Meet Our Donors

Honoring a loved one. Supporting innovative research. Expressing gratitude for compassionate care.

There are many motivations behind the gifts supporting the mission of Fox Chase Cancer Center. These are the stories of Fox Chase donors.

 

To Whom Much has Been Given, Much Will be Expected

Andrea “Andy” Tankin was a teacher, life-long learner, and one of the first people in the United States to pursue a career as a physician’s assistant. The wife and mother was diagnosed with adult lymphoblastic leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome in 2009, and lived with the... Read more.

 

Ethics of the Fathers

In addition to his role as the longtime chief of Pulmonary, Sleep and Critical Care Medicine at Fox Chase, Alan D. Haber, MD, FCCP, is a committed donor. In 2018 he and his father made a surprise major gift that enabled Fox Chase to become only the third hospital in the US to provide robotic bronchoscopy with the Auris Monarch™ Platform. The result is earlier diagnosis and treatment for lung cancer. The gift was made in honor of Dr. Haber's parents, both cancer survivors, but their story of resilience predated their cancer journey. Dr. Haber wrote about it in The Annals of Internal Medicine... Read more.

 

Friends, Family, and Fluff – Making a Difference at Paws for the Cause

Lori Giampaolo noticed a lump in her left breast in December 2017. After a mammogram and an ultrasound at a local hospital, she was immediately scheduled for a biopsy three days before Christmas. Lori was diagnosed with Stage 3 ductal carcinoma which had spread to a few lymph nodes. She was HER2-positive, estrogen positive... Read more.

 

A Song of Hope - Performers Host Cabaret Fudraiser to Help Cancer Patients

Kathryn Brunner’s love of theater started early in life, as she participated in school and community theater productions in her hometown just outside of Philadelphia. Her father, Glen Brunner, fostered her passion of performing art from the beginning, driving her to rehearsals, braiding her hair for performances, and always supporting her with his enthusiasm... Read more.

 

50 Years of Going Above and Beyond the Call of Duty

The Board of Associates of Fox Chase Cancer Center has made a tremendous impact on cancer research and care by fundraising and volunteering for the Institution. As the Board expanded, chapters were established to pursue their unique funding interests and activities. One of the first chapters to form was The Friends of Fox Chase Cancer Center in 1969, making 2019 the 50 year anniversary for the chapter... Read more.

 

A Neighborhood Partner Committed to the Community’s Greatest Needs

When asked why LAOH Division 25 chooses to support the Mobile Screening Unit (MSU) at Fox Chase Cancer Center, representative Tricia McCool responded, “Because there’s a need, and that’s what our division is all about. Helping where there is need.” In addition to giving back, it has been important to Division 25 to honor the memory of their beloved friend and member, JoAnne McGill Duffy, since… Read more.

 

Getting Into the "Swing" of Giving Back

Just after losing their father to his battle with stomach cancer in 1992, Marian Munizza told her sons to go out and play a round of golf, knowing how much they enjoyed the sport and the small relief it might bring during their grieving. On the course that day, the Munizza brothers got to talking, and the idea for the Joseph L. Munizza Sr. Golf Tournament was born... Read more.

 

Giving Back Gives Me Joy

In the late 1960s, when Evalind “Evie” Minor was early in her career, she worked various shifts as a nurse. However, when this young mother was facing a divorce, she needed a more consistent schedule to raise her daughter Tracy. A determined Evie successfully transitioned to corporate America, eventually launching her own business.

 

Don Morel
A Plan for Progress to Carry On

A diagnosis of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) in 2004 changed Cecily’s life. In remission with a daily oral chemotherapy pill since 2006, Rev. Sawyer-Harmon is grateful for the medication and knows that it is a direct result of many years of research. She believes she is called to “say thank you and to pay it forward” so she included Fox Chase in her estate plans to offer financial sustainability to the Institution for years to come… Read more.

 

Carol Elfant
 

Honoring Loved Ones Legacies

After both of their fathers died from lung cancer, Bill and Sue Federici became committed to advancing research of the disease. They met with Hossein Borghaei, DO, Chief of Thoracic Oncology, and Margie Clapper, PhD, Professor of Cancer Prevention and Research. “When we met with the doctors, we were touched by the passion and energy they brought to the research and detection of cancer.” The Federicis decided to donate… Read more.

 

Carol Elfant
A Dog Walk that Gives Back

After a mammogram, followed by an ultrasound and biopsy at a community hospital, the diagnosis was breast cancer, and Tracy and her mother decided to seek a second opinion at Fox Chase Cancer Center. Tracy immediately felt confident in her care team’s ability to treat her and found comfort in the compassionate nursing staff by her side. Tracy’s pets also lifted her spirits during treatment, so she was inspired to fundraise for Fox Chase’s annual mile-long dog walk… Read more.

Many of our loyal philanthropic partners are a part of one or both of our esteemed donor groups, The Laurel Society and The Elizabeth Anderson Society. We encourage you to find out more about joining these memberships, impacting cancer research and care of today and for years to come.

 

Laurel Society
Elizabeth Anderson Society