CAUSE
For more than 40 years, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center has been redefining what’s possible in cancer research, pushing the boundaries of scientific knowledge to find new ways to detect cancer earlier, develop better treatments with fewer side effects, and prevent it in the first place. At Fred Hutch, more than 3,000 staff members are working relentlessly to eliminate cancer and other life-threatening diseases. And they won’t stop until we have cures.
Fred Hutch’s world-changing scientists have won three Nobel Prizes, including one for pioneering bone marrow transplantation, a treatment that boosted survival rates for some leukemias from nearly zero to 90 percent. Today, Fred Hutch is an internationally recognized powerhouse in the next frontier in cancer treatment: immunotherapy, and especially adoptive T-cell therapy, in which a patient’s own immune system is re-engineered to fight cancer. The Hutch is also home to the nation’s first federally funded — and one of the most highly acclaimed — cancer prevention programs, where researchers are pioneering early detection systems and mining enormous data sets to gain insights that could revolutionize the way cancer is treated.
Who was Fred Hutchinson?
Baseball hero Fred Hutchinson was a legend in the golden era of Pacific Coast League baseball. Known for his tenacity and courage as a player, Fred amassed 591 strikeouts in 11 major league seasons before retiring to become a major league manager. Three years after leading the Cincinnati Reds to the 1961 World Series, Fred died of cancer at the age of 45.
His brother, Dr. Bill Hutchinson, channeled his love and grief into a research center devoted to ending the disease that had claimed Fred’s life. Bill’s concept launched Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, which has catalyzed cancer breakthroughs around the world and had a lasting and significant impact on millions of lives.
Read more about Fred and Bill Hutchinson.
Meet Andy, a loyal Base 2 Space climber
In 2014, Andy was diagnosed with stage 4 Burkitt lymphoma, an aggressive cancer. Yet he considers himself one of the lucky ones. Following an eight-month course of an aggressive chemotherapy regimen, overseen by the then-head of Fred Hutch’s Clinical Research Division, Andy is now cancer-free.
“Not everyone is so blessed,” he says. “There are many types of cancer for which there’s no cure, and all treatments have side effects and long-lasting consequences.” Since Base to Space began in 2015, Andy has climbed the Space Needle’s 832 steps to raise funds for Fred Hutch’s research for new treatments and cures — “so that everyone’s cancer story can be a success story.”
Andy has been a top fundraiser from his first Base 2 Space climb. He has twice earned the coveted prize of a “halo” walk, awarded to top fundraisers and the fastest male and female climbers. Securely fastened in a safety harness, Andy has walked the ring around the Space Needle just below the observation deck, 520 feet off the ground. He is also a two-time winner of the spire climb, the newest prize for top fundraisers after the halo walk was retired in 2017. He has scaled the spire atop the Space Needle, taking in views of Seattle from 605 feet up.
Are you ready to follow in Andy’s footsteps? Challenge yourself and help support the next generation of cures. Register for Base 2 Space today.
As a subsidiary of the Seattle Foundation, the Space Needle Foundation is committed to elevating our community’s collective future by supporting organizations who are at the forefront of transforming lives and make a positive difference in the Puget Sound region. The Space Needle Foundation is proud to support Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, a world-renowned organization dedicated to eliminating cancer and other related diseases. In just four years, the Space Needle Foundation has donated nearly $2.5 million in Base 2 Space donations. In addition to supporting Fred Hutch, the Space Needle Foundation has made contributions to Seattle Children’s Hospital, YouthCare, Friends of the Children, and American Heart Association. More information can be found at www.spaceneedle.com/community.
