The Prevent Cancer Foundation, founded in 1985, is the only U.S.-based nonprofit solely dedicated to cancer prevention and early detection. Its vision centers on health equity—a world where cancer is preventable, detectable and beatable for all—with universal access to affordable screenings and detection.

Its impact includes providing seed funding for the development of Cologuard and advocating for the HPV vaccine, Gardasil. The Foundation is also pushing for passage of the Multi-Cancer Early Detection Act to ensure Medicare coverage for emerging multi-cancer blood tests.

Local resident and Board Treasurer Sharon Cook is working to expand fundraising efforts in Southwest Florida, aiming to raise $72,000 for a grant supporting community programs and advocacy. “If you can detect it in stages one and two, chances of living a quality of life and surviving are very good,” she explains, emphasizing the gap in screenings. “Not everyone can afford these screenings and not everyone has access to them. A lot of the research is being done is on finding a cure, but I've actually seen the benefits of the research efforts to develop screening tools.”

Cook’s current goal is to raise $72,000 in funding for an 18-month grant to advance early detection for harder-to-find cancers, including uterine, stomach, bladder and liver cancers. “It’s just a matter of getting the funding for these scientists and continuing the trials for the multicancer early detection blood tests. If you can detect cancers in stages one and two, chances of living a quality of life and surviving are very good,” she says, adding, “Everybody is looking for that magic bullet when many of these cancers, if detected early, are beatable.”