Unite in the Fight Against Cancer raises over $62K

Unite in the Fight Against Cancer, an annual community event hosted by and supporting the Georgia Cancer Center at Augusta University, celebrates and honors all those who have been affected by cancer. 

This year’s event was held May 3, with close to 400 attendees. The current total for donations is currently over $62,000, but donations are still being accepted at Uniteaugusta.com.

Last year, the money raised by the event helped fund patient- and staff-centered programs at the Georgia Cancer Center.

The programs selected for funding all aim to improve the quality of care provided by the Georgia Cancer Center. This includes renovating spaces for patient and staff use, providing additional programs to ease the stress of the cancer survivorship journey, outreach efforts to educate our community and covering transportation costs.  

“There are so many ways we can reduce the burdens of our patients and staff,” said Angela Maskey, guest relations coordinator and the front-runner for Unite in the Fight Against Cancer. “I am excited to see how these programs improve the work that we do here.”

The programs selected to receive funding from Unite 2024 were: 

• Improving Quality of Life and Symptom Management with Virtual Reality in Patients Admitted for Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
• Expanding Access to Skin Cancer Screening and Dermatologic Care through Teledermatology
• Sun Safe Augusta: Safeguarding Skin Health with Sun Safety Education and Public Sunscreen Access
• Yoga for Healing
• Rooftop Renovation and Ag-Tech Innovation for Patient and Community Health
• Enhancing the Quality of Georgia Cancer Center Tobacco Cessation Program
• Morale Boosting Assistance for Patients and Staff with Social Networking League (SNL)
• Georgia Cancer Center Whole-Person Healing Initiative – Phase 2
• Patient Survivor Bright Moments Program
• Transplant Day Celebration
• Workplace Wellness to Support Frontline Staff
• Outpatient Amenities-Appearance Amenities and Awareness
• Taxi Fares for Patients in Need 

“With this project, we can improve a patient’s experience during infusion treatments while reducing the burdens of food insecurity,” said Malcolm Bevel, PhD, about his program, Rooftop Renovation and Ag-Tech Innovation for Patient and Community Health.

Bevel plans to transform the forgotten rooftop patio, located on the second floor of the Outpatient Clinic, into a beautiful garden that patients can visit before and after treatments and view through the large windows in the clinic while receiving their treatments. Patients will also be able to volunteer in the garden space, fostering community engagement, improving mental health and allowing them a sense of ownership in the project. 

“This is more than a fundraiser; this is a community event for all of us to come together and provide comfort and support for each other,” said Jorge Cortes, MD, the director of the Georgia Cancer Center.  

To learn more about this event and the programs funded by Unite in the Fight Against Cancer, follow the Georgia Cancer Center on Facebook.