CRI Celebrates a Future #Immune2Cancer on June 12

On Friday, June 12, 2020, the global cancer community joined the Cancer Research Institute’s annual awareness day to amplify the lifesaving potential of immunotherapy. Scientists wore lab coats; doctors wore white coats; and patients, caregivers, and advocates wore white in honor of their cancer-fighting white blood cells. 

Hundreds of cancer immunotherapy stories, research projects, and messages of love and support are found across social media with the hashtag #Immune2Cancer. During a global pandemic, participants found creative ways to gather and share, including Zoom meeting screenshots, a cleverly cut video, and photos of family and friends holding signs.  

Seven-time Olympic Medal Gymnast Shannon Miller shared her personal story as a cancer survivor and the importance of raising awareness of the lifesaving potential of cancer immunotherapy.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today we celebrate a future immune to cancer, we celebrate the amazing scientists and clinicians that are fighting each day to find a cure and find better therapies for all cancers. My skill set includes tumbling on a balance beam, not curing cancer. But as a survivor, as the daughter of a survivor, a friend of so many survivors, I hope to continue to raise awareness of the importance of research so that these incredible people can continue to help us fight the good fight each and every day. Immunotherapy is critical in the battle against all cancers. Join me today for a Future Immune To Cancer! #Immune2Cancer #survivorship #cancer #thrivership #ovariancancer #CIM20

A post shared by Shannon Miller OLY (@shannonmiller96) on Jun 12, 2020 at 10:28am PDT

CRI Scientific Advisory Council member Dr. Hao Wu and her lab at Harvard Medical School shared a Zoom group photo. 

Crush cancer with immunotherapy – support @CancerResearch, #Immune2Cancer pic.twitter.com/rJoGoZfzOy

— Hao Wu (@WuLabHarvard) June 12, 2020

CRI CLIP Investigator Scientist Dr. Stanley Huang and team wear white at Case Western Reserve University. 

We are standing for a better cancer immunotherapy! Together wE Achieve More. #Immune2Cancer @caseccc @CancerResearch pic.twitter.com/EYilJp9XFv

— Stan Huang Lab (@DrSTANtheMAN) June 12, 2020

CRI Supporter Nicholas has been fundraising for CRI annually since 2016, and this year, he and his community raised over $15,000 for CRI!  

I #WearWhite for a future #Immune2Cancer because I want to see that future become a reality. That's why I support the mission of the @CancerResearch Institute and #Immunotherapy with the annual #LivestreamForTheCure which, in four years, has raised approximately $30,000!! pic.twitter.com/neSm06qzAH

— Livestream for the Cure (@Livestream4Cure) June 12, 2020

In our patient community, Alan Kaufman shared how immunotherapy saved his life.

Immunotherapy gave me my life back. Today is Wear White Day.#Immune2Cancer pic.twitter.com/CbauLUHxhO

— Alan Kaufman (@alankaufman) June 12, 2020

Ariella Chivil shared her picture from our campaign and emphasized how a clinical trial saved her life.  

Happy to be celebrating another year out from the immunotherapy clinical trial that saved my life with @CancerResearch during immunotherapy month. Together we can build a future #Immune2Cancer pic.twitter.com/3dx31kQcJc

— ariella chivil (@cruella_chivil) June 12, 2020

Cancer patient and advocate Kate Bowler, a professor at Duke University, author, and podcaster of Everything Happens for a Reason, shares her story of why she wears white and reinforces the need for scientific research in her video.  

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Cancer Research Institute has asked us to imagine something that seems impossible for folks like me, a future without cancer. So I've chosen a shirt from the unbelievably talented Morgan Harper Nicols @morganharpernichols. For all those of you who bless the fragile, the precarious, the people without imagination for their futures, bless you. Thank you for being on the side of the losing team. And for all of us who dream of a world without "winning" and "losing," and who forge on in battles for health and equality and justice that they may never see the end of, bless you. May we find, even if we never see the finish line, that we, like Morgan, have imagined a fruitful season where "she will do beautiful things." #immune2cancer

A post shared by Kate Bowler Author + Prof (@katecbowler) on Jun 12, 2020 at 9:19am PDT

Cancer Immunotherapy Month sponsors, including Alkermes, Cellectis, and Nektar, proudly showed staff in official t-shirts, proceeds from which support CRI scientific research programs.

Our Regulatory Operations Team is one in a million – we’re lucky to have them at Nektar joining together with us in support of @CancerResearch for a future #immune2cancer. Watch them celebrate the work we do! pic.twitter.com/5AxibZg9A2

— Nektar Therapeutics (@NektarNews) June 12, 2020

Lastly, we cannot forget about animals that contributed to the campaign. 

Margaux of Immunotherapy Foundation and her dog Shadow wore white to support our efforts in raising awareness of immunotherapy. 

Today and every day, our mission is to fund and support the most promising cancer #immunotherapy research. Our Program Manager, Margaux, and her dog, Shadow, join our friends over at @CancerResearch and wear white for a future #immune2cancer! pic.twitter.com/2pKPXOf3Lv

— Immunotherapy Foundation (@ImmunotherapyFd) June 12, 2020

Messages continued into the weekend, and you can review all the posts by checking our gallery or following the hashtag #Immune2Cancer on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Special thanks to our entire community—supporters, partners, scientists, health care professionals, patients, caregivers, and advocates—for your participation in raising awareness of the lifesaving potential of cancer immunotherapy. Together, we can create a Future #Immune2Cancer. There are still more ways to get involved. Explore other activities during Cancer Immunotherapy Month this June.