News from CLL Global - March Issue

Bits and Pieces from the CLL Global Community

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NEWLY DIAGNOSED

If you have recently been diagnosed with CLL, you probably have a lot of questions.

Information about CLL

What we are doing to defeat CLL

BE SOCIAL

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Join our Cause

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FUNDRAISING IDEAS

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Supporters have come up with great ideas that you can borrow:

Family Cookbook

Golf Tournament

Garage Sale

Involve the kids and grandkids in your fundraising efforts with a lemonade stand or bake sale!

WHY YOU SHOULD GIVE US YOUR MONEY

CLL Global is unique. All funds are provided to CLL specific research.

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Our fearless leader, Dr. Michael Keating, has been in the business for a while. He pioneered the best treatment option currently available for CLL. He knows the who, what and when of CLL research and guides the organization accordingly.

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Only 5% of total funds are used for administrative overhead. This is practically unheard of in the nonprofit world. That means 95 cents of every dollar you give is going straight to the researcher searching for a cure.

SPECIAL OCCASIONS

A donation to CLL Global is a great way to be honored or to honor someone you care about. We offer acknowledgement cards for the occasion. Make sure to indicate the special occasion on the donation form. If you make a donation through Justgive.org, send an email to info@cllglobal.org so the acknowledgement card can be sent in a timely fashion.

GET INVOLVED

Ready to get started on your fundraising campaign? We are ready to help. Email info@cllglobal.org for materials for your letterwriting campaign or any questions you might have on getting started.

FEATURED VIDEOS

Dr. Jan Burger (MD Anderson Cancer Cancer Center) is an expert in the complicated relationship between CLL cells and their surrounding environment. In this video, he explains how this relationship is being disrupted with new therapies.

QUESTIONS/COMMENTS?

Is there something specific you want to read and learn about?

Let us know if you have any comments or suggestions for improvement.

You are the reason CLL Global exists, and we want to hear from you.

info@cllglobal.org

DONATE NOW!!

March 2012

Greetings!

Spring is right around the corner, and it is an exceptional time of year. Flowers blossom. The sun shines a little longer. An upbeat, refreshed mood replaces the somber quiet of winter. We want to roll with this energy and put it toward an amazing year of novel fundraising. We hope you do too!

This issue discusses several, easy ways for you to advocate for CLL Global. We need you to support us so that we can continue to fund outstanding research like the the new projects we have recently funded. Scroll down to learn more about the projects and the researchers behind them.

PARTNER PERSPECTIVE

Focus on Fundraising

Our donors have exceeded our expectations, and we are very thankful. The bulk of contributions come in the form of individual donations prompted by our Research Momentum newsletter. However, there are several effortless ways for you to support CLL Global without writing a check.

The easiest thing you can do to support CLL Global is to search the web via GoodSearch (powered by Yahoo!). Their goal is to help people change the world with simple everyday actions. All you have to do is make GoodSearch your homepage and designate CLL Global as your charity of choice. Every time you search online, we get a penny. It does not sound like a lot, but if every person receiving Tidbits did one search a day for one year, an extra $3,500 could be raised. All for doing nothing out of the ordinary!

Have you ever made an online purchase? Plan on making one again? GoodShop is an extension of GoodSearch that has partnered with thousands of your favorite online stores (Best Buy, Nordstrom, Amazon, etc.). When you buy online through GoodShop, a percentage of your purchase will be donated to CLL Global. Participating stores even offer coupons exclusively through GoodShop.

GoodSearch has branched out from the cyber world with GoodDining. Every time you eat out, a donation will be made to CLL Global at no additional cost to you. Enroll and register your credit or debit cards then dine out at a participating location. If you are concerned about providing your credit card information, their privacy policy may ease your mind.

GoodSearch offers a toolbar you can download which provides easy access to the Good websites and current store coupons. You can learn everything you want to know about Good stuff by clicking here.

Make a Wish

Facebook is a global phenomenon. We have our own little spot in its world. (Like us on Facebook!) One aspect that makes Facebook so powerful is its support of "anyone with a good idea or passion for change to impact the world."

