Boston — Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has received a $50 million grant from the Yawkey Foundation to support its planned cancer hospital and the Future of Cancer Care Fund.
The grant commemorates an eight-decade partnership between Dana-Farber and the Yawkey family and will support construction of the future hospital, as well as other priorities including cancer research, early detection, survivorship, psychosocial services and patient assistance.
“We’re profoundly grateful for the Yawkey Foundation’s visionary generosity,” said Dr. Benjamin L. Ebert, president and CEO of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. “This grant exemplifies the Yawkey Foundation’s enduring legacy that has made an incredible impact on cancer care and research. Their transformational grant will advance groundbreaking research, innovative treatments and patient-centered care, while supporting the future cancer hospital at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.”
Dana-Farber said a new bridge spanning Brookline Avenue and connecting the Yawkey Center for Cancer Care to the planned cancer hospital will be named in honor of Jean and Tom Yawkey. The Jean and Tom Yawkey Bridge will provide access for patients, families, faculty and staff between the outpatient Yawkey Center and the new inpatient hospital.
The planned 14-floor facility will be owned and operated by Dana-Farber and will span 450,000 square feet. It will include 300 private inpatient rooms and be the only dedicated adult cancer hospital in New England.
“The Yawkey Foundation grant embodies the Yawkey family’s long-standing commitment to Dana-Farber’s revolutionary science and innovation,” said Dana-Farber board chair Josh Bekenstein. “Their generous support will enhance Dana-Farber’s vision for delivering seamless, comprehensive and specialized care.”
“Tom Yawkey’s devotion to Dr. Sidney Farber and his pioneering vision was absolute and personal — he believed from the very beginning that the Children’s Cancer Research Foundation [now known as Dana-Farber] represented one of the most important endeavors of his lifetime,” said John L. Harrington, Yawkey Foundation chairman. “It is that enduring conviction, carried forward by Jean Yawkey and now by the Foundation that bears their name, that compels us to make our largest grant in eight decades. There is no more fitting place for this investment than the institution Tom Yawkey helped lead.”
“Yawkey Foundation is proud to make this historic contribution and to continue our partnership with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in ensuring that its facilities provide the best possible experience for patients and families,” said Alicia Verity, Yawkey Foundation CEO. “Cancer touches virtually every family in some way, and the urgency of that reality is precisely why this grant matters so deeply. With this investment, Dana-Farber can continue to lead New England and the world in transforming the future of cancer research and care — and there is no more meaningful way to honor the Yawkey legacy than by helping make that possible.”
The partnership dates back more than 75 years, when Jean and Tom Yawkey supported Dana-Farber founder Dr. Sidney Farber’s early work in cancer research. In 1953, the Yawkeys also helped establish one of the first partnerships between a professional sports team and a cancer research institution through the Jimmy Fund and the Boston Red Sox.
Tom Yawkey joined Dana-Farber’s Board of Trustees in 1954 and served terms as president and chairman until his death in 1976. Jean Yawkey became a trustee in 1976 and served as chair from 1976 to 1979.
The Yawkey Foundation has continued that legacy, including a $30 million grant in 2007 for construction of Dana-Farber’s Yawkey Center for Cancer Care.
