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Utah industrialist and philanthropist Jon M. Huntsman and his wife, Karen, have donated another $41 million to support the University of Utah's Huntsman Cancer Institute.
The donation to the Huntsman Cancer Foundation, which provides financial support for the institute, comes on top of some $300 million the Huntsman family has donated to benefit the hospital and research center since it was founded in 1995.
"Except for my family and faith, there is no cause more important to me than fighting cancer," Jon Huntsman said in a statement. "I have committed the rest of my life to doing all I can to support clinical and research efforts to eliminate this disease."
The latest gift came as a surprise to many.
"It was unexpected," said University of Utah President Michael K. Young. "But on the other hand, you come to expect the unexpected from the Huntsmans. [They] are without peer in their fight against cancer and in their commitment to relieve the pain and suffering of this insidious disease."
The Huntsman Cancer Institute is a National Cancer Institute-designated center. That means it meets the national standards for care and research and qualifies for grants and other financial support from the National Cancer Institute.
In 2012, the Huntsman Cancer Institute will have a budget of approximately $58 million, said Scott Lloyd, senior director of finance and administration. While much of that funding will come from research and other grants, there is always a financial gap that needs to be filled, he said.
"Every year, our funding needs are a little different. It ebbs and flows," Lloyd said, noting, though, that the institute can count on funding coming in quarterly from the Huntsman Cancer Foundation.
Huntsman Cancer Institute CEO Mary Beckerle said the Huntsmans' latest gift "positions us to greatly accelerate our efforts and our impact."
She said it will help the institute hire more researchers and acquire new treatment technology.
Beckerle expressed her "deep appreciation to Jon and Karen Huntsman, who have demonstrated, once again, their unparalleled devotion to finding a cure for cancer. [The institute] would not exist without the vision, commitment and remarkable generosity of the Huntsman family."
The Huntsmans' donations throughout the years, added to other contributions and grants, have resulted in nearly $1 billion being invested in the fight against cancer in Utah, Beckerle said.
Jon M. Huntsman is the founder of Huntsman Corp., a worldwide chemicals conglomerate based in Salt Lake City and The Woodlands, Texas.
For more information
Visit the Huntsman Cancer Institute website • http://www.huntsmancancer.org