The Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer Fund recently contributed $1,387,500 to its three beneficiaries — the Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Center, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin and the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center — bringing its total contributions to date to more than $60 million.
The MACC Fund has contributed a total of $60,633,311 to research since its founding in 1976.
The fund was founded by Milwaukee Bucks player Jon McGlocklin on the night of his retirement.
“I have been asked many times if I could see what the MACC Fund would accomplish over the years and did I realize the impact it would have on the lives of children and their families,” said McGlocklin, who is MACC Fund president. “I could only hope that someday we would have given $60 million in the fight against childhood cancer and blood disorders helping cure rates to steadily increase for our children. Now we must continue to fight until all the kids live.”
Former television and radio sportscaster Eddie Doucette co-founded the fund, following his son Brett’s battle with leukemia as a toddler, which he survived.
“If someone would have suggested in 1976 that someday we would be able to contribute $60 million dollars specifically earmarked for research to eradicate pediatric cancers I would have thought it unfathomable,” Doucette said. “Back then the cure rate was 20 percent; today it’s over 80 percent. What a tremendous testimony this is to the way people in this region have supported the MACC Fund mission through the years. My sincere and heartfelt thank you goes to all who have made this milestone achievement possible.”
Scientific research supported by the MACC Fund is conducted at the Medical College of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Interdisciplinary Medical Research Center at the University of Wisconsin. Translational, clinical-based research is conducted at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.
