2024 Masonic Cancer Center Annual Dinner

 

On April 26, 2024, the Masonic Cancer Center held its annual dinner at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center in Bloomington, Minnesota.

Scientists, Researchers, Physicians, Medical Professionals and Masons gather once a year to celebrate the incredible partnership between Minnesota Masonic Charities and the Masonic Cancer Center. This partnership in the battle against cancer was established in 1955 and has grown and become stronger over the years. This year there were a total of 215 attendees at this year’s dinner.

As Jakub Tolar, Dean of the University of Minnesota Medical School stated, the Masons of Minnesota have been champions of the University of Minnesota for over 68 years. The buildings that the Masons have built are very visible on campus but more importantly, what is not seen, are the lives of people who are saved by the treatments, surgeries, trials, and discoveries that have impacted people’s lives for over sixty years.

All these efforts have created cancer survivors, providing the gift of time to live life and experience the joys of life.

On such survivor is Boyd Huppert, a reporter for Kare 11, who shared with us his story. He stated that in 2021 he was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, a rare form of blood cancer, for which there was no cure, but was treatable.

Boyd described his initial diagnosis, made complicated by the state of his blood, which required 45 bags of donor plasma to stabilize him, to his experience of receiving treatment at the Masonic Cancer Center and his subsequent bone marrow transplant.

Boyd found inspiration for his journey, from the story he told about Kelly Klein, a Kindergarten Teacher at Falcon Heights Elementary, who instructed her class from the hospital while receiving chemotherapy. Kelly attended the annual dinner and was introduced by Boyd.

Boyd said that he will continue to receive treatments for his cancer, but that being a survivor has given him time to continue to work, enjoy his family and hold his new grandchild.  His description of holding his grandchild for the first time following this bone marrow transplant, was a powerful reminder of the emotions and joy that accompany the “time” that is given to cancer survivors.

It was an evening of celebration and learning about the continuum of care that supports all cancer survivors, from childhood to older adulthood, at the Masonic Cancer Center and to renew the shared pledge to between the Masons and the University of Minnesota, to eliminate Cancer from our world.