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Last year, Matthew Knoebel spent his days in a sixth-grade class at Corpus Christi Catholic School. He transferred to Penndale Middle School for seventh grade before being diagnosed with AML Leukemia in October.

Normally, the annual Corpus Christi CYO March Madness Tournament partners with the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches to raise money for the battle against cancer.

In its eleventh year, the community overwhelmingly decided to shift proceeds to benefit Matt and his family, helping to offset steep medical costs and other expenses while the family focuses on battling the cancer.

Were happy to highlight one of our own neighbors, Linda Saba, a CYO board member, said. Its great to focus on helping a family that belongs to our parish.

This year, 178 fifth-through eighth-graders signed up to play in the weekend-long event that began Friday, March 8 at 5:15 p.m. All day Saturday, from 10:30 a.m. until 10 p.m. the 22 teams played each other to determine who plays for the championship on Sunday. Teammates are selected at random to keep things fair.

Each year scanning the schools year book, youll see that many of the kids list March Madness as their favorite memory, Saba said.

Corpus Christi alumni also come back to coach the teams. Ninth-and tenth-graders coach the fifth-and sixth-grade teams, while eleventh-and twelfth-graders coach the seventh-and eighth-grade teams.

In the seventh-and eighth-grade category, members of the Notre Dame girls team had class with Knoebel last year.

I really think this money will help him a lot, Kara Fichetti, a seventh grader at Corpus Christi said.

See original here:
Corpus Christis March Madness benefits one of its own battling Leukemia

TWIN FALLS First comes the residency.

But after Brooke Jardine completes that final step of her medical training, she plans to head somewhere rural hopefully, in Idaho.

Jardine, a 2003 Twin Falls High School alumna and hopeful future pediatrician, is finishing up her last year of medical school through the University of Washington School of Medicine. Shes there through a 41-year-old partnership among UW and five states Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho (WWAMI) that among other purposes, is meant to train students to become physicians in rural and underserved areas.

Its been going really well, she said.

Two other 2003 TFHS alumni Jake Smith and MaryAlice Lopez will graduate from the UW program with Jardine this June.

Jardine said the program is unique because students spend time in Seattle, but also have five other states to choose from for clinical rotations.

WWAMI gives students experience with urban medicine, university-based medicine and small-town care, she said.

Dr. Mary Barinaga, Idaho WWAMIs assistant dean for regional affairs, said physicians arent distributed evenly between rural and urban areas.

Were trying to get some doctors to go into more rural areas, she said.

It worked for Barinaga. After graduating from the program, she spent 12 years practicing medicine in a small town in north Idaho.

Read more from the original source:
Twin Falls Grads Prepare to Become Rural Doctors

Dr. Trout also designed some of the earliest heart-lung machines and, in 1963, performed one of the earliest dual valve replacements using artificial heart valves, his family said.

In the 1960s, he traveled with a nursing team, demonstrating the new techniques at international conferences on open-heart surgery.

Born in Marietta, Ohio, and raised in Columbus, he was the son of Horatio and Lorella Crouse Trout.

Dr. Trout's father, a vocational-ed teacher, instilled in him an interest in tools and gadgets, and a thirst for knowledge about how things worked.

He became a woodworker, amateur plumber, electrician, carpenter, and painter, and took these skills with him to Ohio Wesleyan University and later into the operating room. He graduated in 1945 and earned a medical degree from Hahnemann University in 1947.

After medical school, he completed postgraduate work at the University of Pennsylvania and received a master of science degree in surgery in 1949.

On May 28, 1949, the day after two weeks of finals, he married Anne Hockenberry. The two had met at Hahnemann, where she did social work.

Dr. Trout served in the Navy Reserve from 1942 to 1949. During the Korean War, he was called to active duty as a lieutenant junior grade, serving as a medical officer and participating in the landing at Inchon. He was honorably discharged as a lieutenant senior grade in 1954.

