Preparing for Sam's Jam III
Info on Sam's Jam: Oct. 16, 2010

Riders for the Cure (RFTC) is pleased to announce that our 2010 fund-raising efforts will go to M. D. Anderson Cancer Center to help lead the largest genetic study ever attempted. This study will be led by Melissa Bondy, Ph.D.

Dr. Bondy is a Professor of Epidemiology at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center and Director of the Childhood Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Center, which is a joint effort of M. D. Anderson, Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Dr. Bondy is also the Lead Investigator on The Gliogene Study, a worldwide study looking at inherited brain tumors. In addition to the familial glioma study, Dr. Bondy will be launching the largest ever case-control study of glioma worldwide in January, 2010. This study will recruit over 6000 glioma patients and controls in hope of identifying genetic and environmental risk factors for glioma.

Approximately 5% to 10% of glioma cases run in families, but it is not known exactly which genes are related to the disease. Gliogene investigators are looking at families with 2 or more diagnosed gliomas in an attempt to identify genetic links among family members. Genetic links can provide information about the disease which may improve treatment and prevention strategies. "Brain tumor research is extremely challenging, yet rewarding, because any progress in this field translates into significant results down the road," says Melissa Bondy, Ph.D., principal investigator on the study.

The launch of this initiative requires substantial philanthropic funding. Your donations will be awarded as a grant, in order for M. D. Anderson Cancer Center to lead the largest genetic study ever attempted on the causes and risk factors of primary adult and pediatric brain tumors known as gliomas. More information on this multi-center research effort can be found on the web: www.gliogene.org. You can contact Georgina Armstrong, Research Manager, 1.[masked] to learn more about enrollment for protocol 2003-0974.

Don't forget to mark October 16th on your calendars. You can support RFTC in our efforts to raise money for this worthy project during SAM's JAM III.

If you are interested in learning the benefits of being a 2010 Sam's Jam Sponsor, please email Patrick Browning at: [masked] or Patrick can be reached during normal business hours at [masked]
If you or your company / organization would like to be a vendor at West of the Brazos Bar & Grill during the Sam's Jam III Event, please contact me at: [masked] and I'll email you a vendor information packet.