Phoenix, Arizona - Governor Doug Ducey announced Friday the Ben and Catherine Ivy Foundation has contributed $5 million to the AZ Coronavirus Relief Fund. The fund, established by Governor Ducey as part of the Arizona Together initiative, supports Arizona organizations working to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 and provide assistance to families, individuals and businesses.
The contribution will support the purchase of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including masks, gloves, gowns and more for doctors, nurses and other medical professionals throughout the state.
“We are committed to supporting our medical staff on the front lines of this outbreak by providing them the equipment to do their jobs safely,” said Arizona Governor Doug Ducey. “While we’ve got more work to do, this incredibly generous donation from the Ivy Foundation will go a long way toward providing our doctors and nurses the protection they need. We thank the Ivy Foundation for its commitment to our citizens and for setting an example that others can follow."
The Ivy Foundation was established in 2005, just four months after Catherine Ivy lost her husband, Ben, to glioblastoma. In 2019, her foundation became the largest private funder of brain cancer research in the world surpassing $100 million in personal investment.
“It’s very important to me that the medical personnel in this state have the right tools and supplies to fight this battle,” said Catherine Ivy, founder and president of the Ben and Catherine Ivy Foundation and co-founder of the Ivy Brain Tumor Center at Barrow Neurological Institute. “While this gift will help, I realize it’s still not enough to fully support those on the frontlines. I want to encourage other foundations and non-profits who can help to please do so. It is my belief that when you have, you share.”
The AZ Coronavirus Relief Fund provides financial support to organizations working to support Arizonans during the COVID-19 outbreak. Initially, the fund will focus on fulfilling immediate needs, such as:
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Funding of PPE for frontline medical personnel;
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Supporting non-profit organizations that help vulnerable Arizonans through food banks, homeless shelters, domestic violence facilities, and other services;
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And expanding technology access for low-income students to help them transition to online learning.
Other individuals and organizations that have announced significant donations to the fund include Arizona Public Service (APS), Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and Arizona Cardinals Chairman and President Michael Bidwill.
Individuals interested in supporting the Arizona Coronavirus Relief Fund can contribute at ArizonaTogether.org. Organizations in need of financial support for programs that are supporting Arizonans during the COVID-19 outbreak can submit the initial request at ArizonaTogether.org.
About the Ben and Catherine Ivy Foundation
The Ivy Foundation is the nation’s largest privately funded foundation with a mission of improving survival and quality of life for people diagnosed with a brain tumor. The Ivy Foundation’s approach is to fund Patient Focused Research (PFR) with gliomas to improve diagnostics and treatments for patients. PFR keeps the patient and relevant clinical issues at the center of every research project. Since its inception in 2005, the Ivy Foundation has donated over $100 million to cutting-edge research with the expectation that this will lead to an eventual cure for brain cancer. In 2018, the Ivy Foundation made a $50 million gift, the largest private grant in the history of brain tumor research, to establish the Ivy Brain Tumor Center at Barrow Neurological Institute. The Ivy Brain Tumor Center is the largest Phase 0 clinical trials program in the world and the first of its kind in neuro-oncology. Learn more at ivyfoundation.org.