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Collaborating Closely: James Lacey and his wife, Sophia Wang, left positions at the National Cancer Institute to join City of Hope’s Department of Population Sciences, where they study the causes of cancer. Summing up all City of Hope offers, Dr. Lacey says, “The level of research, the quality of colleagues, and the reputation of the department and institution are all exceptional.”

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Achieving Real Impact: Before she died, Sue Markel and her husband, Tony, decided to establish the Markel/Friedman Peritoneal Ovarian Cancer Research Fund at City of Hope. Today, Tony follows the work of the researchers the fund supports, eager to trace the impact of the “initiatives of real consequence” he now sees taking shape at the institution.

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Harnessing the Power of Celebrity: As president, Entertainment, Disney Channels Worldwide, Gary Marsh conceived and co-chairs City of Hope’s annual Concert for Hope, raising millions for City of Hope. Gary’s commitment to City of Hope runs deep — inspired largely by his visionary father-in-law, Ben Horowitz, who led the organization for 37 years. Gary’s wife, Jody Horowitz Marsh, sits on City of Hope’s board of directors, continuing a legacy of commitment.

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Living Our Mission: “We say that we care for our patients, body and soul, and we do,” says Alexandra Levine, a world-renowned expert in HIV/AIDS, who joined City of Hope in 2007 as chief medical officer. “The excellence of care is beyond belief, and the reason is that we put our patients first. It’s an exceedingly important goal for us. It’s in our DNA.”

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Starting a Movement: After Isabel’s father was successfully treated for myelodysplasia (MDS) through a bone marrow transplant at City of Hope, Isabel set out to help other patients find marrow donors to provide these life-saving cells. At age 13, she established GiveSunshine, an organization that registers these donors. Three years and hundreds of potential matches later, GiveSunshine and Isabel’s dad are both going strong. To register, visit www.givesunshine.org.

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Giving Back: Following her treatment for acute myelogenous leukemia in 2003, Kathy McNamara and her husband Francis (Chip) established the Francis and Kathleen McNamara Distinguished Chair in Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, honoring Dr. Stephen Forman, her physician. “Their researchers think ‘cure,’ 24 hours a day,” Kathleen says. “ They have made remarkable advances, just in these last eight years.”

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Becoming a Believer: As City of Hope’s lead counsel in a significant court case, Morgan Chu got to know the organization well — and what he saw made him a believer, inspiring the Chus to fund the Morgan and Helen Chu Director’s Chair for the Beckman Research Institute. “There are so many people at City of Hope who give so much of themselves,” says Morgan. “We feel lucky and proud to be a small part of it.”

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Giving Life: Diagnosed with late-stage inflammatory breast cancer, Kommah McDowell was not expected to survive her disease, but aggressive chemotherapy and surgery proved successful. Today, she is married and has a beautiful son, Christian. “City of Hope not only saved my life,” she says, “they gave me the opportunity to give life.”

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Thriving Through Philanthropy: In supporting numerous City of Hope fundraising programs, Louise Horvitz joins a network of some 300,000 volunteers and donors around the world. Through individual gifts, special events, and the hard work of chapters nationwide, this global community raises more than $100 million each year. Now, through the Power of Hope Campaign, they are helping City of Hope reach its goal of $1 billion, speeding the pace of progress as never before.

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Growing Strong: John Cloer (second from right) was just shy of his third birthday when he was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia. Today, at age eight, he’s cancer-free and thriving. John’s dad, Bill Cloer, speaks to thousands of City of Hope supporters each year about his family’s experiences. Among his messages: great people. “You can have the best building, equipment, and research,” he says, “but it means nothing without the people.”

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Sustaining a Tradition: Like many City of Hope supporters, Steven Hilton’s involvement is part of a long family tradition. The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation has funded City of Hope projects since the mid- 1950s. When he thinks of the Conrad Hilton Research Building in Duarte, Steven says, “I feel proud and honored that my grandfather’s name is connected with such wonderful and important work.”

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Discovering New Therapies: After successful treatment for leukemia, Gus Perez is back pursuing his work as a firefighter — and his passion as a surfer. The innovative treatments that led him to City of Hope include hundreds of promising ideas currently in clinical trials. Drugs like Herceptin, Rituxan, Avastin, and Erbitux — used by patients around the world — resulted from City of Hope’s pioneering research.

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Collaborating Closely: Sophia Wang and her husband, James Lacey, left positions at the National Cancer Institute to join City of Hope’s Department of Population Sciences, where they study the causes of cancer. Citing the caliber of City of Hope scientists she works with and the openness to new ideas she’s found, Dr. Wang says, “The sky is the limit.”