The Woodward News

Local News

September 11, 2012

Chamber members hear report on cancer center

Brandi Thomas Woodward News

Woodward, Okla. — Woodward Chamber of Commerce members heard a report on the Stephenson Cancer Center and had some fun raising money for the United Fund during Monday's monthly luncheon.

Former Lt. Gov. Jari Askins, gave a report on the cancer center, which is a part of the OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City. Askins is an associate provost at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

Askins said the mission for the cancer center is prevention and control; lab research; clinical research; patient and clinical care and education.

The cancer center is seeking to become a designated National Cancer Institute (NCI). Currently the closest NCI centers to Oklahoma are in Kansas City and Dallas, Askins said.

The entry to the new cancer center is called the living room.

"I just love that the first thing you walk into talks about living," Askins said.

Askins said that the center is still in the process of moving some services over to the new facility and they should have their new proton therapy machine in by the end of the year.

"We want you to know what is happening in the state and we hope we have the opportunity to treat people better," Askins said.

The center is currently conducting 255 clinical trials on new cancer treatments with 6,547 patients enrolled in the trials. Askins said it is Oklahoma's only Phase 1 trial program. She said in March of this year the center was recognized as one of the top 10 Phase 1 centers in the nation.

United Fund Kick-Off

The meeting also kicked off the United Fund drive and organizers said the goal this year is to raise $125,000.

The United Fund supports several agencies in the area, which includes Cimarron Council, Boy Scouts of America; High Plains Outreach Center, Inc.; Kids Inc.; Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma; Northwest Oklahoma Chapter, American Red Cross; Northwest Oklahoma Literacy Council; Panhandle Nutrition Services; Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma; Woodward Salvation Army and Woodward Senior Citizen Center.

To get the fundraising started 2 baskets of college goodies were auctioned off.

The first was a basket from Northwestern Oklahoma State University that included gift cards, t-shirts, a cookbook and other various items and it sold for $400.

The next was the 'Bedlam Basket' with 2 tickets to the OU/OSU football game, an OU and OSU t-shirts and various gift cards, it sold for $450.

Buckets were then passed around, one from OU the other from OSU for people to donate cash, it was a battle to see which school would have the most at the end of the luncheon. Chamber President C. J. Montgomery said around $1,000 was raised by passing the buckets around to the packed audience.

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