SUMMER 2020 Volume 23 | Issue 3 ImpactDana-Farber.org and JimmyFund.org THANKING THOSE WHO MAKE A DIFFERENCE Riney Family commits $16.5 million to improve outcomes for multiple myeloma patients Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has been the top ranked cancer hospital in New England by U.S. News and World Report for 19 consecutive years, and is ranked in the top 5 nationally for both adult and pediatric cancer programs. 2 Responding to COVID-19 3 Novel collaboration Paula and Rodger Riney’s visionary $16.5 million gift will support critical research to improve treatment outcomes for patients with multiple myeloma. 4 ith a visionary gift of $16.5 for Myeloma Therapeutics and Kraft an unprecedented opportunity to Global impact million, Paula and Rodger Family Professor of Medicine, joined as accelerate the most promising strategies W Riney of St. Louis have an advisor to Riney’s care team. over a focused period of time and established the Riney Family Multiple “As a myeloma patient, you are very meaningfully extend remissions.” Myeloma Initiative at Dana-Farber aware of the groundbreaking work “Finding a cure 10 or 15 years from Cancer Institute. The couple’s first gift being done at Dana-Farber in multiple now will be too late for thousands of to Dana-Farber provides an infusion myeloma,” said Riney. “Dana-Farber people currently living with multiple 7 of resources to dramatically accelerate is an institution we want to invest in myeloma,” said Riney. “We want to A legacy for scientific understanding of the most given its impressive track record in support Ken and his capable team in breast cancer challenging myelomas, cancers that improving myeloma treatment. Our speeding up the process for patients research form in a type of white blood cell hope is that this gift will inspire others everywhere.” called a plasma cell. to support Dana-Farber’s researchers Over the next two years, the Riney The gift from Family Multiple 12 the Paula and Myeloma Support for Rodger Riney Initiative will the little ones Foundation help is the largest “ Our hope is that this gift will inspire others to support Dana-Farber single gift from Dana-Farber’s researchers and clinicians to extend identify and a family to survivorship, and ultimately find a cure.” target genomic support multiple and epigenomic research resources, catalyzing new myeloma cancer — RODGER RINEY abnormalities, collaborations and providing access research and care unraveling to novel technologies to improve the in Dana-Farber’s the biological way multiple myeloma research is history. The determinants of conducted in the future. Riney Family disease behavior “We send our heartfelt thanks to Multiple Myeloma Initiative builds and clinicians to extend survivorship, in general as well as in certain high- Paula and Rodger for their confidence on the family’s legacy of multiple and ultimately find a cure.” risk multiple myeloma sub-groups. in our team,” said Anderson. “With myeloma support across the U.S. and “We are deeply grateful to the Riney It will also enable the development their tremendous gift, we can fast- will improve outcomes for patients Family for their visionary support,” said of novel therapeutics to target both track our efforts to develop highly everywhere. Laurie H. Glimcher, MD, Dana-Farber tumor cells and the host immune personalized, novel targeted and Rodger Riney was diagnosed president and CEO and the Richard microenvironment, bringing more immune treatments for patients facing with multiple myeloma in 2015 and and Susan Smith Professor of Medicine. durable, immune-based combination the most challenging forms of this treated in St. Louis. In 2018, Kenneth “For scientists like Dr. Anderson and therapies to patients in the near- disease. Their extraordinary support Anderson, MD, program director at his team, who have dedicated their lives term. Additionally, the initiative will foster collaborative efforts to Dana-Farber’s Jerome Lipper Multiple to finding a cure for multiple myeloma, will create infrastructure for big data benefit patients and their families Myeloma Center and LeBow Institute the Riney Family’s generosity provides management and open access myeloma worldwide.” ■ Dear Friends, An outpouring of emergency Although the past few months have brought unforeseen resources from the Dana-Farber challenges and difficulties to many, I have been heartened by the compassion, hope, creativity, and and Jimmy Fund community resilience demonstrated throughout the Dana-Farber and Jimmy Fund community. We are so grateful to our frontline heroes at the Institute, who are selflessly ensuring our patients can continue to receive their lifesaving treatments in the safest possible environment. And we are grateful to our donors and participants who have stepped up their support during this crisis, with gifts to our Emergency Response Fund, gifts of personal protective equipment, participation in virtual fundraising events, and so much more. Even amid such tough times, we can still have good