The Vince Lombardi Cancer Foundation Board announced today that it is giving a $540,967 gift to the Aurora Health Care Foundation, which will help support new technology for cancer treatments.
The gift will help fund a NanoKnife – a new-to-Wisconsin technology used to better treat people with inoperable or difficult-to-reach tumors.
“Vince Lombardi Cancer Foundation had a unique opportunity this year to secure a NanoKnife in Wisconsin – the only in the state, in fact,” said Erin Hareng, executive director of the Vince Lombardi Cancer Foundation. “Our goal is to bring this life-giving technology to Wisconsin and to do that, we’ve invested significant funding and will be asking our teammates to help us raise the remainder throughout 2017.”
The primary use of the NanoKnife is for liver and pancreatic cancer, but it’s also proven successful in prostate, lung, kidney and head/neck tumors, according to a news release. Recent results indicate a median survival of 29 months for pancreatic cancer patients — that compared to the historical survival rate of 11 to 13 months, the release said.
The foundation announced the gift this morning during an annual meeting.
The gift also included more than $180,000 to support community events that are eligible for the VLCF match program. Those programs include 10 walks in Wisconsin and other events that raise funds for cancer.
The foundation also announced that $110,000 will support a new nurse navigators program in the Racine market. The nurse navigators program is aimed at helping guide patients through cancer care.
The foundation will host its 30th annual Lombardi Walk/Run on July 22 at Festa Italiana.
