St. Baldrick’s Foundation Awards 17 New Infrastructure Grants to Help Institutions Bring Life-Saving Clinical Trials Closer to Home

LOS ANGELES (November 18, 2020) – 2020 has been a year of uncertainty, and among those most affected are non-profit organizations and kids with cancer. As the largest private funder of childhood cancer research grants, the St. Baldrick’s Foundation has continued to fund the most promising research so kids with cancer can live longer and healthier lives.

Despite a difficult fundraising year, St. Baldrick’s is proud to award 17 new infrastructure grants totaling more than $819,000 to allow institutions across the country to move life-saving research forward. In this time of COVID-19, not having to travel to get cutting-edge treatment is critical to giving kids with cancer their best chance at survival. These one-year grants are focused on giving the selected institutions the ability to open, coordinate, and treat more children on clinical trials closer to where they live.

Clinical trials offer both children in treatment and survivors the possibility of a better future with fewer side effects. This research also help scientists to improve upon the standard treatments of today, making significant strides towards more effective and less toxic cures for children now and in the future.

“Though the rise in survivorship is something to celebrate, many treatments and their lasting effects have not changed much in decades, and for some types of childhood cancer, there still is no cure. We can see that our investment in research is yielding results, but there is so much more to do,” said Kathleen Ruddy, St. Baldrick’s CEO. “These clinical trials that St. Baldrick’s is supporting will help research progress further to help more children survive and have a better quality of life after treatment.”

Infrastructure Grants are awarded based on the needs of the institutions and their patients, anticipated results of the grant, and local participation in St. Baldrick’s fundraising events and activities.

This series of grants brings the St. Baldrick’s Foundation’s funding total to more than $19 million awarded in 2020. Since 2005, St. Baldrick’s has awarded more than $305 million to support the most promising childhood cancer research, no matter where it takes place.

St. Baldrick’s Infrastructure Grants were awarded to the following institutions:

• Albany Medical College, Albany, N.Y.
• Bon Secours St. Francis Health System, Greenville, S.C.
• Children’s Hospital News Orleans, New Orleans, La.
• Children’s Hospital of Michigan, Detroit, Mich.
• Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters, Norfolk, Va.
• El Paso Children’s Hospital, El Paso, Texas
• Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, Grand Rapids, Mich.
• HSHS St. Vincent Cancer Research Institute, Green Bay, Wis.
• Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, Del.
• SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital, St. Louis, Mo.
• SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, N.Y.
• UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland, Oakland, Calif.
• University of New Mexico HSC, Albuquerque, N.M.
• Valley Children’s Healthcare, Madera, Calif.
• Vannie E. Cook Jr. Children’s Cancer Center, McAllen, Texas (affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas)
• Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Va.
• Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, N.C.

To help St. Baldrick’s continue to fund critical research go to StBaldricks.org to learn the many ways you can get involved and donate. Or join the Speak Up for Kids’ Cancer advocacy action network to encourage federal lawmakers to continue to fund childhood cancer research. Connect with St. Baldrick’s on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

About St. Baldrick’s Foundation
As the largest private funder of childhood cancer research grants, the St. Baldrick’s Foundation is leading the charge to take childhood back from cancer. St. Baldrick’s funds some of the most brilliant childhood cancer research experts who are working to find cures and better treatments for all childhood cancers. Kids need treatments as unique as they are – and that starts with funding research just for them. Join us at StBaldricks.org to help support the best childhood cancer research, no matter where it takes place.

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