Fundraising is an extremely important part of the Wall Street Decathlon. The real reason we’re killing ourselves at the gym and out on the track is to raise money to support pediatric cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC).

Generous support from the Wall Street Decathlon athletes and their supporters has advanced several key initiatives of the Pediatric Oncology Experimental Therapeutics Investigators’ Consortium (POETIC)—a program led by MSKCC, which is bringing new hope to pediatric patients and families worldwide.

So, where does your money go, exactly? And how far can your dollars stretch? 

• A $500 donation funds the purchase of integral lab supplies, including a microscope used in analyzing POETIC’s collection of tumor cells obtained at diagnosis and relapse.
• A $1,000 donation funds genetic fingerprinting for one child—essential in identifying critical targets and pathways important in the growth of cancer.
• A $5,000 donation funds genomic sequencing for two children. This comprehensive analysis reveals a cancer’s mutation frequency and provides insight for personalized treatment for those patients.
• A $10,000 donation funds the evaluation of a new predictive biomarker known as exosome, which, in addition to helping clinicians more easily identify therapeutic targets, could be an innovative approach to overcoming the limitations of access to tumors in children.
• A $25,000 donation purchases a polymerase chain reaction machine that is used to amplify a segment of DNA during genetic testing and to study mutations in a patient’s tumor cells.
• A $50,000 donation funds one year of drug distribution to ten hospitals in the POETIC network, enabling these critical medicines to get to pediatric patients across the country.
• A $100,000 donation covers the cost of the electronic database to ensure timely data entry for clinical trials over three years.

Thank your friends, family, colleagues, supporters and yourself for considering to support the Wall Street Decathlon at any level. As invaluable partners in the fight against pediatric cancers, your incredible efforts are renewing health and happiness for children globally.

You can donate to the Decathlon and start supporting pediatric cancer research today, here.