You can host your own fundraising campaign via Causes on Facebook with proceeds benefitting CLL Global. It is so easy. Visit wishes.causes.com where you can choose from six wish options: birthday, wedding, run/walk/ride, holiday, memorial, and personal wish. Click on the big green button that says "Create a wish" to get started, and encourage your friends and family to support your cause.

Click here for an example of a great Wish in progress from one of our supporters, Mr. Bill Callahan.

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

Utilizing friends, family and other contacts significantly stretches a donor's contribution. Supporters have been generous in hosting events or using their talents to raise funds on behalf of CLL Global. Many of them have been discussed right here in Tidbits.

Never underestimate the power of a good old fashioned letter writing campaign. For several years, Brad and Rita Baker have solicited to their community on behalf of CLL Global. We happily provide the Bakers with copies of the CLL Global Research Momentum newsletter, brochures, letterhead and envelopes. The Bakers then write a personal appeal to their community. Over the years, they have generated $12,000 in extra funds we would have otherwise not received.

Fundraising Successes

2011 fundraising has come to an end and all donations have been tallied...

Rene' Uze', Brenda Watson and Dr. Michael Keating

Rene' Uze' held a book signing and reception in June 2011. He continued to raise funds throughout the year and recently presented Dr. Michael Keating, President and CEO of CLL Global, with the remaining donations from the campaign. With funds previously received from the event and funds raised by his girlfriend Brenda Watson from a golf tournament, over $5,000 was raised for CLL Global from the folks in Cajun Country.

Will and Steve Newman

Will Newman is a master of the piano. He and his father wrote and produced an album with all proceeds benefitting CLL Global. CDs sold for $10 or for a donation amount of the purchaser's choosing. The total amount raised for CLL Global by the 'Believe Again' project exceeded $8,000.

Thanks to everyone who participated in these fundraising efforts!

RESEARCH NEWS

New Grants Awarded

Four new individual grants have recently been awarded by CLL Global. All of the recipients are up-and-comers in the CLL research community and have been working with leaders in their fields. Their projects will answer important questions as we continue the quest toward the cure of CLL.

Dr. Xavier Badoux (University of Sydney, Royal North Shore Campus, Australia): Some of our readers may remember Dr. Badoux from his time spent as a clinical fellow in the Leukemia Department at the UT MD Anderson Cancer Center. As a clinical scientist, Dr. Badoux is interested in the relationship between treatment with the FCR regimen and poor prognostic factors in the elderly CLL population. New technology will enable Dr. Badoux to perform in-depth gene sequencing of the TP53 and ATM genes in patient samples and identify other genes related to treatment failure. His intent is to develop a new methodology that will be a routine prognostic assessment for all CLL patients. Read Abstract.

Dr. Kumudha Balakrishnan (UT MD Anderson Cancer Center): CLL cells express high levels of proteins that inhibit programmed cell death (apoptosis). Dr. Balakrishnan and her colleagues have identified a specific protein which should aid in implementing apoptosis but does not function properly in CLL cells. In lab studies, the investigators will mimic this protein in CLL cells to provide a better understanding of the balance between the pro-survival and pro-death pathways. These studies should provide knowledge critical for optimizing targeted therapies. Read Abstract.

Dr. Yuri Pekarsky (Ohio State University): Dr. Pekarsky and his colleagues are investigating the DLEU7 gene which is located in the deleted region of chromosome 13q. They hypothesize that DLEU7 may cooperate with miR15/16, two small molecules also located in the deleted 13q region that play an important role in the initiation of CLL. They will clarify on the molecular level how inactivation of DLEU7 contributes to CLL and establish whether DLEU7 can be used as a target for developing therapeutic approaches for CLL. Read Abstract.

Dr. Carmen Schweighofer (University of Cologne, Germany): While studying under Dr. Lynne Abruzzo at the UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Dr. Schweighofer together with Dr. Abruzzo discovered gene-signatures in peripheral blood samples. These signatures may predict time-to-treatment and overall survival in previously untreated CLL patients. She has recently returned to Germany where she will validate these gene signatures in an independent cohort of patients. Read Abstract.

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING US!

We continue to be inspired by the passion and commitment of our proponents. It is validation that we are making a difference. With your help, we will continue to fund innovative and collaborative research on a global scale. Taking an active role in piecing the puzzle together will benefit everyone impacted by the disease.

Sincerely,

CLL Global Research Foundation