University Times

Kevin McClatchy, CEO and managing general partner of the Pittsburgh Pirates, will run the UPMC Health System/City of Pittsburgh Marathon on May 5 to raise money for cancer research in memory of his friend, Patti Burns, long-time KDKA-TV news anchorwoman who died of lung cancer last year.

The Patti Burns Memorial Cancer Fund will support research being conducted at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) to detect and treat cancer early, before it has had a chance to spread.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. It is often detected after symptoms have already appeared and long after it has spread, resulting in very low survival rates.

The funds raised at the UPMC Health System/City of Pittsburgh Marathon also will support the Patti Burns Memorial Fellowship to aid talented young physicians and investigators in their research endeavors and to recruit new talent to the Pittsburgh area.

A plaque commemorating the fund-raising effort will be displayed in the Hillman Cancer Center, slated to open this fall in Shadyside.

For information on pledging, call 412/325-4781 or send an e-mail to: raceforpatti @pittsburghpirates.com.

For more information on the UPMC Health System/City of Pittsburgh Marathon, call 412/647-7866 or visit the web site: www.upmc.edu/pghmarathon.