Seena Magowitz Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research Celebrating Dr. Daniel Von Hoff at Golf Classic
Gamechanger. Bulldog. Beacon of Hope. Miracle-Maker.
These are just some of the terms the patients of Dr. Daniel Von Hoff have used to describe the trailblazing pancreatic cancer researcher who will be the guest of honor at the 17th Annual Seena Magowitz Foundation Golf Classic and the subject of the organization’s inaugural tribute book, “Honoring Impact.”
The foundation, which has donated, to date, more than $12 million to the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGEN) in Phoenix for pancreatic cancer research, will host its annual fundraiser Friday, Nov. 1 through Sunday, Nov. 3 at the Arizona Biltmore, and survivors, family members and supporters will be among those in attendance. This year’s event honors the exhaustive efforts of Dr. Daniel Von Hoff, or, as many of his patients call him, Dr. “Von Hope,” to uncover new treatment options, encourage early detection, improve patient outcomes and, ultimately, find a cure for one of the most underfunded and under-researched forms of cancer known to man.
Currently, less than 2% of all cancer research funding goes toward fighting pancreatic cancer, but Dr. Von Hoff made making strides against the devasting and deadly disease the focus of his life’s work.
“No one should ever have to hear that there’s nothing doctors can do for a loved one,” said Roger Magowitz, who established the Seena Magowitz Foundation to honor his mother, Seena, after her 2001 passing from Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. “That’s the sentiment behind the creation of the foundation, and it’s also something Dr. Von Hoff has worked tirelessly to change, doing arguably more for the effort than any other physician or researcher, living or dead.”
That’s why Dr. Von Hoff is the first honoree in the foundation’s inaugural tribute book, created in partnership with Frontdoors Media, and it’s also why so many of his patients, their family members and his financial backers took the time to detail the doctor’s efforts within its pages. While the work of Dr. Von Hoff is the primary focus of the book, it also pays tribute to current cancer warriors, financial supporters and legacy heroes, who ultimately lost the war with the disease, but not without first giving everything they had to medical research.
“No one should have to hear that there is nothing more that can be done for a loved one,” Magowitz said. “Today, pancreatic cancer doesn’t always mean an automatic death sentence, and we can thank Dr. Von Hoff and collaborating researchers for improving the outlook.”
The 17th-Annual Seena Magowitz Golf Classic Dinner honoring Dr. Von Hoff is slated for Saturday, Nov. 2, in the Grand Ballroom of the Arizona Biltmore and is part of a weekend-long lineup of special events celebrating the accomplishments of the foundation and the lives of those affected by pancreatic cancer. Live music, western-themed fanfare and the Golf Classic, itself, are just some of what’s in store when the event hits the Arizona Biltmore, and attendees can get their hands on the “Honoring Impact” tribute book at Saturday night’s dinner, hosted by Emmy Award-Winning Journalist Carey Pena.
“Dr. Von Hoff developed breakthrough treatment options that physicians routinely use to extend, improve and save lives,” Magowitz said. “In doing so, he’s renewed hope for families that had none.”
For more about the Seena Magowitz Foundation and its upcoming Golf Classic weekend of events, check out SeenaMagowitzFoundation.org.
