Boo! Run for Life 10K Teams Up with Giuliana and Bill Rancic

4th Annual Boo! Run for Life 10K run and 2-mile Tidal Basin Walk October 11, 2009 in Washington DC

BETHESDA, MD, September 11, 2009 — The Boo! Run for Life 10K today announced that it has teamed up with anchor and managing editor of E! News Giuliana Rancic, and television host, speaker, and entrepreneur Bill Rancic in support of renal cell (or kidney) cancer research. Giuliana and Bill also star on the Style Network’s “Giuliana and Bill”, which has just been picked up for a second season!

Giuliana and Bill Rancic and the Rancic family have been strong supporters of kidney cancer research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), having created the Dr. Edward T. Rancic Memorial Fund at the Foundation for NIH in 2006. “We are excited about teaming up with Giuliana and Bill Rancic to help raise awareness for kidney cancer and to help support the cutting-edge kidney cancer research underway at the NIH in the laboratory of tumor immunology headed by Dr. Richard Childs,” said Brian O’Neill, Race Director of the Boo! Run for Life 10K.

All proceeds from the Boo! Run for Life event support renal cell cancer research at the NIH by supporting the Dean R. O’Neill Renal Cell Cancer Research Fund at the Foundation for NIH. The Fund works in partnership with the Foundation and the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to provide critical “person-power” to kidney cancer research by recruiting top-notch scientists to the NIH to pursue novel and promising advanced kidney cancer treatments.

In 2007, the first Dean R. O’Neill Fellow, Dr. Nanae Harashima, made an important discovery of a new tumor antigen in kidney cancer derived from an endogenous retrovirus, which serves as a target for immune cells that kill cancer. This discovery has contributed to a better understanding of the target antigens used by the immune system and has assisted investigators in designing more effective immunotherapy and transplant approaches to treat advanced renal cell cancer and other solid tumors.

Dr. Childs’ laboratory also recently identified a novel gene derived from a human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) whose expression appears restricted to clear cell renal cell cancer. Importantly, more than 50 percent of kidney cancers express this gene, and peptide antigens derived from this HERV are immunogenic, eliciting a tumor specific T-cell response against kidney cancer. (Source: NHLBI)

“The 2009 Boo! Run for Life 10K run and Tidal Basin walk will enable us to fund our second postdoctoral research fellow to work with Dr. Childs. Giuliana and Bill’s support and leadership provide a tremendous boost to our shared mission of supporting a dedicated kidney research fellowship program at NIH,” said Matt O’Neill, Assistant Race Director of Boo! Run for Life.

Registration for the 2009 Boo! Run for Life 10K Run and Tidal Basin walk is open now!

To sign up to run or walk, please visit: http://www.BooRunForLife.com
To sign up to volunteer, please visit: http://tinyurl.com/BooVolunteers
To learn more about the Fund and the Foundation for NIH, please visit: http://www.fnih.org

About Boo! Run for Life
The Boo! Run for Life 10K run and 2-mile Tidal Basin walk supports the Dean R. O’Neill Renal Cell Cancer Research Fund (RenalCellCancer.org), which is a donor-advised program under the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, an established 501(c)(3) not-for-profit. The Halloween-themed event was created by family and friends of Dean R. O’Neill to raise awareness and funds for renal cell cancer research. In four short years, the Boo! Run for Life 10K has become a premier running event in the Washington DC area and is a seasonal favorite of many runners. The event will be held on October 11, 2009 in West Potomac Park, Washington DC. For more information, visit http://www.BooRunForLife.com

The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health
The Foundation for NIH was established by the United States Congress to support the mission of NIH—improving health through scientific discovery. The foundation identifies and develops opportunities for innovative public-private partnerships involving individuals, industry, academia, and the philanthropic community. A not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) corporation, the Foundation raises private-sector funds for a broad portfolio of unique programs that complement and enhance NIH priorities and activities. The Foundation’s Web site address is www.fnih.org.

About Giuliana Rancic
Giuliana Rancic is a journalist, entertainment news anchor, author, television producer, mentor, and philanthropist. She is anchor and managing editor of “E! News” and currently appears in “Giuliana & Bill” on the Style Network. She earned a B.A. in journalism from the University of Maryland and a master’s degree in journalism from American University. Giuliana also created and executive produced “Celebrity Rap Superstar” for MTV, and her E! News Special “Nicole Richie: Her Simple Life” won a Prism Commendation Award. She sold the rights to her first book, “Think Like a Guy: How to Get a Guy by Thinking Like One,” to Touchstone Television.

About Bill Rancic
Donald Trump’s original Apprentice, Bill thrives in both business and entertainment. He recently co-hosted the Emmy-nominated series “We Mean Business” and currently appears in “Giuliana & Bill” on the Style Network. Bill also shares his message as an international keynote speaker and author. Bill motivates and inspires entrepreneurs, sales teams, business professionals and students around the world as a speaker. He’s also a New York Times best selling-author of two books on business and appears regularly as a financial expert on numerous television shows. Bill Rancic founded the company Cigars Around the World 14 years ago in a studio apartment. Today, it is a multimillion dollar operation. He is involved in many charities, including the Dr. Edward T. Rancic Memorial Fund at the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health and the Mercy Home for Boys and Girls in Chicago.

Press Contacts:
Foundation for NIH:
Rich Scarfo
(301) 496-9921
[email protected]

Boo! Run for Life:
Brian O’Neill — Race Director
(703) 786-8581
[email protected]