Cougars 4 a Cure

ON THE PROWL TO BEAT BLADDER CANCER

This year, the American Cancer Society estimates that more than 83,000 new cases of bladder cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S. and that 17,000 individuals will succumb to the deadly disease. These sobering statistics drive researchers and clinicians at Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute every day in their mission to improve detection and treatment of bladder cancer. Backed by essential philanthropic support from individual donors and grassroots efforts like Cougars 4 A Cure, a growing number of patients at LCI are being enrolled in clinical trials for bladder cancer, each of which moves LCI closer to the goal line of beating bladder and urologic cancers.

Finding a cure for bladder cancer is also the number one motivation behind the Salvino family’s success in raising more than $294,000 through Cougars 4 A Cure, a fundraising initiative established at Charlotte Catholic High School in 2014. First championed by siblings and Charlotte Catholic High School alumni Matthew and Mitchell 2 Salvino, the initiative passed on to their younger sister, Morgan, who earlier this year achieved one of the most successful events to date. Along with the support of her classmates, and CCHS faculty and staff, Morgan raised $41,000 by teaming up with clothing retailer Vineyard Vines to create and sell one-of-a-kind Cougars 4 A Cure t-shirts.

With support from Cougars 4 A Cure and backed by 5MPOWER—a local charitable organization—the Salvino family continues to advance essential bladder cancer research at Levine Cancer Institute. Their support has contributed substantially to the Carolinas Bladder Cancer Fund, which has received more than $828,000 in charitable contributions since its establishment in 2012.

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1. L to R – Armando Chardiet, Denise Salvino, Kurt Telford, Morgan Salvino, Matthew Salvino, Mitchell Salvino, Dr. Derek Raghavan, Mike Salvino, and Dr. Peter Clark. 2. Rising CCHS senior Morgan Salvino teamed up with Vineyard Vines to create a one-of-a-kind Cougars 4 A Cure charity t-shirt.

“Much of the research we are doing at Levine Cancer Institute is supported by philanthropy. We are fortunate to have a group of benefactors, including the Salvino family, who are passionate about supporting our work. My team’s research efforts are focused on identifying new biomarkers that will help optimize treatment selection for patients with bladder cancer. It's our hope that we'll identify new cancer markers that will lead to improvements in the

standard of care for everybody with this disease. ”

- EARLE BURGESS, MD, CHIEF, GENITOURINARY ONCOLOGY SECTION; MEDICAL DIRECTOR, CLINICAL TRIALS; ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE - LEVINE CANCER INSTITUTE