FALMOUTH – Maine Cancer Foundation recently awarded seven grants, totaling $316,000 to organizations across the state. These grants will support projects aimed at reducing cancer risk for Mainers through various evidence-based initiatives.
Cancer remains a leading cause of death in Maine, impacting thousands of residents each year. However, there are numerous evidence-based ways to reduce cancer risk and prevent certain types of cancer, ultimately reducing the burden of the disease in our state.
Over the past decade, MCF has invested over $5.2M into cancer prevention efforts, and this commitment will continue into the future.
For this 2024 round of grants, funded projects will:
- Reduce tobacco use, known to cause 10 cancers, with lung cancer at the forefront;
- Increase HPV Vaccinations, which helps prevent cervical cancer, among others;
- Implement obesity prevention strategies, known to reduce the risk of 13 types of cancers;
- Address environmental concerns that are proven to increase cancer risk, including radon and arsenic; and
- Improve sun safety efforts to help prevent skin cancer.
Grantees include:
- Healthy Androscoggin (Lewiston), Community Immunity: A Collaborative Effort to Raise HPV Vaccinations Rates in Androscoggin County, $50,000
- Defend Our Health (Portland), Primary Cancer Prevention via Well Testing and Mitigation, $49,996
- Jefferson Cary Foundation (Caribou), Detecting Radon in ME, $22,324
- Maine Indoor Air Quality Council (Augusta), Reducing the Risk of Lung Cancer from Exposure to Radon Gas Within a School Community, $50,000
- Maine Public Health Association (Augusta), Investing in Cancer-Free ME, $50,000
- MaineHealth Pen Bay Medical Center (Rockport), Pharmacist-Engaged Pilot to Increase Access to Tobacco Cessation Resources, $49,687
- Northern Light AR Gould Hospital (Presque Isle), Aroostook County Sun Safety Collaborative, $43,682
“Cancer continues to have a grip on our state, but luckily there are impactful ways to reduce our risk,” said Katelyn Michaud, MCF’s director of programming. “MCF is proud to work with partners statewide to stop cancer before it starts, so fewer of our Maine neighbors are faced with a cancer diagnosis.”
MCF is on track to award over $2.6 million in grants to organizations across Maine in 2024. All funded programs support cancer prevention, early detection, and improved outcomes statewide.
Maine Cancer Foundation is dedicated to reducing cancer incidence and mortality rates in Maine. One hundred percent of funds raised by the Foundation are used to benefit the people of Maine. MCF leads a statewide effort to advance the most promising and effective cancer-fighting efforts available to the people of Maine through a combination of grant-based financial support and coalition building. For more information about Maine Cancer Foundation please visit www.mainecancer.org.
