2025 Year In Review

Sally Edelman – Harry Gardner Cancer Research Foundation

To our Supporters,

We are excited to share our first annual end-of-year review with those who have supported our efforts. For those new to the Edelman-Gardner Cancer Research Foundation, we are a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding cancer research. Over the past 40 years, we have donated over $1,585,000 million to the Wilmot Cancer Institute (WCI).
Wow, what a year it has been for the Edelman-Gardner Cancer Research Foundation! Many great things are happening at WCI and within the Foundation. 2025 was a successful year for the Foundation and our fundraising activities, which include:

·         Completed our 2nd pledge of $50,000 on our 5-year commitment
·         The Foundation’s Board of Directors agreed to increase our annual donation when our yearly fundraising campaign exceeds our expected income in any given year
·         Introduced a new event called “Cars Against Cancer,”.

The impact that cancer has on so many of our family, friends, and neighbors is what drives our Foundation to keep raising money to fight this disease through research. Each cancer patient and survivor story we hear drives us to keep going, pushing for better outcomes, better treatments, and the hope for a cure. What you – our supporters, family, and friends do in the name of this hope is truly remarkable, and we couldn’t be more grateful for your efforts alongside us.

Our main events this year included the Ladies Golf Tournament, the Mixed Golf Tournament, the Time Machine Music Festival, and our new event, Cars Against Cancer. Over 30 local businesses generously donated sponsorships, gift cards, and prizes for our events, giving back to their community. Thank you to ALL who came out, donated an auction item, sponsored an event, or volunteered. Our Foundation is truly blessed to call you friends and supporters!
We’re also thrilled to highlight a heartwarming fundraising event hosted by Cindy Lutwiller: “We Love Moms and Cupcakes for Cancer!” This event is significant to us, and Cindy, a dedicated local business owner, has devoted herself to it; all proceeds support cancer research through the Foundation. We are incredibly grateful for her efforts and the unwavering support from her clients.
We are working to improve how we communicate our funded research projects and will showcase them at our 2026 events – stay tuned!

Also, of note this year, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) recognizes centers nationwide that meet rigorous standards for transdisciplinary, state-of-the-art research focused on developing new and better approaches to preventing, diagnosing, and treating cancer. We are proud to share that this year, WCI earned this accreditation and is now one of seventy-three cancer centers nationwide with this prestigious designation. Edelman-Gardner’s Board Chair, Karen Hermance, was credited by WCI Director Jonathan Friedberg for her participation and leadership on the Community Action Council at WCI, which helped lead the charge for this significant honor. Having a nationally recognized cancer institute in our backyard means we all benefit from better resources in this fight.

Looking ahead, there is a wealth of good news and promising research on the horizon. We understand that this journey can be incredibly challenging for those currently fighting cancer and for those we have lost along the way. Please know that we are committed to standing by you in this battle. Thanks to the unwavering support of our community, we are seeing advances in treatments and fostering greater hope for everyone affected. You are not alone in this fight, and those we have lost will not be forgotten.
On behalf of the Edelman–Gardner Board of Directors, we wish you and your family a very safe and happy holiday season.

With heartfelt thanks,

Edelman-Gardner Cancer Research Foundation Board of Directors