Saturday, November 14, 2026
From left: Sue Olszak, Senior Development Manager, Distinguished Events, American Cancer Society; Sherill Kiely, Members Club of Marco JW Marriott, currently undergoing cancer treatment; Rick Medwedeff, General Manager, JW Marriott; Sue Ellen Hardley, Member Chair & Cancer Survivor, Members Club of Marco JW Marriott; Chris Major, General Manager of Golf, JW Marriott; Ashley Gervasio, JW Marriott Relay for Life Team Captain; Cathy Nelson, JW Marriott Spirit to Serve Committee Chair. Submitted Photo
The JW Marriott Marco Island recently received the Hero of Research Award from the American Cancer Society in recognition of their Relay For Life team fundraising efforts in 2017. Over the calendar year, the resort team raised more than $162,000 and finished eighth in the nation out of 101,260 Relay For Life teams. Only 11 teams nationwide qualified for this particular award.
As a recipient of this award, the resort will secure naming rights for a fully funded research grant for three years. The project awarded to the resort is titled, “Investigating the Influence of Copper on Autophagy in Pancreatic Cancer,” conducted by researcher Jessica M. Posimo, PhD at the University of Pennsylvania. The grant will be funded from January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2020.
The Hero of Research Award grant is designed to challenge fundraisers to engage in the fight against cancer in a new and dynamic way that focuses attention on the society’s award-winning research programs.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here