Funky Winkerbean

I read the comic Funky Winkerbean each morning on the Seattle Post Intelligencer. The creator, Tom Batiuk, has been unafraid to write and draw about difficult issues: teen pregnancy, adoption, alcoholism, divorce and most recently death of a beloved wife and mother (Lisa) from cancer.

Lisa's Legacy Fund for Cancer Research and Education has been established to support the University Hospitals Ireland Cancer Center in Cleveland, Ohio.

From the Funky Winkerbean website:

The University Hospitals Ireland Cancer Center is one of only 40 comprehensive cancer centers in the United States, as designated by the National Institutes of Health. Currently in its 19th year of operation, it is a leading center for patient care, cancer research, and community education about cancer care. One hundred percent of the donations to Lisa’s Legacy Fund will go to cancer research and education at Ireland Cancer Center. Ongoing research includes work on the development of a vaccine for breast cancer, a blood test for colon cancer, breakthrough chemotherapy treatments for all types of cancer featuring new drugs developed by the Center’s clinician-scientists, and new approaches to radiation treatments. Ireland Cancer Center is one of only eight cancer centers in the country to have access to a pipeline of new drugs through the National Cancer Institute for early phase clinical trials.

Batiuk, a cancer survivor himself, said, “Anyone whose family has been affected by cancer knows what a gut-wrenching experience it can be. While great strides have been made in the fight against cancer, there is still much work to do. I’ve received hundreds of letters and emails from people who recognized themselves or loved ones in Lisa’s story. She came to represent the many individual battles against cancer that people fight everyday. Beyond the emotional impact that Lisa’s story has had on people, Lisa’s Legacy Fund will now have a real impact on the continuing fight against cancer.”

You can support Lisa's Fund by donating directly to the Cancer Center or by purchasing Tom Batiuk's new book on Lisa called Lisa's Story: The Other Shoe.