Cancer Research Institute Named Beneficiary of South Pole Trek

Cancer Research Institute Named Beneficiary of South Pole Trek

Newswise — Lance Kawaguchi, an internationally recognized executive leader and board member with over 25 years of global finance and banking experience, will be undertaking a monumental Trek to the South Pole in December 2023 to raise funds for several charities, including the Cancer Research Institute (CRI). Serving as a strategic advisor, he has pledged to lead a global effort to raise awareness and funds for CRI.

“Having witnessed the increased global exposure and effectiveness that Lance has brought to the Cure Brain Cancer Foundation, specifically, and research into cancer, generally, I’m excited that he’ll be an ambassador for the Cancer Research Institute in our fundraising initiatives,” states CRI CEO and Scientific Affairs Director Jill O’Donnell-Tormey, PhD.

“Over the past two years I’ve been impressed with the impact, approach, and dedication of the Cancer Research Institute and its leadership,” says Mr. Kawaguchi. “This is already a difference-making organization, and I look forward to helping it do even more important work on behalf of cancer patients.”

CRI was founded in 1953 with one singular purpose: to create a world immune to cancer. With the aid of fundraisers and leaders like Mr. Kawaguchi, CRI can fund potentially life-saving immunotherapy discoveries.

“CRI’s laser-like focus on immunotherapy, the most transformative field in cancer medicine over the past generation, its legacy of having invested a half-billion dollars into research, and its Scientific Advisory Council, headed by Nobel laureate James P. Allison, PhD, and comprised of giants of science and medicine, are among the many features which set CRI apart from peers and that have appealed to me,” Mr. Kawaguchi elaborates. “I am honored to have been asked to support the organization’s continuous improvement and enjoy working with organizations that value, appreciate, and respect contributions I can make.”

Mr. Kawaguchi will be trekking 70 miles in honor of the 70 years that CRI has been contributing towards immunotherapy innovation. You can support his effort and contribute to CRI by donating here.

Mr. Kawaguchi has experienced the impact of cancer firsthand, losing his mother to the disease in 2016. In her last days, she charged Mr. Kawaguchi to become an agent for societal good.  He has since committed to honing his skills and talents to positively impact and drive innovation in the cancer research sector.

Since January 2021, Mr. Kawaguchi has been CEO of Australia-based Cure Brain Cancer Foundation. Subsequently, he has served as chairman of the board of Hong Kong-based Asian Fund for Cancer Research. Earlier this winter he became chairman of the boards of Florida-based Glioblastoma Research Organization, Oregon-based Kim’s Hope, and Illinois-based Kendall Nicole Eich Foundation.

About the Cancer Research Institute

The Cancer Research Institute (CRI), established in 1953, is a top-rated U.S. nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to saving more lives by fueling the discovery and development of powerful immunotherapies for all cancers. Guided by a world-renowned Scientific Advisory Council that includes four Nobel laureates and 27 members of the National Academy of Sciences, CRI has invested $500 million in support of research conducted by immunologists and tumor immunologists at the world’s leading medical centers and universities and has contributed to many of the key scientific advances that demonstrate the potential for immunotherapy to change the face of cancer treatment. To learn more, go to cancerresearch.org.

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