KB Strong Foundation Donates $50,000 for Brain Tumor Research at UICOMP
The KB Strong Foundation has donated $50,000 for glioblastoma and brain tumor research at the University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria. The gift is from personal donations, community organizations’ fundraising efforts, and other fundraising efforts of the KB Strong Foundation, such as BrownFest held in September. This gift brings the KB Strong total to $80,000 contributed to support research locally at UICOMP.
The funds will support research in Peoria where physicians and laboratory researchers are working to better understand brain cancer. Their work focuses on advancing knowledge, improving techniques, and finding solutions to impede tumor growth and to create more effective clinical treatments and better patient outcomes.
The KB Strong Foundation is named in memory of Washington Community High School head basketball coach Kevin Brown, who lost his battle with brain cancer, specifically glioblastoma, in June 2019. The Foundation spearheads a variety of fundraising events to support research as well as provide support to patients and families who are currently battling the disease. One major source of fundraising in 2019 was the annual high school basketball Tournament of Champions hosted at Washington Community High School. In fact, the tournament was re-named The Kevin Brown Memorial Tournament of Champions in honor of the beloved coach. However, the 2020 tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to supporting research in Peoria, the KB Strong Foundation has also established a Warrior Fund which provides financial support to local patients who are fighting the fight against glioblastoma.
“Coach Brown was a fierce competitor. His basketball teams had this same attribute. Today Coach is leading a new team, KB Strong, which will continue to fight the fight against glioblastoma. And like Coach’s great basketball teams, we need as many role players as possible to make a difference in defeating brain cancer,” said Eric Schermerhorn, KB Strong Board Member and Washington Community High School head basketball coach.
IN THE NEWS: KB Strong Foundation donates $50,000 to the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Peoria to fund local brain cancer research (WMBD)