BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Monica McLaren President
Sue Palumbo Vice-President
Sheri-Ann Higa Treasurer
Rex T . Chang Adelia C . Dung Dennis E . Francis Dale T . Kobayashi Don Murphy Jason K . Nagai Diane T . Ono Anne Marie Rizzo Penelope Rogers Mitchell Taira Mary Worrall A . James Wriston Jr . Christopher M . Yasuma
President ’ s Message
Aloha , friends and supporters of the UH Cancer Center !
These are unprecedented and sometimes quite stressful times . Positive thoughts and actions are important for us all to maintain our physical , mental and emotional health .
The outpouring of community support for each other has been amazing . Food distributions to thousands of local families are just one example of how we can organize , volunteer , and donate to help one another through these challenging times .
One of the fulfilling aspects of the Friends ’ efforts is generating support that leads to community benefits . While the work of the UH Cancer Center and the Friends may not have as immediate an effect as those of food drives , we know that eventually it will significantly affect the quality of life for many in Hawai ‘ i and beyond .
WORKING TO FIND THE CURE
And while we are not a well-endowed organization , we work very hard and closely with the UH Cancer Center to raise funds to support meaningful programs that otherwise might not be possible without our support . One great example is the Friends ’ support for the UH Cancer Center ’ s summer internship program . For several years the Friends have hosted an annual event to raise funds to support local undergraduate and high school students to work at the UH Cancer Center , while being mentored by cancer researchers . The program ’ s goal is to inspire the interns to further their science and medical education .
Due to years of meaningful internship experiences , the UH Cancer Center received a $ 1.36 million five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health to continue this and other mentorship programs . The Friends are proud to have helped support a program that is now flourishing on its own .
We see our role as just that – providing support for valuable programs and helping them flourish and grow . We are hopeful that we can do the same for Tickets for the Cure program , which we share about on the next page .
Please keep yourself safe , and let ’ s work together to take care of each other !
Mahalo ,
Monica McLaren President , Friends of the UH Cancer Center