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Archive for the ‘Canary Center at Stanford’ Category

Riding Together for Cancer Early Detection: Canary Challenge Celebrates Partnership with Vanderkitten Racing

February 22, 2013

Text “Canary” to 99000 for the scoop on the Canary Challenge!

Canary Challenge celebrated our new partnership with Vanderkitten Racing with a 75K ride along the Canary Challenge route in the lovely hills behind Palo Alto, CA. Ten cyclists from their team came together from all over the world to promote our September 28, 2013 ride to raise funds to benefit the Stanford Cancer Institute and Canary Center at Stanford for Cancer Early Detection. Since 2005, Vanderkitten has been committed to spreading awareness of women excelling, battling the odds and achieving. They are an organization dedicated to increasing the visibility of successful women and inspiring women by sharing those stories. Canary Challenge is excited and honored to partner with an organization that so highly values and promotes women’s athletics – especially since physical activity is one of the cornerstones of cancer prevention.

The ride lasted about three hours, looping through the scenic route through Portola Valley and up King’s Mountain Road to Woodside and back past Palo Alto. The riders were delighted to be accompanied by Edwin the Early Cancer Detection Early Bird, our very own mascot. If you haven’t ridden the Canary Challenge before, you’ll be astounded by the gorgeous scenery and incredible views. You’re in for a treat!

Following the ride was a healthy lunch and a presentation by our founder, Don Listwin, who articulated the Canary Foundation mission and vision for our new partners. The riders were fascinated by the statistics illustrating how most funding for cancer research goes tocuring cancer at its later stages, rather than investing in technologies that will help us catch it early. By the end of the presentation, the team was fully on board to support Canary’s vision to live in a world where cancer is detected in its earliest, most curable stages.

A tour of the facility proved equally exciting, where the riders had a chance to see the labs and research teams hard at work on the most cutting edge technology in cancer early detection.

We’re beyond thrilled to have Vanderkitten Racing on board for the Canary Challenge. We consider them a part of our team, and they consider us a part of theirs. Join us for the ride onSeptember 28 for a chance to meet the Vanderkitten Racing team and even ride along with them (as long as you can keep up, that is!). Text “Canary” to 99000 for more information, or just go and Register today.

In Memory: Lawrence Viariseo, Canary Challenge Rider and Cancer Early Detection Advocate

January 29, 2013

Lawrence Viariseo survived a fall off of a tall cliff, and fought a brave battle with cancer before his passing in late January. He raised funds for the Canary Challenge in 2012. His service is being held February 9, 2013 in Palo Alto, California.

Mr. Viariseo asked for friends or family members to donate to the Canary Challenge in lieu of flowers.

His niece Megan Cox describes him this way, “As you may remember, my uncle was a paraplegic who had beat stage 4 bladder cancer once before. The doctors at Stanford he felt had saved his life. It meant the world to him to be entering into the challenge in 2012 to give back to those doctors.”

CLICK HERE to make a donation to honor his memory. Please write a personal note if you would like.

Here is a lovely article that ran last year regarding his story, and his commitment to the Canary Challenge.

You’ve Got a Date with the Valley Girl: Let’s Talk Cancer Early Detection

January 15, 2013

Every year, Canary Foundation hosts a Ladies’ Luncheon, where we discuss our most cutting edge research on cancer early detection, and discuss its implementation. This year, our luncheon “You’ve Got a Date with the Valley Girl,” will be on February 8th, and will be hosted by Jesse Draper, creator and host of “The Valley Girl Show” where she interviews start up executives and innovators. She runs the technology blog Lalawag.com and is a regular featured writer for the Mashable, San Francisco Chronicle, Huffington Post and Glam.

Save the date and plan to sit in as Jesse interviews Sanjiv (Sam) Gambhir, MD, PhD, Chair of Radiology at Stanford University, Director of the Canary Center at Stanford and Don Listwin, Founder and Chairman of the Canary Foundation.

Check out the video below to see Don invite you to join us for this fabulous annual luncheon!

Early Cancer Detection Success Reaps Spirit Awards from Stanford Cancer Institute

December 12, 2012

Canary Founder Don Listwin Honored for Leadership in Early Detection of Cancer Research

Early detection of cancer research represents the heart and soul of our work. Last week, Stanford Cancer Institute bestowed two 2012 Spirit of Hope Awards upon Canary Foundation and on our founder, Don Listwin. We are so honored to be the recipient of this prestigious award, and are grateful for the opportunity to be publicly recognized for the work we do in the field of early detection.

“The commitment to identifying easy and affordable biomarkers to detect cancer when it is small is the driving force behind the work of Canary Foundation,” said Don. “Canary Foundation is honored to be recognized for this work. Within 10 years, we expect and hope to have the tools, technology, tests and the market to allow you to find cancer early where it is most curable.”

Our work is focused on funding scientific discovery into affordable early detection systems such as blood tests and ultrasound imaging in the fields of ovarian, pancreatic, prostate, breast and lung cancer.

“The major way we’re going to make an impact on cancer is early detection and we are thrilled to partner with Canary in this incredible enterprise,” said Stanford Cancer Institute Director Dr. Beverly Mitchell, MD, as she presented the two awards. More »

Canary Challenge 2012: Ride for Life Raises Funds for Cancer Research

November 6, 2012

On September 29, 500 riders convened at VMware in Palo Alto to set off on the Canary Challenge ride. All together, we raised $514,000 to benefit the Stanford Cancer Institute and the Canary Center at Stanford. This year’s numbers far surpassed last year’s ride of 344 riders and $300,000 raised. Take note: we have even bigger plans for next year!

