Those who knew Dean remember him for his humble, sincere and gentle character – Dean is the constant reminder in my life of what it means to be a good person.

Of the 9.6 million cancer deaths annually, gastric cancer accounts for 783,000; exceeded only by lung cancer (1.76 million deaths) and colorectal cancer (862,000 deaths). I hope in completing the marathon in Dean’s honor, I can draw attention and facilitate further treatment research into stomach and esophageal cancers.

DeGregorio Family Foundation (DFF) funds innovative research focused on curing gastric and esophageal cancers.  It is the only public foundation solely focused on funding research grants for both gastric and esophageal cancers.  To date, DFF has funded $7.9 million across 31 grants.  The grant winners have gone on to receive follow-on funding of more than $55.5 million, the majority of it from the National Institutes of Health.

Your donations to this important cause are greatly appreciated by all those affected.