personalities
By Lydia Freudenberg
Keep Moving Forward
Steve and Judy Tuckerman helped raise more than $18.9 million for cancer research – and aren’t slowing down 12
W
hile attending a Wexner Center for the Arts gala in the early 2000s, Judy Tuckerman kept recalling a discussion she had with her oncologist, Dr. William B. Farrar, during her annual mammogram at The Ohio State University James Cancer Hospital Solove Research Institute. As a breast cancer survivor and OSU alumna, Judy wanted to give back to the institute not just monetarily, but with a physical item. “Is there anything the hospital needs or wants?” Judy asked Farrar.
The humble doctor was hesitant at first, unsure of how to respond. Eventually, Farrar told Judy about a new, top-of-the-line mammogram machine available in Pittsburgh. It wasn’t in the institute’s budget. During the gala, Judy sat with her husband, Steve, alongside their longtime friends, Les and Abigail Wexner. Eventually, Judy mentioned what was on her mind, and the Wexners were immediately interested. While still seated at the gala, they pledged to donate half the fund, and www.healthynewalbanymagazine.com
