Cancer Groups Celebrate Pa. Program That Helps Taxpayers Donate To Research Programs
By John McDevitt
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Since the '90s, generous Pennsylvanians have been donating some or all of their tax refunds to various charities by checking a box on their income tax form when filing.
Today, a ceremony was held at Drexel University's College of Medicine, where two breast cancer research programs are benefitting this year from the refund checkoff program.
There are seven organizations you can choose from on the PA-40 income tax forms. One of them is the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition (PBCC).
On line #32 you can enter code "A" and an amount -- with every penny going to help scientists do their work in breast cancer research.
"And when we put together all of those refunds, we can really make a difference in helping to find a cure for breast cancer now, so our daughters won't have to," said Pat Halpin-Murphy, president and founder of PBCC, based in Lebanon, Pa. She was in town today to award $50,000 grants to each of two breast cancer research teams at Drexel.
One of those research team's work is currently just a step a way from human clinical trials.
PBCC is awarding a third $50,000 grant this year to a University of Pennsylvania breast cancer research program.
"These are competitive grants that are reviewed by outstanding researchers, and they select the most exciting of the research applications," notes Halpin-Murphy (at lectern in photo). "Now, with the cutback in federal funding for breast cancer and other cancer research, the researchers are more dependent on local sources. And so the 'Refunds for Research' becomes even more important."
