Letter from the Chief Philanthropic Officer

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on the world today. At the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), we’ve seen how the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected our 47,000+ members. In virtually every region of the world, the pandemic impacts the ongoing work in labs, launching of clinical trials, and access to patients, and some of our members are now on the front lines taking on COVID and caring for those affected. What’s more, cancer patients and survivors are among the most vulnerable—at risk of contracting the virus and experiencing a disruption to their standard of care. We remain committed to bringing together the greatest minds in cancer science to drive progress against cancer while we also now consider how our expertise and resources can help cancer patients and the medical community as they face the threat of COVID-19.

To that end, the AACR has undertaken a number of initiatives, including the creation of a COVID-19 Task Force, the addition of special sessions on COVID-19 and cancer at our recent AACR Virtual Annual Meetings, hosting a special virtual conference that focused on COVID-19 and cancer, and an online COVID-19 and Cancer Resource Center that is free to access for the duration of the pandemic.

COVID-19 has also impacted how we conduct our work as many of our conferences and events have transitioned to online platforms. In April, the AACR held the first of our two-part Virtual Annual Meeting. This best-in-class scientific conference was held in lieu of our in-person Annual Meeting, which was rescheduled due to the global Coronavirus pandemic. The response to this first meeting was tremendous, drawing more than 61,000 registrants from 140 countries. The AACR Virtual Annual Meeting II was then held in June and covered the latest discoveries across the spectrum of cancer research, including special sessions on COVID-19 and cancer as well as cancer care disparities. Then, in late July, we convened COVID-19 and Cancer, which focused on the presentation of emerging data in basic, clinical, and epidemiologic research related to COVID-19 and cancer.

The AACR also brought its fundraising events online by offering fun and innovative opportunities for people to help from the safety of their own home or neighborhood. Our virtual runs, fitness challenge, and gaming fundraiser proved successful in rallying supporters from all over the globe to raise essential funds for cancer research.

As we navigate this pandemic, AACR supporters, cancer patients and survivors, cancer scientists, and oncologists form a team that makes the biggest impact possible. Our members working on lifesaving cancer prevention and cures, and those now deployed on a global scale to battle COVID-19, are creating something that is greater than the sum of its parts: better, longer, and healthier lives for us, our loved ones, and all cancer patients.

We’re all in this together. Please show your support by donating to the AACR or getting involved today in one of the many volunteer opportunities available on the AACR website.

Remember, cancer doesn’t stop because of COVID-19, and neither do we.

Mitch Stoller
AACR Foundation
Chief Philanthropic Officer