He was awarded the World War II Victory Medal, American Theater, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and the Korean Campaign (3 stars) United Nations Medal.

The publishing house McGraw-Hill asked Dr. Trout to write a book on open-heart surgery. In 1959, The Practical Evaluation of Surgical Heart Disease was published.

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Robert Gates Trout, 90, a pioneer in open-heart surgery

VIENNA - Local alumni of Marshall University raised money for scholarships and honored three people during a dinner Thursday evening at Grand Pointe Conference Center.

Honored for their contributions to Marshall, the community and country were Daniel "Buddy" James, Dan Kimsey and R.V. "Buddy" Graham.

Dale C. Lowther of Williamstown, an honorary alumnus and member of the Marshall University Board of Governors, spoke at the fundraiser.

Photo by Jeff Baughan Former Parkersburg High School football coach Buddy James, right, Marshall University President Stephen J. Kopp, center, and Marshall University Athletics Director Mike Hamrick, left, talk before Thursday's alumni dinner at Grand Pointe Conference Center in Vienna.

Marshall University Alumni of the Mid-Ohio Valley Thundering Bison Club played host to the 2013 scholarship fundraising dinner with the hopes to exceed the seven $1,000 scholarships given from money received at last year's benefit, said alumni president Laurie Martin.

The exact amount of money raised by Thursday's dinner was not immediately known, but Martin said officials know it exceeded what the group made last year. Attendance for the fourth annual dinner was the largest ever at 265 people, she said.

Martin said the main goal for the evening was to raise money in an effort to get area high school students interested in attending the university.

"We would like to exceed our goal this year from last year," she said. "To date our group has raised $26,000 in funds for scholarships."

Martin said it is important to the organization to have alumni and honorees return to every event.

Keynote speaker was Marshall University President Stephen J. Kopp, who spoke about raising endowment funding for medical students. He discussed the importance of helping students who pursue the medical field graduate with as little debt as possible.

View post:
Marshall alumni hold fundraiser locally

Upcoming Events

My Plate for a Healthy Weight, nutrition fair, Thursday, March 7, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., SMMC Caf, 1 Medical Center Drive, second floor, Biddeford. Free. Sample healthy snacks, meet master gardeners who will be giving tips about growing your own vegetables, and participate in activities designed to help you learn about portion sizes and nutritious foods.

Belle Marsh, a dancer and certified body therapist, speaks Thursday, March 7, 6-7:30 p.m., Southern Maine Chronic Pain Support Group, hospitality room at The Pines, Ocean Park. Call Ernie Merritt at 284-2958 for more information.

Business after Hours, Thursday, March 7, 5-7 p.m., Party Plus and Taylor Rental, 6 Commercial St., Biddeford, sponsored by Biddeford-Saco Chamber of Commerce. Free to chamber members; non-members invited for $10 per person. Business After Hours includes appetizers, door prizes and a 50/50 raffle. RSVP to Estella@BiddefordSacoChamber.org or call 282-1567 for more information.

Saco Bay Gardening Club, Thursday, March 7, 6 p.m., Dyer Library, 371 Main St., Saco. Guest speaker is Kristen Perry, talking about the McLaughlin Gardens in South Paris, which were begun in 1936. For more information, see http://www.sacobaygardenclub.com.

Kinderkonzert, with Portland Symphony Orchestra, Friday, March 8, 9:30 and 10:30 a.m., Dyer Library/Saco Museum, 371 Main St., Saco. Concert will focus on the four seasons. For tickets call 773-6128 ext. 308 or email education@portlandsymphony.org.

1-2-3 Grow With Me, parent-child workshop-playgroup, Fridays, March 8, 15 and 22, 10 a.m., McArthur Public Library, 270 Main St., Biddeford. For kids ages 1-3 and caregivers. Each program features free play, art activity, circle time and great resources for parents. To register, call 284-4181.

