiser is the Prouty, a family-friendly event combining cycling, walking, rowing, golf, and other sports. The Friends raises roughly $8 million each year through small gifts from more than 12,000 individual donors.

Funds raised by the Friends fuel cancer research by providing seed funding to scientists to support the discovery of new and better ways to treat cancer and enhance survivorship. On average, every $1 the Friends invests in research leads to a 12:1 return in investment in terms of additional funding from other sources.

For 47 years, the Friends has helped fuel innovative cancer research; fund education programs; provide equipment for research labs; improve access to clinical trials; and support initiatives to care for the whole patient – including a new food pantry. Funds from the Prouty also launched and sustain the Complementary Care Program, which offers a variety of free activities to enhance the well-being of patients and caregivers, including meditation, yoga, massage, art therapy, music therapy, creative writing classes, and support groups.

The Friends is led by a volunteer Board of Directors, consisting of 18 to 22 community members, including current and former patients, family members of patients, and business leaders. The Friends also includes more than 15 volunteer committees.