Sophomore Nick Stanovick is bringing The Lucy Fund to campus March 16.
The Lucy Fund, which aims to make cancer a chronic, not deadly, disease, is the cause behind Party4Life MU, an annual event to support research to control metastatic cancer.
Stanovick’s mother Lucy started the fund in 2008 after she was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer.
“She started the foundation because she did extensive research on her specific type of cancer and decided to start her own foundation to raise money that specifically went toward research that specified in metastasis,” said Stanovick.
Metastatic cancer involves a spread of cancer to vital organs. This specific type of cancer does not get a lot of attention, Stanovick said.
Metastasis kills 90% of all people who die from cancer, yet less than 5% of all funding goes to metastasis research.
Lucy is partnered with The National Foundation for Cancer Research.
“They are kind of like the middle man. They help us by giving us resources. We give them money, and they send the money to the researcher that we fund whose name is Danny Welch,” said Stanovick. “He is at the University of Kansas.”
Lucy has held Party4Life for the past four years.
“We would have people come and play lawn games. There was a basket raffle and we would have dancing, dinner, a balloon release and guest speakers,” said Stanovick.
Lucy passed away in 2012 after the fifth Party4Life. She had raised more than $200,000 for research.
“In the subsequent six months, The Lucy Fund was in limbo and my best friend Jalen Blott and I decided to try to resurrect it,” said Stanovick.
Taking on this challenge sparked a new purpose for Stanovick.
“In doing so, we found a passion for cancer, obviously because we had been directly affected by it but also because there is such a discrepancy between the amount of money that goes toward metastasis and what metastasis does,” said Stanovick.
Stanovick and his committee, which consists of Blott, Samantha Phillips, and Jeremy Curatola.
“What we have decided to do was take the Lucy Fund to a na- tional level,” said Stanovick. “How we’re going to do that is through an initiative in colleges.”
“What I have found is college students are so eager to give back something,” said Stanovick. “They just need a little push in the direction or a vehicle to be pas- sionate about. That is why we’re going to bring it to Misericordia.”
By targeting young college students now, organizers hope they can nurture commitment to volunteerism for the future.
“What we want is to build a foundation of donors that will donate $5 to $10 now but in 10 years they might be able to donate $100,” said Stanovick, who added that after students graduate, they will be in the position to have a greater impact.
“They will be in the workforce, so we can hopefully infiltrate corporate and get sponsors. That way we can bring in more money and that can add to our relevancy,” he said.
Stanovick believes bringing the Lucy Fund to campus has many great benefits.
“Personally, I think it could blow up at this school,” said Stanovick.
Stanovick said cancer impacts everyone.
“If you haven’t been directly affected by cancer, you have a friend who has. I’m sure everyone who’s going to be attending the event, everyone on campus, pretty much everyone in the world has been touched by the disease,” said Stanovick. “But very few people know about metastasis.”
Stanovick hopes to the event is an opportunity to help everyone cope with cancer.
“We’re going to try to educate people and also try to raise money, but also just create an environment on campus where it’s okay to be vulnerable and talk about issues that aren’t really comfort- able,” said Stanovick. “Cancer sucks, but it needs to be relevant. Hopefully through this event our campus can rally, learn and fundraise,” Stanovick said.
The Party4Life MU will be held Sunday, March 16 from 4 to 8 p.m. in Insalaco Hall. The event will include guest speakers, a balloon release and other fun activities. Food will also be available.
To learn more or donate visit nfcr.org/lucyfund.