Opening reception for RSU 23 Student Art Show, Friday, March 8, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Dyer Library/Saco Museum, 371 Main St., Saco. Works by students in Saco, Dayton and Old Orchard Beach schools. Biennial event is held in conjunction with National Youth Art Month runs through April 20.

Family movie night, Friday, March 8, 6:30 p.m., Libby Memorial Library, 27 Staples St., Old Orchard Beach. Call 934-4351 for more information.

Your Brain on Art, art exhibit opening reception, Friday, March 8, 5-8 p.m., Engine, 265 Main St., Biddeford. Show features works by artists suffering from brain injury and trauma. Show runs through April 6. For more information, call 229-3560 or email director@feedtheengine.org.

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Sun Chronicle calendar – 3/7

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) -- The wife of billionaire real estate mogul Sam Zell is giving $50 million to support the University of Michigan's acclaimed graduate writing program. The donation, to be announced Thursday, is believed to be by far the largest ever gift to such a program, and comes at a time when most major gifts to higher education are supporting science, not the humanities.

Helen Zell, who earned her English degree at Michigan in 1964, has been supporting the Michigan program with smaller gifts totaling more than $10 million over more than a decade. Five long bookshelves, nearly covering an entire wall of her Chicago apartment, are filled with books written by the graduate program's faculty and alumni, she said, and she looks forward to adding more. Graduates include writers Elizabeth Kostova, Hanna Pylvainen and Jesymn Ward.

In a telephone interview, Zell described the new donation as an investment in some of the world's promising young poets and novelists, to ensure the books they have inside them get written, shared with the world, and allowed to work the unique magic of human self-reflection that literature offers.

"What I've watched happen with the introduction of the Internet and media and blogging, I almost feel like this part of our education is under siege," Zell said. "The ability of fiction to develop creativity, to analyze the human psyche, help you understand people its' critical. It's as important as vitamins or anything else. To me, it's the core of the intellectual health of human beings."

The gift the third-largest ever to the university comes from the Zell Family Foundation, where Helen Zell is executive director, and is in her name. Her husband, who endured a contentious tenure as chairman of media conglomerate Tribune Co., which he took private but then led into bankruptcy, is also a Michigan alumnus who has made substantial gifts to the university.

For aspiring writers, a spot in Michigan's graduate program is already akin to winning the lottery. Just 22 of roughly 1,000 applicants annually are accepted. Nationally, MFA students are among the most indebted, often borrowing six figures to pay for school then struggling to pay repay their loans. But Michigan covers tuition and offers a $22,000 stipend for students while they take classes their first year, then pays them for teaching during their second.

Most unusually for the field, all students receive a third, postgraduate year of support, including health insurance, to focus on their work. The bonus year, already funded by Zell, has been dubbed on campus a "Zellowship."

"Writers should be at their desk, not at Starbucks serving coffee," she said.

Kostova, whose debut novel "The Historian" rose quickly to No. 1 on The New York Times bestseller list, and Ward, whose 2011 novel "Salvage the Bones" won the National Book Award, are among the program's better-known graduates. Pylvainen , whose first novel "We Sinners" won a Whiting Writers' Award last year, said the book might never have been written without the third-year fellowship.

There are no plans to expand the program, which Zell said might dilute its quality. Rather, the gift will essentially underwrite it in perpetuity, while offering flexibility for new projects.

Originally posted here:
Unusual $50 million gift for writing at Michigan

3/6/2013 2:10:00 PM

The gift comes in the form of a bequest through Upstates Medical Alumni Foundation. August died Aug. 14, 2011.

We are grateful for the living legacy Dr. August has created that will ultimately improve the health of children in this region and support the next generation of physicians in New York, Upstate Medical University President David R. Smith, M.D. said in a news release. His generosity is a testament to the support of our alumni.

The contribution will be used to establish the Stanley A. August, M.D., Endowed Professorship in Pediatrics, and two scholarships: The Nathan and Ada August Memorial Award and the Stanley A. August, M.D., Memorial Award.Details of the professorship and scholarships are still to be worked out, Upstate says.

