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Ivan Bermudez
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Drilling Engineers Donate $35,000 to Texas Children’s Hospital
HOUSTON -- The Houston Chapter of the American Association of Drilling Engineers (AADE) recently presented Texas Children’s Hospital with a donation of $35,000 to advance cancer research. The funds will be used specifically for the Neuroblastoma Research Program led by surgeon Eugene Kim. The research program is focused on developing new strategies to block blood vessel growth in neuroblastoma, a deadly pediatric cancer.
“By blocking blood vessel growth, we can prevent tumors from growing and spreading. Preliminary results are encouraging, and this donation will help us to fund the research to hopefully bring this new treatment to the bedside,” said Dr. Kim. “It is a tremendous honor to receive this gift from such a distinguished and down-to-earth group of people, who clearly have put giving to others a top priority.”
The funds were raised during AADE’s 19th annual golf tournament. Since selecting Texas Children’s Hospital as the charitable beneficiary eight years ago, the AADE Golf Tournament has raised more than $285,000, most of which has been used to purchase special needs items for the children at the hospital.
“It is difficult to describe how grateful the children, parents and staff are to receive the donations. Thanks to the 400 AADE members who participated in the 2008 tournament and to those who gave so generously of their time and money to make this tournament one of the premiere golf events on the energy industry’s annual calendar,” says Mike Mininni, who co-chaired the event with Bob Zaunbrecher.
AADE offers a forum for the dissemination of practical drilling technology to those employed or interested in the drilling industry. AADE was founded in New Orleans in 1978 and is made up of an affiliation of nine independent chapters licensed and governed by an AADE National Board. The Houston chapter sponsors several fund-raising events throughout the year as part of its mission to give back to the community. The 2009 golf tournament is set for April 9, 2009 at Cypresswood Golf Club.
Mike Mininni (left) and Bob Zaunbrecher (right) present a $35,000 check on behalf of the American Association of Drilling Engineers Houston Chapter to Dr. Bob Bloss, Texas Children’s Pediatric Surgery. The funds will be used to support the Neuroblastoma Research Program of Dr. Eugene Kim (second from left).
Before the check presentation, AADE board members were given a lunchtime presentation by Dr. Eugene Kim about his research program then were taken on a tour of Texas Children’s Outpatient Surgery Center.