AACR Foundation

AACR Runners For Research

The AACR Runners for Research program continued to grow, as committed supporters set records in both fundraising and participation for every AACR-partnered race in 2025. More than 2,000 runners participated in a wide range of events to spread awareness of AACR’s mission and raise money for lifesaving cancer research.

• AACR Philadelphia Marathon. AACR has been the title partner for the AACR Philadelphia Marathon since 2016. In November, a record number of more than 1,000 individuals participated in Marathon Weekend races as part of the AACR Runners for Research team, raising $825,000 to advance cutting-edge cancer science.
• Marine Corps Marathon. This was AACR’s second year as charity partner for the Marine Corps Marathon, which followed a course through Washington, D.C., and Arlington, Virginia, in November. Twenty-six members of the AACR Runners for Research team raised more than $43,000 to support cancer research.

• 2025 AACR Runners for Research 5K Run/Walk. During the AACR Annual Meeting 2025 in Chicago, AACR President Lillian L. Siu, MD, FAACR, and AACR Chief Philanthropic Officer Mitch Stoller welcomed Annual Meeting attendees, Chicago residents, and local running clubs to this signature event, which raised more than $275,000 to support AACR’s mission.
• TCS New York City Marathon. The AACR Runners for Research team was again designated as an Official Community Charity Partner for the TCS New York City Marathon. Seven team members—including two cancer survivors—were invited to run the iconic race in November and raise awareness of AACR programs. Team members raised $90,000 to support future breakthroughs.

DO-IT-YOURSELF (DIY) FUNDRAISING

AACR’s Do-It-Yourself (DIY) program invites supporters to engage their family, friends, and networks in raising essential funds for cancer research. Program participant Joe Fornasiero—who was diagnosed with desmoplastic small round cell tumors (DSRCT) at age 32—demonstrated how one person can enlist his community to expand his impact. Through an AACR DIY fundraising webpage in 2024, Joe raised $33,000 to fund DSRCT research conducted by AACR member and grantee Madelyn Espinosa-Cotton, PhD. Joe’s mother, Kris, expanded his philanthropic community in 2025 by dedicating her campground’s annual Labor Day dance to raise money for AACR. She and her network raised $16,000 to fund AACR Scholar-In-Training Awards to support research on DSRCT.

Community Relationships

• Believe in Progress Podcast. The AACR Foundation’s Believe in Progress podcast features conversations with cancer survivors, patient advocates, and leading researchers and physician-scientists. Hosted by Mitch Stoller, chief philanthropic officer of AACR, each episode highlights the importance of lifesaving cancer research and its impact on people who have been touched by the disease. The podcast—which has released more than 60 episodes since its launch in 2024—showcased a wide variety of guests in 2025, including:

• Karlie Kisha, an Olympian, papillary thyroid cancer survivor, and assistant coach for the Villanova University field hockey team, who received her cancer diagnosis just months before the Paris Olympic Games
• Joe Krajewski, a devoted father, runner, and cancer advocate who lost his only child, Will, to osteosarcoma in 2016—and began running as part of “Team Will Power” to honor his son by raising funds and awareness to drive progress against cancer.

• Listen to the Believe in Progress episode featuring Karlie Kisha

  

• Listen to the Believe in Progress episode featuring Joe Krajewski

  

• Party with a Purpose. In October, the Friends of the AACR Foundation held its 22nd annual Party with a Purpose fundraising gala, dedicating a portion of the proceeds to support lifesaving research in melanoma and skin cancer through AACR. The 2025 edition of the gala raised nearly $400,000 to advance cancer science and medicine.
• Every year, Party with a Purpose honors individuals who have driven progress against cancer, either through scientific inquiry or humanitarian efforts. The 2025 Party with a Purpose Scientific Achievement Award was presented to Lynn M. Schuchter, MD, director of the Tara Miller Melanoma Center at the University of Pennsylvania’s Abramson Cancer Center. As part of her award, Dr. Schuchter selected Alexander Huang, MD, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, to receive the Early Career Investigator Award.
• The Party with a Purpose Humanitarian Award was presented to Patricia D. Wellenbach, immediate past president and CEO of the Please Touch Museum, immediate past board chair of Thomas Jefferson University/Jefferson Health, and a cancer survivor.
• The 2025 edition of the gala featured a new honor, the Community Impact Award, which was presented to the Tara Miller Melanoma Foundation. Founded in 2014 by attorney Tara Miller after she received a melanoma diagnosis and passed away that same year at 29 years old, the foundation has since partnered with Dr. Schuchter to fund innovative melanoma research.

• Read an interview with Party with a Purpose Scientific Achievement, Early Career Investigator, and Humanitarian Award recipients Lynn M. Schuchter, MD, Alexander Huang, MD, and Patricia D. Wellenbach on the AACR Blog

  

AACR MEMBER IMPACT: SUPPORTING THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS IN CANCER CHEMISTRY

Sustaining the pipeline of cancer scientists is critical to accelerating progress for patients. In 2025, the current generation of leaders in cancer research took bold steps to sustain the next generation of investigators. In October, the AACR Chemistry in Cancer Research Working Group launched a new program to fund travel awards for early-career chemists to support their attendance at the AACR Annual Meeting. Senior scientists affirmed their commitment to the future of cancer chemistry by donating to AACR in support of their early-career colleagues. The first beneficiaries of this new philanthropic initiative will attend the AACR Annual Meeting in San Diego in April 2026.

CORPORATE ALLIANCES: POWERING PROGRESS THROUGH SUSTAINING MEMBERSHIP

Industry plays a vital role in the cancer research enterprise, and AACR’s industry partners continued to support critical programs and initiatives in 2025. Several AACR Sustaining Members made notable financial commitments to advance AACR’s mission over the past year:

• In September, Pfizer supported a Patient Advocate Roundtable at the AACR Conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities. Titled “Trust and Truth: Building Bridges Between Science and Communities Affected by Cancer,” the session explored effective approaches to engagement and health communication that can serve to build and sustain trust within communities affected by cancer. These roundtables—which Pfizer has supported since 2022—ensure that patient advocates remain at the center of the cancer research community.
• AACR Sustaining Members AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Novartis all made significant investments in the AACR Women in Cancer Research (WICR) member constituency group in 2025. Funded programs included the WICR Scholar in Cancer Research Awards, which support the attendance of meritorious early-career scientists at the AACR Annual Meeting, and a series of professional development sessions to help WICR members advance their careers.

2025 AACR SUSTAINING MEMBERS

AACR thanks its Sustaining Members, whose support fuels its mission to prevent and cure all cancers.

Acknowledgement of Donor Support

Donor support helps AACR fund critical research that leads to groundbreaking discoveries, innovations, and treatments. AACR is grateful for the exceptional commitment and generosity of its supporters, who drive progress to save, extend, and enhance the lives of people with cancer.