Ringing in the New
The Sontag family, as well as the board of directors and staff, wishes you the very best in 2008.
This new year brings wonderful opportunities: three researchers have received $500,000 grants, new families and individuals are involved in the brain tumor patient support group, we are exploring the strengths of a dozen programs benefiting individuals in our home community, the Brain Tumor Funders' Collaborative is working on an ambitious new project, and ANRF is reviewing the recent grant applications for rheumatoid arthritis research.
2008 also finds us settled into our new office... finally. The address is 816 A1A North, Suite 210 * Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082. All other contact information remains the same.
For those of you who have visited us in the past, our new office is still in the Veranda complex. You will find Suite 201 on the second floor of the new building that connects to the north end of the parking garage.
$1.5 Million Awarded to Brain Tumor Researchers
The Sontag Foundation is proud to announce the newest recipients of our Distinguished Scientist Awards(DSA): Dr. Ingo Mellinghoff at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (New York), Dr. Adrian Salic at Harvard Medical School (Boston), and Dr. Michael Taylor at Hospital for Sick Children (Toronto.) Each of these outstanding research scientists received a $500,000 grant payable over the next three years to support their research efforts to increase understanding of brain tumors. It is our hope that this increased knowledge will ultimately result in improved treatment options for brain tumor patients. To learn more about the research interests of these outstanding individuals, please click on each of their names.
The Distinguished Scientist Award is more than just a research award. We target the most promising researchers early in their careers, provide enough funding to help them establish their first labs, then provide on-going opportunities to broaden their network of colleagues and even to extend their spheres of influence.
We offer our heartiest congratulations for recent career successes:
- Promotion: Keqiang Ye has attained rank of Associate Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University
- NIH Funding: Jim Bear (R01), Richard Gilbertson (R01), Mark Johnson (Director's New Innovator Award), Anna Kenney (R01) and Santosh Kesari (K08)
- Publication updates will be included in our next newsletter
The Sontag Foundation has awarded over $8.5 million in grants for brain tumor research through our Distinguished Scientist Awards and the Brain Tumor Funders' Collaborative. Application deadline for our 2008 grant cycle is March 18, 2008. This year's DSA grants will increase to $600,000 four-year awards.
Grants Supporting Programs in NE Florida
The Sontag Foundation is actively engaged in learning more about twelve programs assisting people in our community in becoming more self-sufficient. Site visits are providing opportunities for our board members to observe these programs in action and to meet with staff and volunteers in charge of implementation.
Last year, eleven organizations received Sontag Foundation grants totaling $1.1 million. Each has been providing valuable programs that are helping people help themselves. Opportunities are being expanded for children and adults with unique needs. Transitional housing is being provided for families in crisis. Medical and dental needs are being met. Children are being better prepared to become productive citizens. The list goes on...
Spotlight on Gleaners Dispatch : Dave and Terry Fountain, founders of this grassroots organization that feeds Jacksonville's hungry, are leading Gleaners to the next level. Since receiving our $100,000 grant in March '07, Gleaners has leased a truck to better enable gleaning and distributing of fresh food, and their board of directors has undergone training offered through the Nonprofit Center of Northeast Florida. Staffing patterns have been established: Eric Lampe and Eugene Albright combine their talents to manage the day-to-day operations, a split position being funded in part by The Sontag Foundation grant. The staff, board of directors and a host of volunteers make it possible for Gleaners to feed the hungry through five weekly distribution sites. Their outreach is also extended through providing food to other non-profits. Individuals who are experiencing an economic setback will find caring people at Gleaners willing to help them through their difficult times.
For a list of grants awarded to date, click here. 2008 funding decisions will be made in late February, and the list of grantees will be posted on our website in March.
Brain Tumor Patient Support Group
The Northeast Florida Brain Tumor Patient Support Group meets the third Saturday of every month from 10:00 - 11:30 am. It provides an opportunity for brain tumor patients, family members, and caregivers to share information and discuss concerns. To confirm the meeting location and to seek more information about this caring group of individuals, please call Kay at 273-8755.
