Headlines
As reported by The Hartford Courant, July 30, 2005.
Annual Golf Tourney to Have Many Winners
By Niraj Chokshi
FARMINGTON -- The 28th annual Cancer Research Golf Tournament, which has raised more than $750,000 in the past six years for the UConn Health Center, will be at the Golf Club of Avon Monday.
The money raised from the tournament will go toward the University of Connecticut Health Center's colon cancer prevention program to pay for new equipment.
This year's goal is to raise $150,000 for a laser capture microdissector, an instrument used to analyze precancerous lesions on a microscopic level, said Daniel W. Rosenberg, professor of medicine and co-director of the colon cancer prevention program at the Health Center.
"We're probably one of the few places ... in the world right now that's actually isolating these tiny lesions and studying them at such an intense genetic level in patients that have no cancer," he said.
Money from past years' tournaments has been used to fund several research projects with equipment or personnel and to fund the creation of the nation's first tumor bank.
Mark Yellin, 18-year chairman of both the tournament and the committee in charge of it, said he enjoys hearing about how the money is used.
"The doctors, the surgeons, come and lecture to us about what they're doing with the various things we're raising money for and they're grateful, and we're happy to do it," he said.
The tournament has worked with the Health Center since 1999. Prior to that, the money went to the American Cancer Society, Yellin said.
Events such as the tournament, Rosenberg said, provide much-needed assistance.
"Nowadays, getting money from traditional places like [the National Institutes of Health] is very, very tough for a lot of people," Rosenberg said. "Without these kinds of private foundations doing this kind of work, it's kind of rough."
Last year,180 people participated in the tournament, 220 showed up for the dinner and $151,000 was raised, said Yellin.
In 1999, $100,000 was raised. In 2000 and 2001, $110,000 was raised each year, then $140,000 in 2002, $141,000 in 2003 and $151,000 in 2004.
Yellin summed up his expectations for Monday's tournament in simple terms: "Good cause, good tournament and a big, big response."
The tournament is preceded by lunch and followed by cocktails, dinner, a raffle and an auction. The meals and cocktails are provided by the golf club.