Join us on Septeber 28, 2013 for the Canary Challenge 2013. In 2013, we’re looking forward to bringing 1,000 riders in to raise $1M and we’ve added a fun family 5K route for cyclists of all ages.

Founders Expedite Change

October 30, 2012

Founders of nonprofit organizations are motivated to make a big difference where they see a problem in society. They come to understand there is a great need that only a nonprofit can fill. They allocate resources into starting the nonprofit and to developing a community that will help further the mission and resolve the problem. Canary Foundation was conceived by founder Don Listwin, who gives his all to generating affordable and easy early cancer detection biomarkers and imaging tools as part of Canary Foundation’s mission.

If you look at the history of philanthropy, you may be surprised to learn how far back this idea goes, and marvel at the rich environment of direct services, research, innovation, education, culture and arts the nonprofit sector has spawned. We can trace this idea as far back as Plato, the ancient Greek philosopher who donated his farm to his nephew upon his death in 347 A.D., to fund students and faculty in the Academy of Athens he founded. More »

Ride On! Celebrating the Canary Challenge for Cancer Research

October 10, 2012

Throughout the day, there were countless high points to celebrate. Here are just a few to highlight:

Team spirit! This year, 32 teams rode together, many of who had trained together for months in advance. The feeling of camaraderie and support was palpable in the air
Social media: Throughout the day, riders tweeted and interacted with our social media team as they rode, encouraging fellow riders, sharing their experiences, and spreading the word about the Canary Challenge
Canary Chicks: Every year, the Canary Chicks make a splash! With their telltale boas and exuberant spirit, they put a smile on everyone’s face as they passed
Creativity: One rider wore wings with each layer representing the number of donors he had- what a creative way to demonstrate the commitment and support of others
Support: The high school student volunteers cheering on riders at the finish line. They made every rider feel like a champion. Kudos to all of our volunteers who supported riders with food, drink and cheering
Accomplishment: Seeing the smiles of the first time 100-mile riders as they finished and arrived back at the Village. Their sense of accomplishment and pride was a true pleasure to witness

It was a great opportunity to have fun while making a real difference by fundraising for cancer early detection research. The funds raised directly affect the ability of the Stanford Cancer Institute to fund research and innovative clinical programs.

If you missed the event, check out professional photos from the ride, as well as images from the Canary social media community.

Save the date for Canary Challenge 2013, to be held on September 28. It’s never too early to start building your teams and start training!

Lawrence Viariseo Rides the Canary Challenge

September 13, 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLWIyTEYYWc

Lawrence Viariseo has survived falling off a 100-foot cliff and breaking his back, paralysis from the waist down and bladder cancer. At 53, the Palo Alto native is voluntarily embarking on another challenge — a 100-mile bike trip to raise money for cancer research.

Viariseo biked in the Canary Challenge, a fundraiser for the Stanford Cancer Institute. The ride will goes from Palo Alto to Skyline Boulevard, through Pescadero and San Gregorio, onto state Route 1 and back down to Palo Alto.

In this video, he talks about his commitment to the Canary Foundation, and encourages other riders to get involved, help fundraise, and ride in the race.

To learn more about the Canary Challenge, visit www.canarychallenge.com. To read more about Lawrence riding the Canary Challenge, read “A measure of his heart,” an article published by Palo Alto Online.

Canary Challenge Update: Did You Know…?

August 31, 2012

Cyclists who have been training (hopefully!) and fundraising for weeks will descend upon the campus of VMware in Palo Also to ride in the Canary Challenge 2012 in September. The Canary Challenge is one of the most picturesque rides on the west coast—going from the foothills of Palo Alto & Woodside, to Pescadero, out to the Pacific Ocean.

The Canary Challenge benefits the Stanford Cancer Institute (SCI) and 100% of funds raised will be donated to the SCI for cancer research and innovative clinical programs.

The one-day ride is a fully supported ride that includes great food, generous amenities, stocked rest stops, SAG vehicles, medical support, spirited festivities, and wine & beer garden, and a community of riders who have been touched one way or another by cancer. Learn more about the Canary Challenge on our website.

Some interesting facts about the Canary Challenge: Did You Know . . ?

The male to female rider ratio this year is 2: 1. In 2011, it was 3:1. What an increase in women riders!

The two biggest teams are Canary Chicks with 27 riders (4 male riders!) and Team Lauren (in support of LPCH) with 24 riders.

A bake sale can raise a lot of money! Avaya The Power of We^TM team held a bake sale at their corporate headquarters during the lunch hour and raised $1,343 in 3 hours. More »

Early Cancer Detection Research at Canary Center New Horizon: Move to Porter Drive

August 24, 2012

Here at the Canary Center, we’re greatly looking forward to moving to the new Porter Drive facility in summer 2013. The necessity of growing the Canary Center has been in discussions for a long time— now that the move is on the horizon, Canary Center is preparing for the short-distance move to a new long-term home.

The new Porter Drive facilities are part of a Technology and Innovation Park. The technology park fosters entrepreneurship, innovation, and a greater sense of community. What can you expect? More convenient transportation to and from the technology park, more centralized planning, campus-like amenities including a gym and cafeteria- in short, the kind of facilities that indicate a thriving work community. Above all, this new technology park will provide us with the opportunity to facilitate necessary growth for the Canary Center. More »