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Hope Street Kids Awards The National City Pediatric Cancer Research Grant to Children's Hospital Columbus

Hope Street Kids Awards The National City Pediatric Cancer Research Grant to Children's Hospital Columbus

Columbus, Ohio, June 17, 2002 — Hope Street Kids, a pediatric cancer initiative founded by Congresswoman Deborah Pryce and Randy Walker, awarded the two-year, $70,000 National City Pediatric Cancer Research Grant to a researcher at Columbus Children's Research Institute on the campus of Columbus Children's Hospital.

Children's Hospital hematologist/ oncologist Rachel Altura's research will study the gene survivin. The gene appears to interfere in the treatment of cancer by making cancer cell growth response more susceptible to mutations and therefore more resistant to treatment. With a clearer understanding of survivin, it may be possible to design better chemotherapies for pediatric cancers that target these genes in tumor cells.

Upon receiving the grant, Dr. Altura said, "It is a tremendous honor to receive this award and to have my research work recognized as being an important potential contribution to the field of pediatric cancer. I have found being a woman physician interested in the pursuit of a scientific career to be an incredibly challenging as well as rewarding experience. It is wonderful to have the support of independent investigators as well as generous benefactors to assist me in the progress towards reaching my scientific dreams and goals."

"National City has underwritten the $70,000 grant to ensure the quest of finding a cure for pediatric cancer will continue," said and National City President and CEO Mike Gonsiorowski. "We understand how important Hope Street Kids efforts and Dr. Altura's research are and this grant's a natural fit with National City's commitment to car about doing what's right for our customers and communities. For more than 157 years we have looked for ways to invest in our communities' quality of life."

Hope Street Kids was founded in 1999 by Congresswoman Pryce and Mr. Walker in memory of their 9-year-old daughter Caroline, who lost her battle against neuroblastoma on September 4, 1999. Since its inception, Hope Street Kids has raised nearly $1.5 million and has given over $1 million to researchers across the country.

In its second annual awards program, Hope Street Kids provided over $600,000 in support of pediatric cancer research this year through its Grant and Fellowship awards program. The Hope Street Kids Scientific Advisory Council identified nine projects from academic medical centers throughout the country.

As Co-Founder Congresswoman Pryce said, "The Columbus community is blessed to have generous and compassionate companies like National City and cutting-edge researchers like Dr. Altura concerned with the future of our children."

Walker added, "These projects truly represent what we had envisioned for Hope Street Kids when it was founded - the best chance to make a critical difference in the lives of children with cancer and their families."

Additional Hope Street Kids grants and fellowship recipients include: Baylor College of Medicine, Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, Children's National Medical Center, National Cancer Institute, Ohio State University, University of California San Francisco, University of Minnesota and Washington University.

Cancer is the leading cause of death by disease among children. An estimated 12,400 children and young people will be diagnosed with cancer this year. 3,000 children will die from cancer. The cause of most childhood cancers is unknown. At present, childhood cancer cannot be prevented.

The mission of Hope Street Kids is to eliminate childhood cancer through advocacy, education and cutting-edge research, and to help support children with cancer and their families during and after treatment.

For more information visit www.hopestreetkids.org or call 614-228-4820.

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Contacts
Hope Street Kids: Robin Stock, 614-228-4820
National City: Mike Bares, 216-222-9514
Children's Hospital: Amy Nance, 614-722-4595

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