Fox Chase Cancer Center's Tree of Life Ceremony Honors Those Touched by Cancer

Philadelphia (November 28, 2011) – Cancer patients, caregivers, researchers, volunteers, medical staff, and friends will gather on Wednesday, December 7, 2011 at 5:30 p.m. for the 22nd annual Tree of Life Ceremony in the Fox Chase Cancer Center cafeteria (333 Cottman Avenue, Philadelphia). The event, which raises funds for patient care at Fox Chase, pays tribute to all those who have been touched by cancer—remembering those who have passed, supporting those who are fighting the disease, and celebrating caregivers and survivors in the effort to prevail over cancer.

“The Tree of Life is truly a tree of hope,” says Tina McDonnell, director of volunteer services at Fox Chase and this year’s honorary chair of the 2011 Tree of Life Campaign. “It is a shining symbol of what we can achieve – of how far we’ve come and yet how far we still have to go until cancer no longer claims the lives of our families, friends, and neighbors.”

The event will include special remarks from Fox Chase cancer survivor Kim Hagerich, musical selections by the Abington Choral Club, light refreshments, and of course, the lighting of the tree in the central courtyard of the Fox Chase campus. The event is FREE and open to the public.

Donations to the Tree of Life Campaign will help fund critical research, treatment, and patient support programs at Fox Chase. To make a tax-deductible donation in honor of someone you love, visit the Tree of Life webpage at www.fccc.edu/helpingFoxChase/campaigns/TreeOfLife, where supporters can also print out a paper leaf on which to write a note or dedication. The leaves will be displayed for all to see throughout the Fox Chase campus.

Fox Chase Cancer Center (Fox Chase), which includes the Institute for Cancer Research and the American Oncologic Hospital and is a part of Temple Health, is one of the leading comprehensive cancer centers in the United States. Founded in 1904 in Philadelphia as one of the nation’s first cancer hospitals, Fox Chase was also among the first institutions to be designated a National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center in 1974. Fox Chase is also one of just 10 members of the Alliance of Dedicated Cancer Centers. Fox Chase researchers have won the highest awards in their fields, including two Nobel Prizes. Fox Chase physicians are also routinely recognized in national rankings, and the Center’s nursing program has received the Magnet recognition for excellence six consecutive times. Today, Fox Chase conducts a broad array of nationally competitive basic, translational, and clinical research, with special programs in cancer prevention, detection, survivorship, and community outreach. It is the policy of Fox Chase Cancer Center that there shall be no exclusion from, or participation in, and no one denied the benefits of, the delivery of quality medical care on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity/expression, disability, age, ancestry, color, national origin, physical ability, level of education, or source of payment.

For more information, call 888-369-2427