Backstreet Boy Richardson to Hike Mt. Rainier to Support Cancer Research

Back - Index - Submissions - - What is RSS? Date: Dec 12, 2001 Source: Just Within Reach Submitted By: JWR FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 11, 2001 CONTACT: Vicki Hanna vicki@justwithinreach.org Richardson provides hiking trip to Mt. Rainier as auction item for Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Holiday Gala STUDIO CITY, Calif. – Reports of “Backstreet Boy sightings” were running rampant in Seattle the weekend of December 1. Kevin Richardson was seen eating at a local restaurant on Capitol Hill, shopping at Niketown and boogying down at a nightclub. But he wasn’t there to just take in the local fare and drizzly weather. Richardson, 30, was visiting the Emerald City to support the search for a cure for cancer, the disease that claimed the life of his father in 1991. Richardson attended the 26th Annual Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center’s Holiday Gala, a black-tie event that included a dinner and the second-largest benefit auction in the country. Richardson himself donated a unique auction item that would support cancer research while promoting a healthy activity in the great outdoors, backing two goals of his environmental foundation, Just Within Reach. Gala attendees bid on a Day Hike prize-pack for a family of four which includes a hike on Washington state’s Mt. Rainer with Richardson and a private dinner to follow. The prize also includes overnight accommodations at Copper Creek Inn. The North Face donated Recon Day Packs for the pending hike. The once-in-a-lifetime trip was won with a high bid of $9,000. The winning Hutch supporter and aunt of eight nieces and nephews, whose ages range from seven to 27 and who are ALL Backstreet Boys fans, now faces the daunting task of determining who will meander up the mountain with Richardson next spring or summer. “I’ve been to a lot of great events and celebrations throughout the years, but the Gala was just amazing because of the research it supports and the people it helps,” said Richardson. “The love in that room for the people whose lives have been touched by cancer, and the deep desire to do something to cure it – well, it just blew me away. It was intense. And I’m glad I could be a part of it.” Besides his donation of the Mt. Rainier excursion, Richardson made other significant contributions to The Hutch Center, as he was high bidder on other items auctioned throughout the night. The Gala raised a total of $3.5 million. The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center is an independent, nonprofit research institution dedicated to the development and advancement of biomedical technology to eliminate cancer and other potentially fatal diseases. Recognized internationally for its pioneering work in bone-marrow transplantation, the Center’s four scientific divisions collaborate to form a unique environment for conducting basic and applied science. The Hutchinson Center is the only National Cancer institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in the Pacific Northwest and is one of 37 nationwide. For more information, visit the Center’s Web site at www.fhcrc.org. Kevin Richardson’s Just Within Reach Foundation provides environmental education and promotes personal responsibility and accountability with regard to the health of the Earth. JWR serves as a resource that empowers people, particularly young people and families, with information and practical examples of environmental issues - knowledge that can be put into action at the local level. In addition, the Foundation supports cancer research and hopes to determine the link between environmental hazards and the incidence of cancer. For more information, go to www.JustWithinReach.org. Comment on this item. Recent Comments Submitted by: johnansaz http://imrdsoacha.gov.co/silvitra-120mg-qrms Comment on this item. Next Item: Torch lights up Lake Eola Prev Item: Drowning/Chapter One Stats