Don't Let Your Dreams Be Dreams
“There’s no limit to what a person or community can do, when they don’t mind who gets the credit” was how Mark Ganz, President and CEO of Cambia Health Solutions opened his remarks at the Knight Cancer Challenge Event in Portland’s Pioneer Square.
This event celebrated the state and community coming together to help OHSU match Phil and Penny Knights $500 million challenge, resulting in $1 billion dollars to be directed toward cancer research.
Mark told the crowd he represented the many businesses and organizations who came together to help OSHU meet the Knight Cancer Challenge. It wasn’t the leaders of the organization he was representing though; it was the many workers within those companies who dug deep into their pockets, inspired by the vision and challenge to cure cancer. It didn’t stop there, money also came from children who raised funds through lemonade stands and graciously shared their piggy banks toward the cause.
Leading with our hearts, the Cambia Health Foundation directed $4 million of the $5 million donated toward the Knight Cancer Challenge to Doernbecher Children’s Hospital Foundation - representing a continuation of our partnership with Doernbecher to provide pediatric palliative care to children and their families as they’re seeking a cure. As Mark said, “It’s not only about what’s going on in their bodies, it’s also what’s happening with their spirit.”
Knowing cancer had touched our employees, Cambia leadership established a 2:1 matching campaign for the companies’ over 5000 employees which helped raise the additional $1 million donated. Thanks to Phil and Penny Knight, that meant every $1 an employee gave turned into a $6 fight against cancer!
To close his remarks, he had this to say to Dr. Druker and OHSU, “The real work begins now. We’ve invested in you, we believe in you – so we say go deliver on your vision! In the words Phil Knight immortalized, Just Do It.”
