Empire State Building, NYRR partner with MMRF for new myeloma drugs

For the first time in the 34-year history of the Empire State Building Run-Up, the New York Road Runners (NYRR) has partnered with a nonprofit as the event's Presenting Sponsor. The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF), as the Benefiting Charity, is proud to be associated with two of the most iconic entities in all of New York, the NYRR and the Empire State Building. The mission of the MMRF, one of the nation's leading cancer research foundations, is to relentlessly pursue innovative means that accelerate the development of next-generation treatments for patients with multiple myeloma, an incurable blood cancer.

The Empire State Building Run-Up is a prestigious and exclusive event. Previously, the field of 300 participants has been filled at the sole discretion of the NYRR by invitation only. This year the MMRF will fill a charity wave of an additional 100 spots with MMRF PowerTeam members. The MMRF wave will kick off the day's events, with the starting horn sounding at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, February 1, 2011. MMRF Founder and CEO, Kathy Giusti, a myeloma patient, will hold the finish line tape. In honor of the MMRF PowerTeam, the Empire State Building's iconic lights will shine in orange that evening.

Members of the MMRF PowerTeam tap into their power to make the difference in the search for a cure for multiple myeloma. Each runner has committed to raise a minimum of $2500, and funds raised by this inaugural MMRF team for the Empire State Building Run-Up will exceed $250,000. To make a donation in honor of the MMRF PowerTeam, please visit: http://www.themmrf.org/empiredonate.

Funds raised by the MMRF have accomplished outstanding milestone achievements such as helping to bring four new myeloma drugs to market, more than doubling the patient life expectancy post-diagnosis around the globe, opening 30 clinical trials 60% faster than the industry standard in oncology, and sequencing the multiple myeloma genome. Yet, the five year survival rate for myeloma remains one of the lowest of all cancers. The four treatments the MMRF helped bring to market for myeloma are now being investigated for in an additional 30 cancers. The funds raised by the MMRF are critical in continuing to advance the progress being made.

MMRF Corporate Run-Up Challenge

A highlight of the MMRF charity wave will be the MMRF Corporate Run-Up Challenge. Corporate teams will compete for bragging rights and two impressive trophies: The NYC Triumph Cup (fastest team) and The Spirit of Giving Cup (most funds raised). Winners will return to the 2012 team to defend their titles.

Sixteen teams of three participants have joined the competition: Bain & Company, Barclays, Celgene Corporation, Citi, GlaxcoSmithKelin, Goldman Sachs, Jeffries, JP Morgan-Chase, MasterCard, Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Modena Capital, Morgan Stanley, PepsiCo, Royal Bank of Canada, SAC Capital, and UBS.

"We are overwhelmed by the incredibly generous support of the MMRF Corporate Run-Up Challenge team members," states Alicia O'Neill, MMRF Endurance Events Program Director. "These participants have been truly inspired by the competition - both from a race standpoint and from a fundraising perspective. They want to win and they want to support our foundation, which is on the cutting edge of cancer research."