Norris News

USC/Norris-Bob Chandler Courage Awards

Steve and Rachel Kampff; Yolee Casagrande, R.N.; Presenter Donald Feinstein, M.D., hematologist and former Chandler award recipient; and honoree Robert W. Beart Jr., M.D.

During USC home football games last season, the USC/Norris-Bob Chandler Foundation honored physician-researchers who demonstrate marked dedication to cancer research, former patients at the hospital who have displayed strength and courage and people who fund cancer research at USC/Norris. Chandler, a former USC football star and NFL wide receiver, died of cancer at the USC/Norris in 1995.

Those honored included these nine recipients:

• Michael Keefe, former USC athletic director and USC/Norris fundraiser, who created the Chandler award to bring attention to the advances in cancer research and hope to cancer patients. Keefe died of cancer in 2003.

• Robert W. Beart Jr., M.D., USC professor and chair of the Department of Colorectal Surgery, the Charles W. and Carolyn Costello Chair in Colorectal Diseases, and the Audrey Skirball-Kenis Chair for Colorectal Diseases; Yolee Casagrande, R.N., clinical program director for the Colorectal Center; Steve Kampff, cancer survivor and his wife Rachel, who are generous supporters of colorectal cancer research.

• Ron Corradini, USC Marshall School of Business ‘72, cancer survivor and USC/Norris donor.

• Heinz-Josef Lenz, M.D., USC associate professor of medicine, co-director of USC/Norris Colorectal Center, director of GI Oncology, and scientific director of the Cancer Genetics Unit.

• Sharon and Bob Wiviott, first vice presidents of STOP CANCER, which funds Research Career Development Awards for young scientists at USC/Norris, City of Hope and UCLA/Jonsson Cancer Center.

Muñoz Golf Day

The Fifth Annual Augustine L. Muñoz Golf Tournament was held in July at the California Country Club. More than 200 people enjoyed a day of golf followed by a silent auction. Muñoz was treated for pancreatic cancer at USC/Norris and the tournament is played in his memory. Since the first tournament, more than $97,000 has been raised for the pancreatic cancer research of Peter Laird, Ph.D.

 

$50,000 Gift to Mesothelioma Research

Pipe Trades members, contractors and sponsors with pathologist Parkash Gill, M.D., and Norris senior executive development director Lance Keene.

The Southern California Pipe Trades District Council 16, and its contractors, members and sponsors raised $50,000 from their golf invitational, which was chaired by member Tom FitzGerald.
The event was attended by members of the event committee, founding members of the Mesothelioma Foundation, Jerry and Elizabeth Paul and Jim Kellogg, U.A. International Representative of the Pipefitters for California and Hawaii Pipe Trades. Sid Stolper from District Council 16 presented the check to Parkash Gill, M.D., professor of medicine and pathology at USC/Norris, who is developing targeted therapeutics to improve treatment outcome for mesothelioma patients. This disease has affected many Pipe Trades members and their families.

 

Step Up Women’s Network “Fashion Forward”

 

The Step Up Women’s Network hosted an afternoon luncheon and fashion show featuring The Burberry Prorsum Spring/Summer 2004 Collection on Nov. 22 in Beverly Hills. Presented by Lexus, the nearly $50,000 raised from the event benefits the USC/Norris Department of Gynecological Oncology as a part of the Step Up Women’s Network’s mission of effecting social change for women and girls

 

San Pedro Peninsula Cancer Guild

Honoree and Norris Foundation chair Harlyne J. Norris, and Lorraine McWhinnie, president of SPPCG.

 

The San Pedro Peninsula Cancer Guild hosted their “An Affaire to Remember” annual holiday boutique, luncheon and fashion show on Nov. 16 in Long Beach.
The luncheon honored Harlyne J. Norris, chair of the Norris Foundation and a member of both the Norris Cancer Hospital Board and the USC Board of Trustees, for her continued support and dedication to USC/Norris. Peter Jones, Ph.D., director of USC/Norris, thanked the guild members for their continued dedication to USC/Norris and for the event proceeds of nearly $65,000, to fund colorectal cancer research.

 

Second Annual Ashworth Golf Invitational

A great day of golf was enjoyed by (l. to r.) Randy Herrel, chairman and CEO of Ashworth, Inc., professional tour player Rich Beem, Mercer MacPherson, Gary L. Lieskovsky, M.D., Bill Watson, Jim Nantz, CBS Sports and Mike Tudor.

The Second Annual Ashworth Golf Invitational was held on Tuesday, February 10 at La Costa Resort & Spa. Participants enjoyed a day of golf with players from the Professional Golf Tour and finished the day with a reception, dinner, silent auction and awards presentation.
Randy Herrel, chairman and CEO of Ashworth, Inc., presented Bill Watson, senior associate dean for development at the Keck School of Medicine, with $30,000, the proceeds from the first Ashworth Invitational. The funds will be used for breast and prostate cancer research at USC/Norris.

 

Tradition of Caring and Support
The USC/Norris Auxiliary Endowment was founded in 1997 to help support peer-reviewed clinical research that is important to the advancement of diagnostic capabilities and treatment alternatives.


With these funds, physicians may recruit more patients for a particular study. That leads to increased amounts of data, which can better determine whether a new clinical approach is effective. Patients also benefit because they have the opportunity to receive treatment that might otherwise be inaccessible to them. Since its inception, the endowment has given more than $100,000 for the following projects:


• Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer study
• Positron Emission Tomography (PET) for evaluating
patient progress and treatment
• CARE team’s Palliative Care Program
• Bladder Cancer Tissue, Blood and Urine Repository
Program