Plant Purple-Grow Hope honors pancreatic cancer patient;
national campaign planned
PHOENIX, Ariz. - April 20, 2011 - A group of Ohio greenhouse
growers hopes a "shock wave" of purple flowers will eventually roll
across America in support of scientific research to end pancreatic
cancer.
Starting May 1, the Maumee Valley Growers and 16 affiliated
northwest Ohio greenhouse retailers will raise funds for the
Phoenix-based Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) by
selling "denim shock wave petunias" through a program called Plant
Purple-Grow Hope.
"We are delighted to be the first grower organization in America to
partner with TGen in support of this important cancer research,"
said Joe Perlaky, Program Manager for the Maumee Valley
Growers.
Plant Purple-Grow Hope will set aside 50 cents for every 4.5-inch
purple petunia pot sold by the non-profit Maumee Valley Growers and
their partners, through June 30. Denim shock wave petunias were
selected for the campaign because of their ease of care and purple
hue, which is the color of pancreatic cancer awareness.
Kelly Kinney of Toledo, Ohio, initiated Plant Purple-Grow Hope in
memory of her brother, Bret Connors, a Scottsdale, Arizona,
resident who lost his three-year battle with pancreatic cancer in
2009.
"I've always found comfort in nature," said Kinney, whose brother
was an avid outdoorsman. "Then I thought of growing hope."
After being turned down by several retailers, Kinney eventually
found a receptive ear in the owner of a nursery, associated with
the Maumee Valley Growers, whose mother died of pancreatic
cancer.
Michael Bassoff, President of the TGen Foundation, enthusiastically
embraced what he described as Kinney's innovative idea. "We are
thrilled that gardeners and homeowners throughout Ohio will have
the opportunity to join the fight against pancreatic cancer in such
an elegant and environmentally-friendly way," Bassoff said.
To launch a Plant Purple-Grow Hope program in your community,
please contact Erin Massey at the TGen Foundation at
602-343-8470.
Proceeds will fund TGen's globalCure initiative, an alliance of
some of the world's foremost scientists, physicians and pancreatic
cancer advocates that aims to find a cure for this disease.
Pancreatic cancer annually takes the lives of more than 35,000
Americans, making it the fourth-leading cause of cancer
death.
Kinney said the hope is to eventually roll the program out to
growers and nurseries across the nation. "I just really wanted this
first year to work on awareness, getting the program off the ground
and supporting globalCure," Kinney said.
The backbone of globalCure is an alliance announced in March
between TGen and TGen Drug Development's Pancreatic Cancer Research
Team (PCRT). PCRT includes leading pancreatic cancer scientists,
physicians and researchers, armed with the most technologically
advanced tools and resources, at 46 top-flight medical research
institutions worldwide.
"This has been a wonderful collaboration from the start," said
Perlaky of the non-profit Maumee Valley Growers, whose efforts in
time and expertise are supported by a grant from the University of
Toledo.
"However, none of this would have been possible without the
guidance of Kelly Kinney, whose passion for the cure encouraged our
marketing committee to develop this program of public awareness and
education," Perlaky said.
Kinney said she believes Plant Purple-Grow Hope is a fitting way to
preserve the memory of her brother, Bret, who is survived by his
wife and three sons. For more on Bret's life, please visit:
www.tgenfoundation.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=794.
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About Maumee Valley Growers
Maumee Valley Growers (MVGA) is an industry-based, not for profit
association of regional greenhouse growers in northwest Ohio
committed to working together to strengthen and sustain their local
economy. The organization includes individual Maumee Valley
growers, alike in offering top-quality local plants but distinct in
location, product mix, and focus. MVGA engages in community
activities involving nearly 70 floriculture greenhouses who employ
740 workers generating $100-$115 million in revenue for their area
annually. For more information and a complete list of participating
nurseries, visit: www.maumeevalleygrowers.com.
About globalCure
GlobalCure is an exciting new initiative that embraces a
comprehensive array of cross-disciplinary groups in a coordinated
effort to help pancreatic cancer patients in the near-term and
ultimately put an end to this devastating disease. For more
information, visit www.gcure.org.
About TGen
The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a Phoenix,
Arizona-based non-profit organization dedicated to conducting
groundbreaking research with life changing results. Research at
TGen is focused on helping patients with diseases such as cancer,
neurological disorders and diabetes. TGen is on the cutting edge of
translational research where investigators are able to unravel the
genetic components of common and complex diseases. Working with
collaborators in the scientific and medical communities, TGen
believes it can make a substantial contribution to the efficiency
and effectiveness of the translational process. TGen is affiliated
with the Van Andel Research Institute in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
For more information, visit: www.tgen.org.
Press Contact:
Steve Yozwiak
TGen Senior Science Writer
602-343-8704
[email protected]