Newport Beach, CA May 24, 2023: Kure It Cancer Research (Kure It), a nonprofit organization located in Newport Beach that provides grants to leading medical institutions across the country for research projects that can be translated into new treatments and better understanding in the fight against cancer, announced that two researchers from the University of California San Diego and City of Hope will be receiving grants for their research proposals for kidney and bile duct cancers.

Kure It will provide these grants at $125K each, in the name of the California Self Storage Association (CSSA). A significant amount of support for Kure It Cancer Research comes from the self-storage industry. Through CSSA’s fundraising events, creative operator giving programs, and easy customer giving incentives, Kure It has creatively inspired the self-storage industry to give back in a variety of small ways that add up to substantial impact. CSSA has been a hallmark of support since the inception of Kure It. This year, the kidney cancer research grant comes in memory of the late Caesar Wright, Executive Chairman, and former CEO of MakoRabco, an award-winning provider of the self-storage building design, supply, and installation nationwide. The bile duct cancer research grant comes in memory of the late Jamie Alai, Westport Properties, Inc.’s (US Storage Centers) company partner and Vice President of Development.

The storage industry continues to financially support Kure it, which has now been in existence for 16 years and has raised over $14 million granting over 53 research projects. Grants are awarded through leading NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers throughout the nation.

Researchers to be awarded grants at $125K each: In honor of Caesar Wright, Dr. Rana McKay of the University of California San Diego specializes in Kidney Cancer.

Dr. McKay’s project will focus on Tissue Biomarkers of Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma Patients Who Receive Nephrectomy Following Immunotherapy. Dr. McKay’s project will evaluate tissue from people who have surgery for kidney cancer after having received immune therapy. Dr. McKay has identified a unique cohort of patients who have near-complete responses to their disease following initiation of immune therapy. The goal will be to see if Dr. McKay can develop molecular predictors of who these individuals might be ahead of time.

In honor of Jamie Alai, Dr. Daneng Li of City of Hope specializes in Biliary Tract Cancer. Dr. Li’s project will focus on the Safety of Pressurized Intraperitoneal Aerosolized Chemotherapy (PIPAC) in Biliary Tract Cancer Patients with Peritoneal Metastases. This project will evaluate a novel method of delivering chemotherapy to patients with bile duct cancer. Currently, many patients have the spread of their disease through the abdomen. This technique will apply chemotherapy directly into the abdominal cavity and use positive pressure to “force” chemotherapy towards the tumor. A formal announcement will be made of these two grants at the upcoming CSSA Napa Self Storage Owner’s Conference to be held at The Meritage Resort & Spa, Napa Valley, to be held on May 15 - 16.

ABOUT KURE IT CANCER RESEARCH
Kure It Cancer Research, Inc. (Kure It) is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing funding for translational research projects focused on kidney cancer and other underfunded cancers. The funds raised through Kure It directly support groundbreaking research at leading cancer centers. Founded by Barry Hoeven in 2007 after his diagnosis with kidney cancer, Kure It expanded to support all underfunded cancers when the vast disconnect between the number of people afflicted with cancer and the amount of funding available for research became apparent. Barry was also an entrepreneur who founded US Storage Centers, now known as Westport Properties. He utilized his business in several ways to bring awareness and raise funds through various means, such as a “Round up for Research” program. To date, Kure It has raised more than $14 million for cancer research and holds strong to the belief that, “Together We Can Eradicate Cancer.” For more information, please visit: https://www.kureit.org

ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA SELF STORAGE ASSOCIATION (CSSA)
The California Self Storage Association ("CSSA") is a non-profit trade association for the Self-Storage Industry in the State of California.
The CSSA's mission is to promote a high standard of professionalism, to provide a unified voice for the Self-Storage Industry in the State of California, and to enhance the performance and quality of the services our industry has to offer, while providing leadership on issues which specifically affect our industry and state. CSSA strives to be the premier California resource for industry information, education, research, and technical expertise, with the overall goal of impacting the standard of conduct in the Self-Storage Industry in California. For more information on the California Self Storage Association, please visit: https://californiaselfstorage.org
###

Orange County Nonprofit Organization to Fund Two Cancer Research Projects