Holiday 2004 Newsletter: Connections with Friends

JoAnne and Angelo Kopetas have worked with the Cancer Research Foundation for almost 15 years. Their firm does all of our printing and mailing and much of our design work. They are aware of our absolute dedication to funding only the highest quality cancer research projects in Chicago. They wanted to help us fund breast cancer research because it was a personal cancer: JoAnne and her sister, Connie Chrisos, both had breast cancer several years ago, and our executive director, Sharon Swanson, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003.

Every year, the women of the Kopetas’ church raise money – which they award to worthy projects. In 2004, the Cancer Research Foundation was chosen to be a recipient of monies raised by the Philoptochos Society of the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church.

On a cold, snowy day in February, the Philoptochos Society of Holy Cross had its annual fund raising luncheon and fashion show. Under the chairmanship of Penny Lageotakes, these women put on a tasty and beautiful luncheon and fashion show at the Drury Lane Oakbrook. Through ticket sales, raffles and door prizes, they were very successful.

In March, at the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church in Justice, Illinois, a$10,000 check was presented to the Cancer Research Foundation by Father John Kalomas and Mirka Lenos, President of the Philoptochos Society, and Penny Lageotakes. This wonderful gift was earmarked for breast cancer research.

Through the direction of our medical advisors, we knew where to put the funds to work: Dr. Suzanne Conzen, at the University of Chicago Medical Center, has been a breast cancer researcher since we first named her a Young Investigator Award recipient in 1999. Dr. Conzen focuses on developing new treatments for large, inoperable breast cancers. She is convinced that even the most aggressive breast cancers can be killed, provided that critical survival signaling pathways in a tumor can be interrupted.

Each year, over 200,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with breast cancer. An increasing percentage of breast cancer patients are surviving each year. This type of cancer is not a guaranteed death sentence. We’re working on increasing the odds for each person diagnosed with breast cancer. This wonderful gift, and others like it, will make that happen.

Merle Goldblatt Cohen
President