Every summer, I celebrate my recovery from acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) with family and dozens of friends by giving back to the community - on the golf course.

What my family and friends started in 1997 as a fund-raiser to help cover my own medical expenses, The Klingman Open Charity Golf Tournaments raised nearly $450,000 for Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center's Family Assistance Fund. After 20 years we have now evolved into The Klingman Foundation and our mission to help the families of cancer remains the same.

As a stem-cell transplant patient at the Hutch in 1997, I received help from the fund, which provides financial assistance for housing, groceries, transportation, etc. to patients and families in need.

Cancer-free now for over 20 years, I have made it my personal mission to support the Family Assistance Fund annually through the Klingman Foundation. Cancer treatment can be overwhelming and support during this time is so imperative.

2006 brought a wonderful reunion thanks to efforts, unbeknownst by me, taken by my family. They were able to work with the National Marrow Donor Registries in North America and Europe to locate and contact my stem cell donor in Germany! With a surprising knock on my front door, I came face to face with Mathias Junge after 8.5 years! What a special moment for all of us.

Through hope and courage, I was able to conquer many battles in my fight against cancer, but I didn't succeed on my own. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center was there for me, so please join me in helping the Hutch help others.

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center's interdisciplinary teams of world-renowned scientists and humanitarians work together to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, HIV/AIDS and other related diseases. Fred Hutch researchers, including three Nobel laureates, bring a relentless pursuit and passion for health, knowledge and hope to their work and the world.

With science that spans the full spectrum of cancer research, the Hutch is uniquely qualified not only to discover but to implement lifesaving breakthroughs. As a testament to its research excellence, Fred Hutch receives more peer-reviewed funding from the National Institutes of Health than any other cancer independent research center in the United States. This bedrock of support has enabled many research accomplishments over the past three decades.

Today, the pace and potential of research has vastly accelerated and cannot be supported by government grants alone. The need is great for flexible private funding to continue making lifesaving strides in research.

By supporting Fred Hutch, you will be funding new ideas and innovations in research as they emerge and accelerating new strategies to prevent, detect and treat cancer and related diseases. Visit www.fredhutch.org to learn more.