Vera Bradley pledges $10M to cancer ctr

INDIANAPOLIS (WANE) - Since 1998, Vera Bradley Foundation's donated $10 million dollars to the Indiana University Cancer Center. Now it's pledging another $10 million in its largest pledge ever.

 

"We are so excited to double what we've already given to IU. We think $10 million is a bold statemente and shows our commitment to finding a cure for breast cancer," Catherine Hill, Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer Executive Director, said.

In 1998, Vera Bradley made its first pledge of $1.2 million. In 2003, it pledged $2 million and in 2006 it pledged $6.8 million.

At the end of October the foundation made its a payment of $1.55 million to the cancer center, completing the last pledge. It wasted no time in setting the next goal of $10 million.

"We hope it's going to go a lot faster this time. We've seen a lot of growth with the foundation and I anticipate getting $10 million in the hands of the researchers a lot quicker," Hill said.

With the help of the donations from Vera Bradley, Linda Malkas, Ph.D.,  and researchers at IU discovered a cancer specific gene that shows up in several kinds of cancer. Malkas created a detector for this gene.

"These discoveries are moving into the next phase and [several companies] are working to bring these tests to doctor offices," Hill said.

Finding that gene could lead to early detection of breast cancer.

"[Dr. Malkas] believes with early detection a cure rate will be in the 90th percentile and we firmly believe this is going to happen very soon," Vera Bradley Co-Founder Patricia Miller said.

The Vera Bradley Classic in Fort Wayne is one of the largest fundraisers for the foundation. There are several other events around the country and people can make donations directly to the foundation.

There is also a breast cancer pattern for bags and accessories. Ten percent of the sales of that pattern go to the foundation.

The following was provided by Vera Bradley:

"Vera Bradley Foundation funding has allowed us to be a leader in understanding breast cancer and to be at the forefront of critical discoveries," George W. Sledge, M.D., co-director of the IU Simon Cancer Center breast cancer program, said. "We now know that breast cancer is not a single disease, but many unique diseases. We also know that we are unlikely to find one magic bullet that cures all cases. Instead, we are working to develop an arsenal of successful treatment options and then learn how to determine the best approach for each individual woman."

Dr. Sledge and co-director Linda Malkas, Ph.D., point to multiple advancements made possible in the last 10 years as a result of Vera Bradley Foundation funding:

* IU is now the only site in the world testing the only potential new therapy to force breast cancer cells to grow old and die. The IU researcher who played a pivotal role in developing the drug trained under one of the scientists who shared the 2009 Nobel Prize in Medicine for pioneering this groundbreaking area of science.
* Patients at the IU Simon Cancer Center have been the first in the world to receive new life-extending therapies such as Avastin. As a direct result of IU research, the drug recently received FDA approval for the treatment of advanced breast cancer.
* Indiana University's breast cancer program has grown to 34 members, up from six in 1999. Vera Bradley funding was directly used to recruit 10 of these faculty members, including Dr. Malkas, who is the Vera Bradley Chair in Oncology.
* In 2008, the breast cancer research program was reviewed by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The program received the NCI's highest ranking.
* Annual research grant funding for the 34-member team now exceeds $10 million.

In recognition of the foundation's past gifts, IU recently established the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer Research Laboratories, located in Joseph E. Walther Hall, the school of medicine's newest and largest research building.

"The women and volunteers who work so hard in Fort Wayne to raise this money inspire us. We love our partnership with the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer. We are committed to them and to our patients who count on us," Dr. Malkas said.

About the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer

The Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer is celebrating its 11 years of funding breast cancer research at the IU School of Medicine. With the endowment of the Vera Bradley Chair in Oncology, currently held by Dr. Malkas, and other gifts totaling $10 million, the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer is doing its part to eradicate breast cancer. The Foundation receives funding through the sale of Vera Bradley breast cancer awareness designs, special events across the nation and through donations on verabradley.org.