Having a Ball

Comprehensive Cancer Center Young Supporters Board Raises Funds for Research

The UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center presented an evening of Mexican food, music, and fun to celebrate young cancer researchers and their hope of finding new cancer cures. Fiesta Ball 2010, the fourth annual event hosted by the center’s Young Supporters Board, entertained more than 400 guests last spring at Innovation Depot.

Harbert Management Corporation was the title sponsor of the event, and the presenting sponsor was Books-A-Million Inc. Other sponsors included Alabama Power and ProAssurance Corporation. The Young Supporters Board was established in 2006; its members are area professionals in their 20s and 30s who want to support and raise awareness for the Cancer Center’s excellence in cancer research and patient care.

As in previous years, proceeds will be used to fund a competitive grant award for a young cancer researcher. “It’s amazing to me to see young professionals helping young scientists to make a difference in cancer research,” says Edward Partridge, M.D., Cancer Center director and president of the American Cancer Society National Board of Directors. “The current funding crisis is just one reason why events such as the Fiesta Ball and the support of our community are critical to cancer research.”

Maintaining the Momentum / Winter 2011