Young Hollywood star shines spotlight on Vannie Cook Clinic
HOUSTON – (Sept. 17, 2012) – The Vannie Cook Children’s Cancer and Hematology Clinic went Hollywood Sept. 15 at Variety magazine’s sixth annual Power of Youth event, where it was recognized as the spotlight charity of rising star Diego Boneta.
The event encourages the next generation of entertainers to support philanthropic and humanitarian causes, using their stature to encourage their peers and fans to do the same.
Boneta, whose Hollywood breakthrough came in the film “Rock of Ages,” chose to support the Vannie Cook Clinic in McAllen, Texas, where his mother grew up. The Vannie Cook Clinic is a joint program of Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital and the Vannie E. Cook Children’s Cancer Foundation.
“We are extremely honored to be chosen as Diego’s charity for this event. He could have chosen any national organization out there but instead chose to give back to children in the Rio Grande Valley,” said Victoria Martinez, director of development at the Vannie Cook Clinic.
Boneta has shown his support of the clinic in other ways as well. He has made an appearance at the Clinic’s radiothon fundraiser for the past two years, where he took pictures with young patients and spent time interacting with them and talking about the Clinic on air.
More than 6,200 children have been treated at the Vannie Cook Clinic since it opened in 2001. Many of these patients previously would have traveled to San Antonio or Houston for their treatment, a hardship physically, emotionally and financially for them and their families.
Representing the clinic at the Power of Youth event, which was held on Paramount’s Streets of New York set, were Laura Martinez Ilgun, executive director of the Vannie Cook Cancer Foundation, and Adrienne Longoria, a clinic volunteer.
Boneta was named Favorite Movie Actor at the 2012 ALMA Awards, which highlight the best American Latino contributions to music, television and film. He has had roles in the television series “90210” and “Pretty Little Liars” and on the Mexican telenovela “Rebelde.” In addition, Boneta has released two Spanish albums and was nominated as the Best Solo Singer at the MTV Awards Latin America.
The other young celebrities participating in this year’s Power of Youth initiative were the Jonas Brothers, Vanessa Hudgens, “Modern Family” star Sarah Hyland, “American Idol” winner Jordin Sparks and actress Kat Graham. All of the celebrities’ chosen charities will share in the proceeds from the event, with each one receiving at least $10,000.
Media Contact
Dana Benson
713-798-4710
benson@bcm.edu
www.bcm.edu/news
About the Vannie Cook Children's Clinic in McAllen, TX
The Vannie E. Cook Jr. Children’s Cancer and Hematology Clinic, a joint effort of the Vannie E. Cook Jr. Cancer Foundation, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Cancer Center is the region’s first state-of-the-art pediatric hematology/oncology clinic. In addition to offering diagnostic and treatment services, the clinic provides cancer genetic counseling to individuals and families concerned about their risk of cancer, offers the services of a long term survivor program which follows childhood cancer survivors through adulthood, and conducts childhood cancer epidemiology research through a joint program with M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Learn More
News Features
-
- May 14, 2013
- 'Off-the-shelf' virus-specific T-cells fight viral infections in stem cell transplant patients
Viral infections present deadly threats to patients who have received donor blood, marrow and cord stem cells transplants and are immune deficient while their transplants begin to work.
-
- April 9, 2013
- BCM major part of new pediatric cancer Dream Team initiative
Baylor College of Medicine is part of a Dream Team of childhood cancer researchers that will focus on melding the fields of genomics and immunotherapy to advance treatment for pediatric cancer.
-
- March 28, 2013
- Wipe Out Kids’ Cancer donates $75,000 to Texas Children’s Cancer Center
The grant will be used to fund a research project on neuroblastoma, an aggressive pediatric cancer that strikes approximately 650 children a year in the U.S., usually before age 5.
-
- March 1, 2013
- Fundraiser supports pediatric cancer in South Texas
Actor Diego Boneta, top right, helped raised $90,000 for the Vannie Cook Children’s Cancer Clinic in South Texas at the 2013 Radiothon.
-
- February 27, 2013
- Hematology-oncology faculty members receive renewed NIH funding to enhance T cell therapy for cancer
Hematology-oncology faculty members from the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy (CAGT) have received a $11.3 million renewal grant from the National Institutes of Health to advance the development of more effective and less toxic targeted T cell therapies for children and adults with cancer.
-
- February 1, 2013
- Grant funds developmental therapeutics program
A five-year, $1.75 million grant from Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation was awarded to Texas Children’s Cancer Center to establish the Developmental Therapeutics Center of Excellence.
-
- January 4, 2013
- Houston Radio Host Kevin Kline Completes his 62,000 Step Stair Run
Kevin Kline, Houston morning radio host on The New 93Q, ran 62,000 Stairs at Constellation Field, home of the Sugar Land Skeeters Baseball team in Sugarland, TX.
- December 12, 2012
- Vegetable compound could become ingredient to treating leukemia
A concentrated form of a compound called sulforaphane found in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables has been shown to reduce the number of acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells in the lab setting, said researchers at Baylor College of Medicine. The findings appear in the current edition of PLOS ONE.
-
- December 11, 2012
- Montblanc and Texas Children’s Cancer Center encourage families to give a gift that counts this holiday season
Montblanc and Texas Children’s Cancer Center have launched a new initiative allowing people across the United States to show their support for children and adolescents fighting cancer by providing an opportunity to purchase a specially designed bracelet to be given to the parent of a pediatric cancer patient this holiday season.
-
- December 6, 2012
- Q&A: Sharon Plon on Baylor College of Medicine's First Year of Clinical Exome Sequencing
As a member of Baylor College of Medicine's Whole Genome Laboratory management committee, Sharon Plon has been a leader in establishing Baylor's clinical exome sequencing diagnostic test, which was launched last November.
This is part one of a two-part interview. Part two will appear in next week's issue.