About Us

The 15th Annual “Hoops for a Cure” will take place at the Chartiers Valley High School on Friday, April 23, 2010 beginning at 6:30 p.m. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Nathan S. Arenson Fund for Pancreatic Cancer Research. Dr. Olivera Finn, Professor and Chair at the University of Pittsburgh School Of Medicine, oversees the Nathan S. Arenson Fund.

We are planning another exciting event this year. The event will start with the Section 4 All-Stars vs. the WPIAL All-Stars. This game will showcase top All-Star talent from all over the WPIAL. The final game begins at 8:00 p.m. when the Chartiers Valley Alumni and Special Guests take on the Pittsburgh Steelers. Admission is $7.00; children under three will be admitted free of charge.

This game and fund holds a special place in my life since it’s named after my father, who passed away from Pancreatic Cancer in 1995. He fought and lived longer than anyone expected and it is my desire to see that this fund helps find the cure to this devastating disease. We are making progress. The following is an excerpt on the progress provided by Dr. Finn:

“After showing in seven clinical trials in advanced cancer patients that our pancreatic cancer vaccine was safe, and after the last trial in early pancreatic cancer that showed that vaccinated patients had survival advantage, we focused all our attention on testing the vaccine for cancer prevention. There are several premalignant conditions that readily develop into fully malignant tumors and our current and future goals are to test our vaccine for its ability to induce potent immunity that can get rid of premalignant lesions. In February 2009 we became the first group to be given FDA approval to test cancer vaccines in healthy individuals at high risk for developing cancer. The trial has been open since November 2008 and already we have vaccinated 10 individuals with colonic polyps at risk for developing colon cancer. We are simultaneously working with a population of patients who develop pancreatic cysts that predispose to pancreatic cancer to design a vaccine protocol specific to their needs. Like the previous therapeutic vaccine trials, which we will also continue to run in order to improve our vaccine and get better results, the prevention trials are also supported primarily by The Nathan Arenson Fund.”
I am once again asking for your assistance to further support Dr. Olivera J. Finn and her team at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, who administer the funds from The Nathan S. Arenson Fund, in their quest to find a cure for Pancreatic Cancer.

Raffle tickets are now being sold for $10.00 each. The Grand Prize of (2) tickets to Super Bowl XLIV in Miami, along with tickets to several other major sporting events, not to mention several pieces of authentic autographed sports memorabilia are included in this exciting raffle. Door prizes will be given away during the evening to several lucky patrons who have a winning admission ticket.

The Nathan S. Arenson Fund depends on all of us in order to survive. I hope you will support this worthy cause because in the end, it is your generosity that will truly help in our fight to combat this deadly disease that affects us all. It is my continued hope that this fund and this event become renowned for medical research and treatment in the fight against Pancreatic Cancer. To date, the Nathan S. Arenson Fund has raised in excess of $1,000,000. Our goal this year in our fundraising efforts is to raise $100,000. Please feel free to check our website to learn more at www.hoopsforacure.com.

All donations should be made to The Nathan S. Arenson Fund/UPCI, c/o FMI, 5959 Topanga Canyon Boulevard, Suite 125, Woodland Hills, CA 91367. All contributions are tax deductible.