We are excited to announce that we’ve received a legislative grant from the State of Rhode Island, which was obtained through the suggestion of Rhode Island Representative Patricia Serpa. The grant will allow the our charity to raise awareness, encourage early detection and to fund research of esophageal cancer.
The Salgi Esophageal Cancer Research Foundation was founded on November 21, 2011, in memory of our President’s father, who passed away from esophageal cancer. In less than three years, 12 medical research facilities from across the United States have sought funding for their research of esophageal cancer.
President of The Salgi Foundation said “esophageal cancer research is extremely underfunded and does not receive the research money it deserves from the government or other charities.”
In fact, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) decreased its investment in research of esophageal cancer by 15% in 2012; esophageal cancer receives a mere $28.0 million out of NCI’s total $5.07 billion budget; that’s approximately half of one percent.
While The American Cancer Society currently funds 1,165 cancer research projects, only 8 of those funded projects are for esophageal cancer research.
Esophageal cancer diagnosis has increased over 600% in the past decades. “We feel this can be attributed to three things: a lack of public knowledge of the risk factors associated with esophageal cancer (such as chronic heartburn), absolutely no standard or routine screenings to detect esophageal cancer in its earliest stages, when it can be treated and this major lack of research funding.”
“The Salgi Esophageal Cancer Research Foundation is very close to issuing our own grant for esophageal research” but stresses the importance of support. “As a nonprofit, we rely on the generosity of the public and our community to support this mission and, most importantly, get these research facilities the funding they deserve.”
“We are very thankful to Representative Serpa for all of her support,” our President continued, “since the very beginning, she believed in this mission and in our abilities to fulfill these goals.” Representative Serpa has also worked with The Salgi Foundation to have April proclaimed Esophageal Cancer Awareness month in Rhode Island for the past three years.
For more information or to make a tax-deductible donation, please visit: salgi.org/donate
Photo: RI Representatives. Rhode Island Representative Patricia Serpa, second from left, welcomes guests from The Salgi Esophageal Cancer Research Foundation to the House of Representatives on April 9, 2014 to witness the proclamation naming April ‘Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month’ in the State of Rhode Island. Joining Rep. Serpa from left are President, Vice President and Secretary.
The Salgi Esophageal Cancer Research Foundation 