Jeffrey D. Rothstein MD, Ph.D.
The Center’s third year began with great fanfare.
In recognition of a $5-million commitment from The Robert
Packard Foundation, the Center for ALS Research was renamed
the Robert Packard Center for ALS Research at Johns Hopkins
in a dedication ceremony on the School of Medicine campus.
Dubbed “The Night of 1,000 Traders,” MDA’s
Wings Over Wall Street™ event raised more than $1.9
million for ALS research in 2002—$1 million of which
was directed to the Packard Center.
The 6th Annual Ride for Life—an 8-day, 150-mile walk
and wheelchair ride from Long Island to Manhattan—raised
$55,800 for drug screening research.
|
What we’ve accomplished this year, in only our second
full year of operating, has been nothing short of extraordinary.
On all fronts—scientific, financial, and administrative—we
continued to put down deep roots, growing a sustainable, entrepreneurial,
and innovative center dedicated to finding a cure for ALS.
At the Packard Center, our scientific work is not about throwing
darts at a dart board, but rather about deeply thoughtful
approaches based on the cumulative and collaborative understanding
of ALS from some of the world’s leading scientists.
Although our operating committee resides at Johns Hopkins,
the best scientists—regardless of affiliation—continue
to join us to deliver scientific breakthroughs.
This past year, more than 30 outstanding scientists collaborated
in our performance-driven model. The results were superb,
and you’ll read about our specific progress in therapeutics,
basic research and genetics in the pages that follow.
The long-term sustainability of the Packard Center is dependent
on a dedicated base of staff, volunteers, and donors. In the
past 12 months, our staff has made huge strides, putting in
place the systems and processes we need to handle our growth.
Our volunteers begin with our Board of Governors, a dedicated
group of people who put their time and energy behind fighting
this disease. This past year, we were able to grow our board
from 13 to 19, bringing in prominent, influential, and dedicated
people from all over the United States.
Financial stability has improved as well. Three years ago,
we started with the generosity of two foundations and a baseball
team (The Robert Packard Foundation, the Kornfeld Foundation,
and the Orioles). The funds from these donors represented
more than 56% of our funds in FY02. We are very proud that
our own fundraising efforts this last fiscal year have reduced
that percentage to 45% as we’ve diversified our donor
base. This last year saw an inflow of almost $2 million from
donors outside of our start-up supporters. Our thanks go out
to the passionate families and friends who have contributed
and are helping us fight ALS.
Finally, in our objective for sustainability, we increased
our endowment significantly this year, from $1,445,314 at
the end of FY02 to $4,557,960 at the end of FYO3. This endowment
is important as it generates income used to cover administrative
salaries, enabling new funds coming into the Packard Center
to be directly applied to research.
Three years ago, we began with a vision for the Packard Center:
to be at the center of ALS research, at the center of scientific
discovery, at the center of drug discovery. Today, we are
so proud that this vision has become a reality through The
Robert Packard Center for ALS Research and our collaboration
for a cure.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey D. Rothstein M.D., Ph.D.
NEXT:
finding a Cure >> |
