7/19/2013

The Fashion Footwear Association of New York Inc. (FFANY) and home shopping network QVC have presented $200,000 for breast cancer research to the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI), partner with UPMC CancerCenter. The contribution came from the net proceeds of last fall’s 19th annual QVC Presents “FFANY Shoes on Sale” event held to benefit several cancer research centers across the country, including UPCI.

The grant will fund research examining why cancer recurs and metastasizes that is being led by Adrian V. Lee, Ph.D., and Nancy E. Davidson, M.D., who both are principal investigators, and Steffi Oesterreich, Ph.D., and Adam Brufsky, M.D., Ph.D., the study’s co-investigators. Focus on breast cancer relapse and metastasis has previously received little research attention yet has the potential to have a major impact upon breast cancer survival as more than 90 percent of breast cancer deaths are related to metastatic disease.

“We are honored that the Fashion Footwear Association of New York and QVC have recognized the important work we’re doing here at UPCI. With their generous support, we are hoping to find altered genes that could be modulated to treat and ultimately prevent the recurrence of breast cancer,” said Dr. Davidson, who also is director of UPCI and the UPMC CancerCenter.

The grant was given to UPCI after more than $219,000 in matching funds were raised by the community in western Pennsylvania. The funds were donated by individuals and through community-based events including last October’s Carnegie Mellon University Memorial Football Game in honor of head coach Rich Lackner's wife Cynthia, who died of breast cancer last year.

Since its inception, QVC Presents “FFANY Shoes on Sale” has sold more than 1 million pairs of shoes and generated more than $41 million to benefit leading breast cancer research and education institutions. The event’s “Special Pink Benefactors” — The Jones Group, the Brown Shoe Company and Camuto Group — each donated shoes worth more than $500,000 in 2012, bringing shoe shoppers such brands as Enzo Angiolini, Bandolino and AK Anne Klein. Other companies that generously donated shoes included Chinese Laundry, Guess, Kenneth Cole New York, MICHAEL by Michael Kors and many more.