As VLCM Foundation grows, we want to make a point of focusing on cancer and cancer research rather than just golf (although the golfing is amazing if we do say so ourselves). In keeping with this goal, frequent donors to the United Against Cancer charity golf tournament will see some small changes this year. We're very excited about them.

Perhaps one of the most exciting things we've decided to do this year is to donate a foursome back to Huntsman Cancer Institute. Four members of their community have been invited to play with us this year and they've accepted.

Members

George Mathis (pictured right)

Development Officer, Sponsorship & Corporate Engagement

Huntsman Cancer Foundation

George is our main contact whenever we have questions about Huntsman Cancer Institute. You may not know, but all donations to Huntsman Cancer Institute are handled by a separate organization called Huntsman Cancer Foundation. They act as an interface between HCI and the public. George has been incredibly helpful to us as we've grown, and we're glad to see him golfing at this year's tournament.

Matthew Poppe, MD

Radiation Oncologist, Investigator, Associate Professor at University of Utah

Huntsman Cancer Institute

Dr. Matthew Poppe is a doctor and researcher at Huntsman Cancer Institute, working on collaborative teams which deal with pediatric cancers, sarcoma, and breast cancer. He is also director of the Radiation Oncology departments residency program, training new doctors.

Dr. Poppe went to school for a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and worked at NASA AMES before he went to medical school. He became an active member of the Air Force in 2001, serving as a family practice physician in Guam and a Flight Surgeon in Alaska. He has been involved in more than 25 studies in the last six years, including one recently published which supported shorter courses of radiation therapy for breast cancer patients.

Mike Dritto, CMD

Dosimetrist, Department of Radiation Oncology

Huntsman Cancer Hospital

Many cancer patients undergo radiation therapy in the course of their treatment. It is one of the most common methods of treatment for cancer. There are a few different kinds, but all involve radioactive chemicals or high-energy beams. This may seem counter-intuitive because radioactive substances can be quite dangerous. However, the chemicals or beams are highly targeted to the tumors in a patient's body, purposefully to destroy them.

The amount of radiation each patient undergoing radiotherapy varies individual. It is a dosimetrist's job to decide how much each gets, so the cancer is adequately targeted while protecting the patient being treated.

This is Mike's job at Huntsman Cancer Hospital. He helps patients to receive exactly the right amount of radiation. Mike has worked at the hospital for 6 years.

Patricia Brimley

Patient

Huntsman Cancer Hospital

Patricia is a patient of Dr. Poppe at Huntsman Cancer Hospital. We're especially glad to see that she's able to come to the tournament, because we know (in the long run) that she and patients like her are those that we're trying to help when we donate to cancer research at Huntsman Cancer Institute.