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No. 20 Vol. 8
My Life Publications • 973-809-4784
August 2023
800-939-JUNK
Team Turano Continues its Fight Against Rare Cancer
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By Steve Sears
ivingston’s Christine Notare describes her brother-in-law, Angelo Turano. “Angelo is a great guy,” Notare says. “Everybody who knows him loves him. He is fun to be with and he enjoys spending time with his friends and family and is always available to help someone in need. He is always cooking and inviting family over on a whim. He will say, ‘Come over, we’re making pizza,’ and he will throw 20 homemade pizzas on the grill. Angelo is a hard worker and owns his own electrical contracting business that he has had for 20 years now.” Turano since 2008 has also suffered with gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) cancer. Since he was first diagnosed, Turano has had five surgeries to remove tumors, and in 2018 his cancer returned. He is currently on his 3rd clinical trial and 7th cancer treatment plan and has endured several medical procedures. Team Turano, New Jersey’s chapter of the GIST Cancer Research Fund, is a fundraising team that has its sights on battling and winning the battle against the rare cancer. They will host their Annual GIST Cancer Research Fundraiser on Friday, September 22 at the Hanover Manor in East Hanover. The $75 ticket includes a raffle ticket package with dinner, soft drink, and dessert. Notare says, “One of the reasons that we do work so hard for fundraising is because GIST is so rare. Less than 6,000 people a year get diagnosed with this cancer, and there is no government funding for research. Every penny we raise goes towards research.” As of 2023, Team Turano has raised over $175,000 to fund research to fight the disease. Angelo’s wife Karen is on the GIST Cancer Research Fund (GCRF) board. The GCRF was
Team Turano (courtesy of Team Turano)
founded in 2003 by Tania and Robert Stutman. Team Turano initially took part in the yearly GCRF Walk for a Cure held at Rockland Lake State Park in Congers, New York in 2016, but two weeks prior decided to do some fundraising on their own to present at the event. While Notare and her sister were sitting in the latter’s North Caldwell backyard, a discussion began about hosting an endof-summer barbeque. 100 people attended during what Notare calls “an amazing day,” and $12,000 was raised for the fight against GIST. The following year, the event was moved indoors to the auditorium of Holy Family School in Nutley, and this time a
combination dinner and Tricky Tray event raised $20,000. Notare at that time said to her sister, “We’re onto something here.” From then on, the annual event has been held at Hanover Manor. In preparation, Team Turano meets regularly from May through September, and on the day of the Walk for a Cure, the Stutmans present funds raised right to five top GIST research Doctors as well as Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center doctors and the nurses. Donations for Team Turano can be made by mail and online. For more information visit www.teamturano.org. For additional information about GCRF, the website is www. gistinfo.org.