Nov. 5, 2009
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. ------ The University of North Carolina football program and the UNC Dance Marathon have joined together to raise funds in honor of Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich, the 2008 ACC Defensive Player of the Year who was diagnosed last spring with Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare form of cancer that typically affects young adults and children.
Carolina football players and coaches will make personal donations to the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Center for Cancer Center for Sarcoma Research in Herlich's name.
Fans are encouraged to help support this cause and help the team reach its goal of raising at least $10,000 for Sarcoma Research at UNC Lineberger. There are three ways for Carolina fans to contribute:
1. Bid on four auction items to be posted on TarHeelBlue.com including:
o VIP trip for two to the Carolina vs. LSU game on September 4th, 2010
(includes airfare for two, one hotel room for two nights, two game tickets, two game sideline passes, game day transfers to and from Georgia Dome, access to pregame tailgate party, airport transfers on arrival and departure)
o VIP experience for four to the 2010 Carolina Football Spring Game on April 10th, 2010 (includes pre game food for four, sideline passes for four, and exclusive VIP tour of the Kenan Football Center for four)
o Authentic Carolina football helmet autographed by Butch Davis
o Carolina football autographed by Butch Davis
All net proceeds from the auction will go to Sarcoma Research at UNC Lineberger in honor of Mark Herzlich. Winning bidders will receive a letter from UNC Lineberger acknowledging their donation for tax deduction purposes. The online auction will begin Friday, November 6th and will close on Monday, November 16th.
2. Buy a "Turn it Blue" or "Touchdown to a Cure" wristband and/or make a donation at the UNC vs. Miami football game on November 14th.
o Representatives of the UNC Dance Marathon will sell the wristbands and accept donations in Tar Heel Town and Kenan Stadium during the Miami game. Proceeds from wristband sales and donations will go to UNC Children's Hospital, and Sarcoma Research at UNC Lineberger in honor of Mark Herzlich.
3. Make an online donation in honor of Mark Herzlich at www.unclineberger.org .
All donors will receive a letter from UNC Lineberger acknowledging their donation for tax deduction purposes.
"Our team and coaching staff is thrilled to participate in this worthwhile cause to honor Mark Herzlich, an outstanding football player who has stood strong in the face of great adversity, and raise money for such important cancer research right here at our own University," says Carolina head football coach Butch Davis. "We are delighted that all Carolina fans have numerous ways to help us in this effort and we are thankful to the UNC Dance Marathon for helping us make this happen during the Miami game. We ask all Carolina fans to join us in supporting this effort."
Coach Davis and the Tar Heel football team will present Mark Herzlich with a check prior to the Boston College football game in Chestnutt Hill, Mass., on November 21st, 2009.
ABOUT EWING'S SARCOMA RESEARCH AT UNC'S LINEBERGER COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER
About Ewing's Sarcoma
· Ewing's sarcoma is a bone tumor that occurs most often in children and young adults.
· The most common sites are the pelvis, the chest wall (such as the ribs or shoulder blades) and the legs, mainly in the middle of the long bones.
· About 250 children and adolescents are diagnosed in the United States each year.
· Intensive treatment, including chemotherapy, surgery and radiation therapy results in a five-year survival rate for localized Ewing's sarcoma of approximately 70 percent. When the cancer has spread (metastasized), the survival rate drops to 20-30 percent.
· The most common symptom is pain in the area of the tumor. The tumor may show up as a lump or swelling on the affected area. Sometimes the lump feels warmer than the rest of the body and in some cases, the individual may have general symptoms like a fever or not feel well.
About Dr. Ian Davis
Ian Jonathan Davis, MD, PhD, is an assistant professor of Pediatrics and Genetics and a member of UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. Ian is both a V Scholar and a Rita Allen Foundation Scholar. Ian has established himself as a national leader in Ewing's sarcoma research and cares for children and young adults with Ewing sarcoma through the NC Cancer Hospital.
The cause of Ewing's sarcoma is not fully understood, but researchers are learning how certain changes in a cell's DNA can cause the cell to become cancerous. Researchers have found chromosome changes that lead to Ewing tumors, but these changes are not inherited. Instead, they develop in children after birth, in a single cell, for no apparent reason.
In Ewing's sarcoma, the change is a swapping of genetic material between chromosomes, which creates a new gene by fusing together two genes that are normally separate.
Dr. Davis' lab applies genome-wide analyses to explore how this `fused' gene acts as a molecular switch that turns other genes on and off. He has shown that if you remove this fused gene, Ewing sarcoma stops growing.
His team is now working on strategies to turn off this oncogene in humans, outside of the controlled lab environment. He is applying cutting-edge genomic analysis to understand how this oncogene regulates switches across the genome. He hopes to exploit this molecular understanding to design novel therapies that target this gene.
Like many childhood cancers, Ewing's sarcoma is a rare disease for which government-sponsored research funding is limited. Private philanthropy is absolutely vital to Dr. Davis' continued progress in conquering Ewing sarcoma and other childhood cancers.
ABOUT THE UNC DANCE MARATHON
The UNC Dance Marathon is a year-long fundraiser benefiting the N. C. Children's Hospital. It is the largest student run fundraiser on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus. In its first 11 years, the UNC Dance Marathon has raised more than $2 million dollars.
