Philanthropic pledge triples funds for TGen ovarian cancer research

Philanthropists Foster and Lynn Friess will triple-match the public's donations — up to a total of $100,000 — for TGen's 2nd annual unTEAL a cure ovarian cancer event.

That means a donation of $100 will be matched by $300, generating a total of $400 for biomedical research at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen).

Organizers of unTEAL a cure, a run-walk-dash held March 6 at Tempe's Kiwanis Park, announced that they have surpassed their initial $75,000 goal.

They now hope to raise an additional $33,000 from the public in the coming days, which when paired with the gift from the Friess triple-match, would mean an additional $100,000, or a grand total raised for TGen research this year by unTEAL a cure of more than $200,000.

"We believe we can win the battle against ovarian cancer, and save lives," said Foster Friess, a businessman and philanthropist. Friess, who splits his time between Jackson, Wyo., and Scottsdale, Ariz., has previously donated $350,000 to TGen for ovarian cancer research.

Gifts to unTEAL a cure will provide TGen with: three times the number of tumor sample collection kits; accelerate research toward a goal of analyzing as many as 100 ovarian cancer cases; and fund groundbreaking research that will translate into better clinical care and add quality of life to ovarian cancer patients.

"We are so grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Friess and the hundreds of people who have joined with them to support TGen research and make a difference for the nearly 1,700 Arizona women who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year," said TGen Foundation President Michael Bassoff.

Bassoff urges the public to give during this unprecedented opportunity by donating before March 31.

Provided by The Translational Genomics Research Institute