M.D. Anderson Celebrates 60 Years of Making Cancer History
Star-Studded Performance Takes to Enron Field

More than $10.3 million was raised when supporters of The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center filled the outfield at Enron Field Nov. 1, to commemorate 60 years of cancer research discovery, and celebrate the promise of therapies still to come.

Nearly 2,000 people attended the gala event, which included dinner and live celebrity performances. Former President and first lady George and Barbara Bush were the event’s honorary chairs, and have actively supported M.D. Anderson for 25 years.

Earlier that day, in his first official act as chairman of M.D. Anderson’s Board of Visitors, the former president chaired the annual business meeting and ushered in the first of his two-year volunteer leadership term.

At the evening festivities, the former first couple’s son, President George W. Bush, shared his regards via a videotaped message that congratulated M.D. Anderson and its employees, and spoke of his parents’ caring nature and warm generosity.

The two-hour anniversary program, emceed by Joan Lunden, melded the musical stylings of Irish tenor Ronan Tynan and singer/actress Diahann Carroll with the Houston Symphony and a 300-voice multicongregational choir. Texas crooner Lyle Lovett sang with a 12-member accompaniment from the Windsor Village United Methodist Church.

"We wanted this evening to serve as a salute to all of the people who have contributed to the legacy of M.D. Anderson Cancer Center – all our faculty, employees, volunteers and donors," said Dr. John Mendelsohn, president of M.D. Anderson. "The evening, the show, and the phenomenal amount of money given by friends of M.D. Anderson to support important research all have exceeded our aspirations."

Chairing the anniversary affair were M.D. Anderson Board of Visitors members Pete Coneway, with his wife, Lynn, and Marie Wise and her husband Bill.

Of the more than $10.3 million raised from the anniversary celebration, individual donors directed the majority of the money to one of four primary funding priorities at M.D. Anderson:

• Cancer prevention;
• The George and Barbara Bush Endowment for Innovative Cancer Research, which helps launch emerging research endeavors;
• The Physician-Scientist Program, which provides resources that enable faculty members to simultaneously conduct laboratory research and provide high-quality patient care; and
• The Research Trust, an endowment to assist in competitively recruiting top scientists from around the world.

"We are celebrating our past accomplishments and our plans for even greater contributions in the future," Dr. Mendelsohn said. "These four research initiatives are most representative of the promise that lies ahead."

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