days, meaningful moments, positive interactions, and togetherness—albeit in new ways. Although our Jimmy Fund events season looks different this year, with many popular events postponed or cancelled, we have fun, new offerings for everyone. We held our first-ever Dana-Farber and Jimmy Fund Giving Day on May 27, inspiring thousands of gifts totaling more than $540,000 from across the country. And our Boston-area friends saw the recent launch of our new advertising campaign, themed “I Am Jimmy/We’re All Jimmy,” designed to raise awareness and strengthen our connection to our grassroots fundraising community. You can see the campaign at iamJimmy.org. Each day, we work in service to a community of patients and families, clinicians and researchers, donors and participants who are resilient beyond measure. When I think about our Dana-Farber and Jimmy Fund community, it gives me confidence that we will emerge from this experience stronger than ever before. Thank you for your steadfast partnership, and please stay safe and well. Sincerely, Melany N. Duval Senior Vice President, Chief Philanthropy Officer Frontline heroes ensure the safety of our patients at Dana-Farber. Pivot! Taking our events virtual cancer diagnosis already other resources to keep our patients comes with incredible safe and prevent the spread of pring and summer normally For example, just a few weeks after A challenges, and the new infection; immediate implementation mark the high season for Dana- Massachusetts and other states began pressures and vulnerabilities brought of telemedicine technology to allow S Farber and Jimmy Fund events, issuing stay-at-home guidelines, we forth by COVID-19 have made patients and families to visit with their but this year has been anything but debuted Jimmy Fund Bingo Night. navigating cancer even more difficult. Dana-Farber care team virtually, from normal. More than 700 events and This family-friendly event livestreamed Likewise, the costs of delivering the safety of their homes; pressing programs across the U.S. raise millions on Facebook to enthusiastic audiences comprehensive, compassionate financial strains felt by patients, their of dollars for our lifesaving mission on Friday nights from April to June, care in the face of this pandemic partners, and caregivers who have lost each year, and many have been delayed raising funds and spirits with the help mounted rapidly. Our generous employment or experienced disruptions or cancelled due to the precautions of celebrity hosts including Boston supporters have shown an outpouring in dependent care; and a strong required to keep us all safe during the Red Sox first baseman and Jimmy of kindness during this time of community and support system for our COVID-19 pandemic. Educational Fund Captain Mitch Moreland and uncertainty, providing critical patients and families while in-person events and other gatherings we host his wife, Susannah; Tom Leyden assistance in important ways. Jimmy Fund events are postponed. for our donors and supporters are of Boston 25 News; Dale Arnold similarly affected. To continue to of WEEI and NESN; and Ben & Emergency Response Fund PPE and other resources raise increasingly critical funds and Jerry’s Co-Founder Jerry Greenfield. The Emergency Response Fund, While PPE is used every day by connect with our donor community in Jimmy Fund Let’s GameSM, which established in March, had raised more our clinicians to protect themselves a socially distanced world, we quickly allows gamers to fundraise while than $8.4 million before the end of and our patients and families from the pivoted to virtual platforms and social livestreaming their favorite video May, thanks in part to significant risk of infection during treatment, the channels, and created resources to help games, held its first online tournament commitments from Dana-Farber rapid spread of COVID-19 resulted our dedicated supporters to do the with Rocket League on May 30. And Trustees and to an extraordinary $4 in shortages through our normal same (see the sidebar, page 15). million gift from Pan-Mass Challenge purchasing channels. Both longtime Continued on page 15 (PMC) riders that includes a $1 and newfound supporters continue to million match from a passionate come forward to donate hundreds of JIMMY FUND PMC rider/donor. An additional thousands of items, including masks, $1.5 million has been committed by gloves, protective gowns, face shields, B I G O members of the Life Science Alliance, hand sanitizer, and more. In addition, N which is comprised of our closest loyal corporate partners are donating partners in the biotechnology and coffee, water, snacks, gift cards, and pharmaceutical industries. other amenities to support our patients, The Emergency Response Fund families, and frontline heroes delivering has helped to defray unanticipated care at the Institute. 4 17 20 and9 significant costs including: As always, our loyal community increased supplies of personal of support shines through even in the protective equipment (PPE) and darkest of times.