We want you, as part of the furniture industry, to be proud of something you may not even know about. Since 1965, through the International Home Furnishings Industry (IHFI) group, our industry has been a proud supporter and contributor in helping to find cures for life-threatening diseases through cancer research giant City of Hope. Together, we’ve raised over $100 million, and our labor of love and impact continue.
City of Hope is a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and a leader in bone marrow transplantation and immunotherapy such as CAR T cell therapy. This world-renowned biomedical, treatment and education center is spearheading clinical research for cancer, diabetes and other chronic, life-threatening diseases. Proudly ranked among U.S. News & World Report’s Top 10 ‘Best Hospitals’ for Cancer for 17 consecutive years, City of Hope brings a uniquely integrated model to patients spanning cancer care, research and development, academics and training, and innovation initiatives.
City of Hope’s long-standing partnership with the furniture industry brings critical awareness and funding for cancer researchthrough two annual events: the Spirit of Life Celebration during the Spring High Point Market and the West Coast Golf Tournament in Orange County, Calif. Both are something we, as an industry, can be quite proud of because the outpouring of support grows each year. If you’ve not experienced these incredible events, we strongly encourage you to join us through participation or donations of any size. It all makes a tremendous difference.
Through a recent, extraordinary gift from the Cherng Family through the Panda Charitable Family Foundation, City of Hope is creating a first-of-its-kind, national integrative oncology program that brings together Eastern and Western medicine to improve outcomes and quality of life for cancer patients and survivors.
Since 2017, City of Hope has partnered with The Wanek Family Project for Type 1 Diabetes, and through the generosity of the Wanek family and gifts from additional donors and foundations, City of Hope has advanced key areas of research in the treatment of type 1 and prevention of type 2 diabetes. Todd Wanek, president and CEO of Ashley Furniture Inds. and part of the Wanek family funding, supports the groundbreaking research being conducted by City of Hope and has worked hard to make Ashley Furniture employees aware of the strides being conducted in this arena.
City of Hope is working with Reimagine Care, a home cancer care platform provider, to offer 24/7 monitoring and support to bone marrow transplant patients, further exemplifying its fully integrative care model. And anyone who is visiting their regular practitioners or oncologist can use City of Hope as a second opinion resource if they do not reside in an area with a top 10 cancer institute nearby.
The official rebrand of Cancer Treatment Centers of America locations in Atlanta, Chicago and Phoenix to City of Hope Atlanta, City of Hope Chicago and City of Hope Phoenix in 2023 further underscores City of Hope’s commitment to delivering leading-edge treatments and care to more of the patients who need it most.
We are proud of how far cancer and diabetes research has come, and we welcome and encourage our industry brothers and sisters to join the crusade of helping City of Hope carry out its very noble mission: delivering the cures of tomorrow to the people who need them today.
By John Haste, Oklahoma state senator and former senior vice president of business development for Surya, and Ryan Mahoney, senior vice president of furniture leasing for Andmore