The Champion the Cure campaign commenced in the late spring of 2007 when a small planning group of volunteers began meeting.  Their goal was to raise private funds to help support the construction of a new cancer research and cancer treatment facility for Eastern Maine Medical Center's CancerCare of Maine and the Maine Institute for Human Genetics and Health.  By December of 2007, after having raised nearly $2.5 million in gifts, this group formally became the Champion the Cure campaign executive committee.

Over the course of the following two years Honorary Chair Clif Eames, Campaign Co-Chairs Bill and Cookie Horner, together with Katrina Parson, John Long, MD, Felix Hernandez, MD, Tom Openshaw, MD, Lynne Spooner, Harold Bouchard, Beth Warren, Deborah Carey Johnson, RN, Michelle Hood, Danny and Carla Lafayette, Brad Coffey, Michael Crowley, and Jill McDonald, as members of the campaign executive committee, and 410 volunteers from eastern, central and northern Maine, successfully raised over $11.7 million from 2,657 gifts.  Their efforts ensured that the $9.5 million goal was successfully achieved.  On December 2, 2009, in gratitude to Danny and Carla Lafayette and their family members and employees for their $2,000,000 pledge, the Lafayette Family Cancer Center was formally dedicated.

Thanks to all of the extraordinary volunteers who worked so hard on the campaign, over 40 community events took place, over $3.6 million in gifts were obtained from local businesses, nearly $800,000 in gifts were procured from over 1,400 employees, over $1,000,000 in gifts were provided by physicians, and all EMMC trustees gave at levels never seen before.  Regional media, led by Mark Woodward, were particularly helpful to the campaign, providing radio and television public service announcements, newspaper ads and stories, magazine ads and stories, social networking - and, most importantly, insightful advice.

The Champion the Cure campaign has been succussfully completed, but many businesses, school groups and individuals are still making gifts or working hard to raise gifts.  Every single gift that is raised beyond the goal will be very helpful, as private funds are only supporting a portion of the total project cost.  If you have not given, please do so!  Your support will be greatly appreciated.