I am fighting in memory of friends and family that have lost their battle with cancer; for those who are currently fighting their own battle; and in honor of those who have endured this disease and survived.

I am also fighting to raise awareness for the importance of research and the importance of funding research so cures can be found. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), in 2018, an estimated 1,735,350 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in the United States and 609,640 will die from the disease. The goal of studying cancer is to develop safe and effective methods to prevent, detect, diagnose, treat, and ultimately cure cancer. Researchers have made discoveries that have led to treatments, prevention strategies, and cures. Most of those discoveries didn't come over night. In the lab, the science, the trials, the experiments – it is a slow, methodical process testing hypotheses and finding out which ones work. For every positive and promising discovery, there were thousands of blind alleys and failed experiments – that's the nature of science. A single discovery can take years, decades even. Cancer is a complex problem and a complex question, and there are no easy answers. But it's vital that research continues and that the efforts of our researchers are supported so they can fight the fight in the lab so that those who are diagnosed with cancer can one day be cured. Cancer research transforms and saves lives. Research increases survival.

Haymakers for Hope’s mission is to knockout cancer by literally fighting for a cure. They give everyday men and women the opportunity to fight back against this terrible disease by training for, and competing in charity boxing events to raise money and awareness. They hope to help give life saving researchers the resources needed to fully focus their efforts on finding a cure. My work in research administration led me down this path and along with the Haymakers for Hope family, I'm excited to bring attention to the importance of supporting and funding research so one day our friends and family no longer have to endure this awful disease. 

I'm thankful to Haymakers for Hope and proud to have been selected to participate in this event. Not every fight ends at the bell. Together, we can make a difference. 

Please consider donating to help us #KOCancer!