Raise Awareness of VHL in May

Vote for New Board Members by June 20

20 April 2006

Dear Friends:

May is VHL Awareness Month.  It is time once again to renew our memberships in the Alliance and our commitment to finding answers to VHL.

This year’s Awareness Campaign features Derik from Connecticut, whose story appears in this issue.  With the help of all our chapter contact people, our international affiliates, and YOU we hope to reach more people in the general population.  Watch for radio and television public service announcements, and possibly public service ads in major magazines!  May we send you a kit to approach your local media?

All the progress we have made is due to a coalition of effort by you and all those who contribute dollars, to all the many volunteers worldwide who contribute so much of their time and talent, and of course to the expertise and care of the many physicians and researchers throughout the world.

This year we have received a total of fifteen research grant proposals — ten from teams in the United States, and five from teams in other countries.  We are delighted to see this continuing level of interest in working on VHL.  We are excited at the opportunity to encourage more young researchers to undertake VHL research. Hopefully one day we can fund all those who want to solve the puzzle of why and how.

We currently have enough money to fund up to three of these fifteen proposals.  The Research Advisory Committee is considering the applications, and final decisions will be made at the Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City in June.  Please help us raise enough money for at least one more research grant between now and the end of June.  If every one who receives this request pays their annual dues, we will have enough for one more grant.

Please help to support VHL research and education by paying your dues of $25 per year, which covers the mailings we send you, and by making whatever additional contribution you can.

It is only through the generosity of our supporters and our volunteers that we exist.  We have new opportunities to keep those people healthier longer.  The Handbook is helping patients and their local doctors do better routine screening and have more constructive discussions about optimal treatment.  Through new research discoveries we hope to see within the coming decade ways to keep new tumors from ever forming.

And it’s exactly because we have achieved so much already together that we ask you to continue your support, and to help us to reach new donors.  We simply can’t do it without you.  If every family would help us raise at least $100, we would more than meet our goal.

Many thanks and all best wishes for a happy, healthy year ahead,

Joyce

Please Act Now!

• Renew your membership

• Vote for Board candidates - Ballots due June 20, 2006

• Register and come to a meeting

  • Salt Lake City, June 25, 2006
  • Medical Symposium, London, Ontario, October 26-28, 2006

As printed in the VHL Family Forum 14:1, April/May 2006. For permission to reprint, please contact VHL Family Alliance, editor@vhl.org. Further information is available from the VHL Family Alliance, info@vhl.org.