MILWAUKEE (Oct. 17, 2017) – As part of its annual Combos For A Cure campaign, Cousins Subs ® raises $50,000 for Wisconsin-based nonprofit—the Vince Lombardi Cancer Foundation (VLCF).
In September, Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, each of Cousins’ Wisconsin restaurants donated a portion of the proceeds from every combo meal sold to the fight against pediatric cancer. Cousins’ Make It Better Foundation —a nonprofit charitable organization dedicated to funding local organizations that address health and wellness, hunger and youth education—also contributed to the cause helping to reach the sub shop’s $50,000 fundraising goal. “For the third year, the community has shown great generosity and compassion. When we come together, it’s astonishing what can be accomplished and we thank all who helped us get to our $50,000 goal,” said Justin McCoy, vice president of marketing at Cousins Subs. “We have full confidence that through the efforts and support of proven organizations such as VLCF that we are on the pathway to more cancer-free tomorrows.”
VLCF will use a portion of the funds to support both the Milwaukee-based Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin and Madison-based American Family Children’s Hospital in their innovative research and implementation of immunotherapy treatment for better outcomes in childhood cancer. Immunotherapy harnesses a patient’s own immune system to track down and rid of cancerous cells, making it a personalized treatment for each individual patient. A patient’s immune cells are collected, genetically reprogrammed to recognize and rid of the cancer, and infused back into the patient. This tailored approach keeps healthy cells alive in the patient, eliminates the need to find a match with traditional bone marrow transplants, and prevents side effects. “The Combos For A Cure campaign continues to make a direct impact in our local communities as we fight together against cancer,” said Paul Soltwedel, president of the Vince Lombardi Cancer Foundation. “The Vince Lombardi Cancer Foundation is proud to be partners with Cousins and looks forward to continuing our fight together. This program is a terrific example of community partnership with direct results.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately every three minutes a child is diagnosed with cancer, and the National Cancer Institute estimates that of those children diagnosed with cancer in the United States in 2017, 1,790 will not survive the disease. Cousins and VLCF, both Wisconsin-based organizations, first teamed up to tackle cancer in September 2015 with the launch of Combos For A Cure. Through the tremendous support of the local community, Cousins has met its fundraising goal the last three consecutive years—leading to a total contribution of $150,000 for local research and compassionate care. For more information about Combos For A Cure visit www.cousinssubs.com/foracure .