Thomas Welch, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Pediatrics and medical director of Upstate Golisano Childrens Hospital, said the gift from August, while supporting Upstate clinical education mission, represents the final contribution to the Childrens Hospital capital campaign.

Contact Carbonaro at mcarbonaro@cnybj.com

New York is angling to be chosen as the site for a federal pilot program to test the cost effectiveness of including Greek yogurt in school meal programs.

The Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities received a $500,000 donation from PepsiCo, Inc. on Wednesday.

OSWEGO SUNY Oswego plans to roll out a community incubator initiative next month to engage business, government, education, human services, and nonprofits to foster innovation and economic development.

Link:
Upstate Medical University receives $1.54 million bequest from alumnus

The Leominster Education Foundation celebrates alumni and 2004 graduate of Leominster High School ~ Danielle Randall. The Leominster Education Foundation is reaching out to Leominster alumni and requesting they send in their updated information sharing what they have been doing since graduation from Leominster High School.

The L.E.F. held their first drawing of alumni that responded with updated information and Danielle Randall was the first winner receiving a $100 gift certificate. Danielle lives in Los Angeles, Calif. and emailed her information to the Foundation.

Danielle was born and raised in Leominster, and is a proud product of the Leominster Public Schools. After spending nine years at Johnny Appleseed and leaving as a member of its last eighth grade class, she attended Leominster High and graduated in 2004. Her avid involvement in LHS theater and television production programs throughout her high school career influenced her decision to attend Emerson College, Boston, where she received a degree in Visual and Media Arts in 2008.

Since then, Danielle has been living and working in Los Angeles at the film production company Offspring Entertainment (The Last Song, Hairspray, Rock of Ages), in the Motion Picture Department of Twentieth Century Fox (This Means War, X-Men First Class, We Bought A Zoo), and most recently, as a writers assistant on Shonda Rhimes medical drama, Private Practice.

Danielle is currently working on the production of an upcoming ABC Drama Pilot, and is constantly writing her own scripts in hopes of becoming a TV writer herself.

Stephanie Santucci, administrative assistant, is coordinating the Alumni Project and wants more alumni to send their information in by posting on facebook (facebook.com/leominsterschools) or by e-mail (stepanie.santucci@leominster.mec.edu). The second drawing will take place May 1, 2013.

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Leominster Education Foundation recognizes and celebrates Leominster Alumni

HACKENSACK, N.J., March 5, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Champions Oncology, Inc. (CSBR) is pleased to announce the appointments of Dan Mendelson and Arthur G. ("Bart") Epker, III to the Board of Directors of Champions Oncology, Inc.

Dan Mendelson is CEO and founder of Avalere Health, a strategic advisory company focused on devising innovative solutions to complex healthcare problems. The firm's customer base includes Fortune 500 healthcare companies, provider organizations, medical foundations, and government. Dan is also currently Adjunct Professor of Business Administration at The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University and sits on the boards of Coventry Health Care Inc. and HMS Holdings Corp. From 1998 to 2000, Dan served as Associate Director for Health at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Prior to joining OMB, Dan was Senior Vice President of The Lewin Group and Director of the Medical Technology practice. He holds an undergraduate degree in economics and viola performance from Oberlin College, and a M.P.P. from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Bart Epker is a Vice President and partner of PAR Capital Management, Inc., an investment adviser that manages PAR Investment Partners, L.P., a private investment fund. Bart is a member of the boards of directors of Pure Cycle Corporation, the Steppingstone Foundation, and the Winsor School and is on the Honors Alumni Council at the University of Michigan. Prior to joining PAR Capital in 1992, Bart worked at TA Associates, a private equity firm. He received his undergraduate degree in computer science and economics with highest distinction from the University of Michigan (1983) and his Masters of Business Administration from Harvard Business School (1987). PAR Investment Partners purchased common stock and warrants of the Company in a private placement on January 28, 2013. As part of that transaction, the Company agreed to appoint a designee of PAR Investment Partners, to its board of directors. Bart is the designee chosen by PAR Investment Partners.

