Vermont Business Magazine With the 35th annual Prouty coming to Hanover, NH, Friday and Saturday, July 8-9, organizers have their eyes set on crossing the $30 million threshold in total dollars raised since 1982. And for the second year in a row, the Jack and Dorothy Byrne Foundation is helping achieve the goal by providing a generous match for participants who fundraise before April 30. Prouty dollars support Dartmouth-Hitchcock Norris Cotton Cancer Center by funding cancer research and easing the journey of cancer patients and their families through such things as support groups, art and writing programs, a comfort cart, a resource library and gas cards.
The 2016 Prouty officially kicks off with an event at 5:30 p.m. April 21 at the Hanover Inn, and will feature a mini-concert by the Dartmouth College Gospel Choir.
The Prouty™ is a two-day collection of athletic events—walking, rowing, golfing and cycling— which began in 1982, when four nurses rode their bikes 100 miles through the White Mountains to honor an inspiring cancer patient, Audrey Prouty. Organized by the Friends of Norris Cotton Cancer Center, the Prouty weekend now draws more than 5,000 participants and 1,200 volunteers each year, with additional participants climbing mountains or creating their own “Virtual Prouty” on a bike, on a trip, or in an arm chair.
In honor of its 35th year, The Prouty is redesigning residential walk routes (one of which will stop by the famous Montshire Museum) and changing-up the golf format to a scramble. With $3.33 million raised last year, organizers have set a goal of $3.4 million for 2016. On average, 90 cents of every dollar raised goes directly to support patient supportive services and cancer research at NCCC, one of just 45 NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers. This funding has helped NCCC contribute to dramatic changes in cancer care since the event began.
“The improvements in cancer care since 1982 are profound, due in no small part to the kind of support that comes from efforts like The Prouty, including seed funds for pilot projects to test new ideas, “ said NCCC Director Mark A. Israel, MD. “Without this kind of support, many new ideas that have great potential for improving and prolonging the lives of our patients may never have seen the light of day.”
It takes a community…
Another result of Prouty funding is patient services—ranging from massage to classes in relaxation and arts to support groups and a Patient Navigator Program—many of which were unimaginable in 1982. Jane McLaughlin, 2016 Prouty Honorable Chair, came to understand the importance of these programs when she witnessed the care her mother, Carol Kitchel, received at NCCC. It was 2007, a year after Jane first participated in the Prouty by riding 50 miles, that her mother was diagnosed with glioblastoma—a form of brain cancer. During treatment, Carol received foot massages while listening to the music of a healing harp. Today, McLaughlin’s whole family participates in Prouty events.
“The grace notes my mother enjoyed because of Prouty support brought a lovely humanity to the time she spent in treatment,” said McLaughlin. “Today I’m excited to know that Prouty grants are funding not only these services that my mother so appreciated, but also research into an immunotherapy approach to treating glioblastoma.”
“Most of us have a sad, negative relationship with cancer,” McLaughlin continued. “At best it’s a disease that is survived—usually with difficulty. At worst, it takes our loved ones—often before their time. The Prouty connects us through cancer, but allows us to celebrate successes, remember loved ones, raise a significant amount of money for services and research, and work together as a community. I believe that, by combining our efforts, we could help make it possible that in another 35 years cancer will be, at worst, a chronic illness and not a terminal sentence.”
The Match
For the second straight year, Prouty volunteers have an incentive to get their fundraising done early: A dollar-for-dollar match from the Jack & Dorothy Byrne Foundation applies to everything raised beyond Prouty fundraising minimums before midnight on April 30. Minimums for most events range from $50 for children and $150 for an adult. The Byrne Foundation will begin matching at $500 for Ultimate participants, whose minimum is $2500.
“We are grateful to the Byrne Foundation for their commitment to the fight against cancer,” said Jean Brown, executive director of the Friends of Norris Cotton Cancer Center. “Together, we will all make a difference!”
Source: 4.11.2016. The Prouty at www.theprouty.org.