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Where does all of the money go??? In 2015, after an extensive search, we found a team of researchers at University Hospitals, Seidman Cancer Center and the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center at Case Western Reserve University researching signet ring colon cancer. Alla Bogomolnaya, a beloved high school math teacher and adored mother of two, passed away in 2012 in Cleveland, Ohio, at the age of 55-years-old, after a difficult battle with signet ring colon cancer. Alla’s students, colleagues, and family raised funds to commemorate her legacy via the Alla Bogomonaya Fund for Colon Cancer Research. Alla’s two children approached Dr. Markowitz at Seidman Cancer Center, after their mother’s passing, to inquire if his team would be willing to initiate research on signet ring colon cancer. This highly regarded research team agreed to initiate signet ring colon cancer research as a side project to their already exceedingly busy research docket. The research could only be moved forward as funds were available. In fact, the researchers themselves have never received compensation for this study like the other studies that they are instituting. We are forever indebted to the Bogomonaya Family for approaching Dr. Markowitz regarding this research as well as to the research team for spending countless hours on this rare disease. To not only find a research team willing to take on this project is amazing, but perhaps more impressive is the caliber of researchers working on this project!

We were honored to be able to make the first contribution on behalf of the Michael P. Brown Colon Cancer Foundation in 2015. The proceeds from the foundation continue to be donated to this research each year. Due to our generous supporters, the Michael P. Brown Colon Cancer Foundation was able to donate another $100,000 to Seidman Cancer Center for this research in 2020. This brings the total amount donated to $355,000. This money has been raised via many avenues….our annual Michael’s Run for Life Festival, Dodgeball, Trivia Night, donations from supporters throughout the year, Amazon Smile, fundraising efforts from local companies such as Central Illinois Endoscopy and organizations such as PAME, friends that opt to donate their birthdays via Facebook, matching company donations, an Un-Run by a fellow signet ring warrior, and lemonade stands hosted by ambitious kiddos. In recent years, we have received memorial donations from numerous families affected by this disease, signifying that although our loved one has passed from this disease, the battle is not over. There will always be another family in another stage of the battle with signet ring colon cancer…and we will stand beside them.

Where does your money go?

Every dollar helps, here are a list of items that even small amounts of money can help out with!

• $10: supports slides to be cut from a signet ring tumor tissue for genetic analysis
• $25: supports purifying the RNA from a signet ring tumor to test for genes turned on and off
• $25: supports purifying the DNA from a signet ring tumor (plus an individuals normal colon tissue) to test for gene mutations
• $50: supports purifying both the DNA and the RNA from a signet ring tumor for subsequent genetic analysis
• $100: allows purifying DNA and RNA from two signet ring tumors for subsequent genetic analysis
• $200: supports testing for abnormal chromosomes in one signet ring cancer
• $400: supports testing for abnormal genes turned on or off in one signet ring cancer
• $750: supports identifying all of the gene mutations in one signet ring tumor
• $3200: supports identifying all of the genetic changes anywhere in the entire genome of a signet ring tumor