[bostoncure.org] Status since last reported on 2/18/03

[Art Mellor]

Boston Cure Project informal status since last reported on 2/18/03:

>>> Fundraising

*** WE NEED YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS ***

The Watercove Charitable Foundation has graciously offered to match
any contributions we get beyond those contributed last year, up to a
total of $50,000 until the end of April. If you contributed $50 last
year and contribute $200 this year, $150 is matched so the total
contribution to us is $350. If your company matches, it is even more! 

Remember, you can support our efforts by contributing:
http://www.bostoncure.org/default.php?nav=involved

We've had a great response so far, but we are just under half-way to
our goal! Please help out and make a contribution or pledge before the
end of April

>>> Joining Us This Month

Dr. Al Sandrock has joined our Pharmaceutical Advisory Board. You can
read his bio here:
http://www.bostoncure.org/default.php?nav=bcp&topic=people&bio=AlfredSandrock

>>> Cure Map

o In an effort to see what clinical trials are like from the inside,
  Art has enrolled in a local longitudinal study. This will hopefully
  give us insight into how we should run our tissue bank trial.

o Hollie has finished the genetics Phase 2 analysis on gene location
  (autosomal, X and Y chromosomes), which will appear on our web site
  shortly

o Prepared the MS genetic studies spreadsheet for posting to our web
  site, which will also go up shortly

o A group of of MIT Sloan School students are analyzing the financial
  and regulatory requirements surrounding tissue banking so that we
  can use this information after our pilot study to scale our
  operations to 1000's of samples

>>> Education

o The MSNews server 

o MSNews (http://msnews.bostoncure.org) continues to run daily updates
  on MS related items. If you come across anything MS related and new
  on the web, please submit it to our site.

>>> Community Building

o Our 2nd annual report has been printed and is in the mail. If you
  contributed $100 or more you should receive a copy shortly if you
  have not already. It looks fantastic!

o Our latest newsletter has been mailed, we've broken the 1,000
  subscriber level on this last mailing.

o We've been contacting a number of other groups and people to help us
  out and give us advice:
  - DAISY (Diabetes Autoimmunity Study in the Young)
  - Carolina Lupus Study
  - Lupus Multiplex Registry & Repository
  - Ursula Utz at NIH
  - Epidemiologist Alberto Ascherio at Harvard
  - Bruce Manning of NE Biomed
  - Nancy Davis of the Race to Erase MS

o Thanks to Krista, we've been getting quite a bit of press
  - Woburn Advocate article on the contribution of the graphic design,
    photography and printing of our Annual Report by local comapnies
  - Mass High Tech article on our fundraising challenge
  - Newton Tab article on our fundraising challenge
  - Yahoo! and the Boston Business Journal reported on our press
    release announcing our tissue bank project.

  Many web sites picked up these releases and we've had a steady
  stream of emails and phone calls including researchers from Stanford
  and Harvard who are excited to see us filling a desperate need.

>>> Events

o The Scavenger Hunt will be run again on May 10th. We need volunteers!
  Send mail to Lisa Sargeant at lisa at bostoncure.org saying you'd like to help.
  A formal announcement will go out shortly.

o Boston Cure Project staff attended talks by Peter Riskind (sponsored
  by Biogen) and a big Serono event featuring Teri Garr. We actually
  got to meet her and she was interested enough to take an Annual
  Report. 

>>> Volunteer Efforts

Volunteer Staff
 - Sue Mellor
 - Krista Milne
 - Debbie Mellor

Winter Boston Cure Project Staff Party Helpers
 - Debbie Mellor
 - Leslie Kenney
 - Lisa Sargeant
 - Thersa Hahn
 - Sue Mellor
 - Anthony O'Shea

Case Study
 - Anna Peabody
 - Krista Milne

Fundraising Help
 - Krista Milne
 - Gordon Brownlee
 - Debby Wiesen
 - Jacqueline McCoy
 - Debbie Mellor
 - Anthony O'Shea
 - Wendy Booker

Newsletter
- Clockwork Design
- Carol Macaluso
- Mail Perfect

PR
- David Flannery
- Krista Milne
- Joel Shore

Finances
 - Jill McGaffigan
 - Mike Gonnerman

Scavenger Hunt
- Molly Corbett
- David Flannery
- Kim Labow
- Debbie Mellor
- Krista Milne
- Joanne Minassian
- Anthony O'Shea
- Lisa Sargeant
- Amanda Viciana

MSNews
 - Brian Del Vecchio

Web Site Upgrade
 - Theresa Hahn
 - Brian Del Vecchio