Press Release:

Gala of Hope Awards Grant to Maple Tree Cancer Alliance

Beavercreek, OH, February 21, 2023 (Cancer Prevention Month) –

Gala of Hope Foundation awarded Maple Tree Cancer Alliance an $82,000 grant to underwrite its pilot to transition cancer survivors to community fitness programs. These programs will be led by instructors certified by Maple Tree to work with cancer survivors. This helps Maple Tree complete a full four-phase program, accessing patients upon diagnosis, serving them through treatment, and leading them into a lifetime of exercise as cancer survivors.   

 “In 2015 we began partnering with Maple Tree to serve patients in the Dayton region, and today they serve patients in most of the region’s cancer centers, about 2,000 annually. Now we help them fully round out their program to ‘graduate’ cancer survivors from their inpatient care to select fitness centers that can carry on their exercise oncology program,” shared Jeff Brock, Executive Director. “This grant will help pilot the first 200 patients in this transition, document the results, and solidify the model to continue going forward for hundreds, if not thousands, more in the Dayton region.” 

Karen Wonders, CEO of Maple Tree Cancer Alliance, founded in Dayton, shared, “We are so thankful for our friends at Gala of Hope. Their dedication to the cancer community in Dayton has enabled us to serve thousands of patients locally. This grant now helps assure comprehensive and complete care to cancer patients, starting from their diagnosis and continuing through the totality of their remission--the entire trajectory of their cancer journey!” Tiffany Kellner, Gala’s Board President, said, "Gala ultimately wants to send cancer into the sunset, and for survivors in this Maple Tree program, it makes it more of a reality for them.” 

Research shows that maintaining an active lifestyle during remission can help reduce the likelihood of cancer recurrence. Often after completing treatment and entering remission, patients are left to exercise on their own during a vulnerable time when they must navigate a new normal marked by fear of recurrence and isolation. Further, these individuals still need specialized support provided by trained and credentialed exercise trainers. Gala of Hope wishes to help extend survivorship for every cancer patient.  

“Gala and Maple Tree really birthed exercise oncology in Dayton, and soon Maple Tree spread nationally and internationally. We now help bring their program to full maturity, helping reduce reoccurring cancer. Dayton cancer survivors will be the first to experience this final piece of exercise oncology, continuing Dayton’s tradition as the city of innovation,” shared Brock.

About Gala of Hope Foundation

Gala of Hope Foundation is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization founded in 2014 to serve the Dayton region as a financial resource for cancer patients, cancer treatment, and local cancer research.  At its core, Gala of Hope Foundation was created and is sustained by gifts from generous people committed to changing the face of cancer in the Dayton region. The Foundation serves as a grant maker and a voice for Dayton region cancer patients and its cancer care community.

For more information, contact Jeff Brock, Executive Director at 937-239-5482 or visit www.galaofhope.net

About Maple Tree Cancer Alliance

Maple Tree Cancer Alliance is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of individuals who battle cancer. We accomplish this through an evidence-based program of supervised, individualized exercise training offered to patients during active treatment. Grounded in research, our program has demonstrated improved patient outcomes in terms of increased fitness parameters, decreased symptom severity, and decreased health care utilization.

For more information about MTCA, visit www.mapletreecanceralliance.org.

Contact:  Karen Wonders   karen.wonders@mapletreecanceralliance.org 937-477-8213