Join us in our fight against Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma (ASPS) by sponsoring runner Danna Quinn in the “P.F. Chang’s Rock’n Roll” Marathon & Half Marathon on January 14th, 2006 in Phoenix, AZ.
Contributions are tax deductible.

Danna Quinn, mother of Matt will be running the half marathon in memory of her beloved son and will be raising money for the current ASPS cancer vaccine clinical trial at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. All money raised will go directly to support ASPS research and trials. Danna is hoping that everyone in the ASPS community can sponsor her for a dollar or two a mile (13 miles is how far she will be running). This is the First Memorial event for Matt, and Danna hopes everyone understands how important is it to continue to fight this terrible disease in Matt’s memory.

About Matt:

Matthew was a senior in high school and a varsity football player in September of 2003 when he noticed a lump on his hip. Doctors’ visits, tests, and biopsies followed and in early October, at the age of 18, he was diagnosed with a very rare cancer called Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma (ASPS). Given his excellent physical condition, we believed that he would fight and win his battle, but ASPS is a formidable opponent. It is a chemo resistant cancer and there is currently no known cure. At the age of 19, only 10 months after his diagnoses and just 2 months after his high school graduation, he was called home. He fought the brave fight, amazing all with his courage and his continued love, care and concern for others in the face of his own struggles. Matt was truly an angel on earth, and we know he continues to watch over us. He touched not only his entire family, but the countless friends, teachers, coaches and even the acquaintances that crossed his path. His spirit lives on in each of us that were fortunate enough to have known and loved him.

How to make a donation:

Please make checks payable to “Team ASPS”. Dollars go directly to Dana Farber Cancer Institute through The Pan Massachusetts Challenge (PMC). PMC is a non profit organization under section 501c3. There are no administrative costs, so all dollars raised go directly to the clinical trials and are designated specifically for ASPS.
For the address to send checks and more information please contact Danna Quinn.

I am very pleased to inform you that “Cure Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma International” has transferred 37,429 dollars to support the research and clinical trial which are currently held at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. “Team ASPS” rode in the August 2006 PMC bike ride and collected those funds. Since 2004, our team raised 111,841 dollars. All of those funds were transferred to the Dana Farber and are used exclusively for ASPS research programs.

I am also proud to inform you that “Cure Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma International” has transferred 5,000 dollars to support pre-clinical studies that are aimed to find out if a new drug under development has benefits for Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma patients. This research is currently held at the Volcani Institute near Tel-Aviv in Israel. More details about this new project will be given at a later time.

I would like to thank “Team ASPS” members, to our donors and to all of you in the ASPS community for your generosity, commitment and dedication. It is through hard work and perseverance that we will find the cure for our loved ones.

__________________________

Yosef Landesman, Ph.D.
President & Cancer Research Director
Cure Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma International (iCureASPS)
e-mail: landesmany@yahoo.com

In August 2006 our team of bike riders participated for the third time in the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge (PMC) bike ride. This bike-a-thon crosses Massachusetts to raise money for cancer research and treatment at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. Some of our riders rode 90 miles and others rode 150 miles. The money that our team raises is specifically dedicated to the efforts of find cure for ASPS. Our team had a milestone this year of collecting more then 100,000 dollars altogether in 3 years of participation in the PMC bike-a-thon!

Click here for more information, and see more photos from the event!