U-Lane-O Credit Union and the Fanconi Anemia Research Fund are coming together to raise money for the fight against Fanconi anemia.
Fanconi anemia is a life-threatening genetic disease that targets young children and can eventually lead to bone marrow failure, leukemia and other cancers. Victims of this disease commonly do not live to adulthood.
About 1,500 cases have been diagnosed in the U.S. and 3,000 worldwide. Because of lack of knowledge and access to technology, a large number of children who have this disease are not diagnosed as Fanconi anemia patients.
U-Lane-O is participating in the fund-raiser at all seven branches by selling $1 cards with hand prints of Fanconi patients on them.
“It is actually turning into a bit of a competition between the seven branches of who can get the most cards,” Susan Castillo, the Director of Development for the Fanconi Research Fund, said.
The cards are signed by those who purchase them and then displayed.
“Anyone can come in and purchase the cards,” Castillo said. “They don’t have to be members of U-Lane-O.”
This is just one of the many projects that U-Lane-O participates in throughout the year. They have also done similar fund-raisers for the American Heart Association.
“U-Lane-O adheres to the philosophy of helping people,” Debbie Long, Marketing Manager for U-Lane-O, said. “We are very much involved in the community, and happy to help out.”
The cards will be sold throughout the month of July and all proceeds will go to the Fanconi anemia research fund.
“It is an important subject, and this is something that works on finding a cure for the disease,” Long said.
U-Lane-O employees will also recognize the project by wearing T-shirts that highlight the cause.
“Every little bit helps,” Castillo said. “We are hoping to raise about $2,000-$3,000.”
Dave and Lynn Frohnmayer founded the Fanconi Anemia Research Fund in 1989. They have lost two daughters to the disease and it now threatens their youngest daughter, 13-year-old Amy.
“U-Lane-O does many of these types of projects,” President Dave Frohnmayer said. “It is really a grass roots community effort. It is very heartwarming.”
Since the foundation of the Fund, more than $8.5 million has been raised to help support medical research. From this research, at least eight genes responsible for the disease have been discovered, and survival rates for certain types of bone marrow transplantations have dramatically improved.
For more information about this project call 345-8865.