PUSHING HOPE: ANNUAL MARINE INDUSTRY CHARITY TOURNAMENT RAISES OVER $180,000 FOR MARY CROWLEY CANCER RESEARCH!

The Barge Industry “Pushing” Cancer Research at Mary Crowley

Mary Crowley Cancer Research Receives Major Gift from Marine Industry Charity Events

Kirkwood, MO —Pushing HOPE was the goal for The Annual Marine Industry Charity Golf, Softball and Kickball Tournaments that raised over $180,000 for Dallas’ Mary Crowley Cancer Research. Festivities over the three-day period of August 18th-20th took place in Eureka and Kirkwood, Missouri.

Ceres Consulting, LLC hosted the charity event in support of BIG HOPE 1, the pink barge that travels the waterways bringing awareness to cancer research and support of Mary Crowley Cancer Research. Beginning in 2012, the Marine Industry selected Mary Crowley as the beneficiary because its research spans multiple cancer types and 100% of donated funds are directed to cancer patients. Over the four-year time period, BIG HOPE 1 has raised over $712,000 for patients in need of new cancer therapies.

Ceres enlisted a team of sponsors and volunteers to welcome 176 golfers, 24 softball teams, and 4 kickball teams to participate in the annual seafood boil and tournaments. Ceres pursued a new method of fundraising by recruiting ten Platinum Level Sponsors of the event, including: American Commercial Barge Line, ADM Cares, CGB Enterprises, Inc., Corn Island Shipyard & Tell City Boat Works, Graestone Logistics, LLC & Three Mile Drydock & Repair, LLC, H&B Specialties, J. Russell Flowers, Inc., Jeffboat, Marquette Transportation Company, and Western Rivers Boat Management, Inc.

Mary Crowley Cancer Research, a non-profit 501C3, operates in compliance with Food and Drug Administration guidelines and has been conducting early phase clinical trial testing for 20 years. The research center is known for their personalized application of investigational agents that uniquely aligns an individual’s cancer with the newest discoveries in personalized genomic and immune therapies.

Mary Crowley’s Pat Brown and Ellen Dearman joined Ceres Consulting’s Mark Fletcher and Mark Mestemacher for the activities. Noting that many employees and friends have been impacted by cancer, Fletcher said, “BIG HOPE 1 unites and rallies the inland river and coastal regions and affiliated industries in fighting a disease that strikes all ages, races and genders without remorse. The marine industry is a group of individuals who do not sit back and wait for someone else to solve a problem. Instead, we take the problem on head first and try to tackle it with whatever resources we have available. This fundraising effort shows firsthand how that ‘can-do’ attitude can work toward a common good.”

###

For more information, please contact:

Pat Brown, Vice President of Strategic Development, pbrown@marycrowley.org

Mary Crowley Cancer Research, www.marycrowley.org