Dr. David Sidransky, Chairman of the Board of Directors, commented, "The addition of such outstanding directors like Dan and Bart is an important milestone in the continued evolution of Champions to meet the market needs. We are excited to be welcoming them to the board and look forward to their guidance through the continued strategic, operational and financial growth of the company."

In conjunction with these appointments, Ana Stancic has resigned from the Board of Directors. Scott Tobin, a current director of the company, will assume the role of Chairman of the Audit Committee.

Dr. David Sidransky, Chairman of the Board of Directors commented, "We thank Ana for the years of service she provided the company. Her insights and experience have helped set the strategic direction and ensured financial discipline at the company."

Ana Stancic commented, "It has been very rewarding to contribute to the progress the company has made during my board tenure. I look forward to watching the company progress in the future from the solid foundation that has been built over time."

About Champions Oncology, Inc.

Champions Oncology, Inc. is engaged in the development of advanced technology solutions and services to personalize the development and use of oncology drugs. The Company's TumorGraft Technology Platform is a novel approach to personalizing cancer care based upon the implantation of primary human tumors in immune deficient mice followed by propagation of the TumorGrafts in a manner that preserves the biological characteristics in order to determine the efficacy of a treatment regimen. The Company uses this technology to offer solutions for Personalized Oncology Solutions, which guides the development of personalized treatment plans, and Translational Oncology Solutions, which assists pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies seeking personalized approaches to drug development to lower the cost and increase the speed of drug development.

For more information, visit http://www.championsoncology.com.

Continued here:
Champions Oncology Reports Changes to Board of Directors

Participants in the school credit firefighter program in the Frankfort-Schuyler Central School District may soon be eligible for two credits instead of one. Frankfort Fire Chief Charles Conigliaro asked for the change after giving a presentation on the program during Tuesdays school board meeting. He said while 85 percent of the nations firefighters are volunteers, there has been a significant decline in the number of volunteer firefighters in recent years and the average age of most volunteer firefighters is 40. Training is required by law and much of it is the same as the training required for career firefighters, but he pointed out volunteers face the same dangers and challenges as their paid counterparts. Volunteer fire departments are their communities first line of support and protection, he said. Conigliaro said the school credit firefighter program in partnership with Frankfort-Schuyler Central School allows youths, starting at age 16, to join the department. Its an agreement between the student, the parents and the school, explained Conigliaro. They have to maintain at least a 70 grade point average in school and put in 120 hours a year of service. The program also makes them eligible to be considered for possible college tuition reimbursement through the Firemens Association of the State of New York. Students take part in training and have the opportunity to serve their community and receive training in firefighting, emergency vehicle operation, fire prevention and emergency medical services. He noted students must be 18 before they can take the EMS exam. The program has been in place in 1999 and the department has had 19 students participate. Four are involved in the program now and seven alumni of the program are current members of the department. Theres no financial impact to the school, said Conigliaro. We receive many inquiries about the program how its working and how we did it. He said having the students available was crucial during the major fire at Union Tools that kept firefighters on the scene for a long period of time. These are folks that get the work done and we need them, he said. He added that normally he does not encourage students to leave during the school day for routine fire calls and he stays in touch with the school to make sure program participants are in attendance and doing well with their class work. Conigliaro said when he joined the fire department there was a waiting list of three to five years, but this is no longer the case. He asked if the district could consider raising the number of academic credits received through the program from one to two. School Superintendent Robert Reina said he thought this could be done. He does monitor what the kids are doing here at school, said Reina, noting some participants have improved their academic standing. This is a very good resource, having the fire department working cooperatively with us. Its been a successful venture. Board member Jack Bono commented that having programs such as this one, along with the Future Business Leaders of America and the mock trial team are one way a small district can offer more.

Continued here:
School credit firefighter program helps fill Frankfort VFD ranks