Roswell Park Named a Beneficiary of the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge in Buffalo

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center has been named a beneficiary of the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge in Buffalo. The annual 3.5-mile run and walk is set for June 25 in Delaware Park and on behalf of the more than 11,000 entrants expected, J.P. Morgan will make a $15,000 donation to Roswell Park’s Angel Fund, which assists cancer patients who are in need of financial assistance.

There are times when some of the more than 31,000 patients and their families at Roswell Park experience extraordinary financial distress causing them additional challenges following their cancer diagnosis and while receiving their personalized cancer treatment.

The Angel Fund Program makes funds available to assist those patients. The program provides services such as travel to and from appointments, meals, gas, lodging, and sometimes co-pays — to serve as a bridge until Medicare coverage begins — for qualifying low-income patients. The Department of Psychosocial Oncology administers the fund according to legal and regulatory requirements. Social workers assess patients’ financial need and work with them to identify available resources, including the Angel Fund. Any volunteer, faculty and staff member can refer a patient for assistance. In 2014, the Angel Fund served 72 individuals.

“Thanks to J.P. Morgan’s generosity, Roswell Park will continue to ensure that patients and their families can receive additional financial assistance they may need throughout their cancer treatment,” Candace Johnson, PhD, President and CEO, Wallace Family Chair of Translational Research, said. “The Angel Fund is critical in helping these patients during one of the most difficult times in their lives, and, on behalf of them, we are so grateful for J.P. Morgan’s support. “

Phil Hubbell, a Roswell Park donor and volunteer, established the Angel Fund in 2012, in honor of his late wife, Jayne, who passed away from breast cancer in 2009.

“Through my volunteer work, I had observed that there were frequently non-medical needs not covered by insurance that were quality-of-life issues for patients and their families,” Phil said. “I felt like it was the perfect opportunity to give back, because the staff at Roswell Park is so attentive to the patients that their needs are able to come to light. I’m so grateful for the Corporate Challenge’s support.”

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The mission of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center is to understand, prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1898, Roswell Park is one of the first cancer centers in the country to be named a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and remains the only facility with this designation in Upstate New York. The Institute is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers; maintains affiliate sites; and is a partner in national and international collaborative programs. For more information, visit www.roswellpark.org, call 1-800-ROSWELL (1-800-767-9355) or email AskRoswell@Roswellpark.org. Follow Roswell Park on Facebook and Twitter.