The Karen Wyckoff Rein in Sarcoma Foundation was established by Karen, shortly before her death from Synovial Sarcoma in August of 2001. Karen conceived and created Rein in Sarcoma in the spring of 2001 as way to raise awareness of sarcoma cancers in the Upper Midwest, to encourage sarcoma research, particularly in the Upper Midwest, and to support other sarcoma patients and their loved ones.
Karen was close friends of Abby Boehm (now Abby Boehm-Turner) and her father Peter Boehm, who was president of the non-profit "My Fair Carousel" organization which restored and placed the historic Minnesota State Fair Carousel on the grounds of Como Park, in St. Paul. They quickly responded to Karen's request to donate an evening of of riding on what is now know as "Cafesjian's Carousel" in order to have attendees "ride in circles" for a cure for sarcoma cancers.
The first Rein in Sarcoma event was held on July 22, 2001 with about three hundred people attending. Karen and five sarcoma patients and survivors who met for the first time at the event were in attendance. $10,000 was raised at that first Rein in Sarcoma Event which led to the establishment of the Karen Wyckoff Sarcoma Research Fund at the University of Minnesota Medical Foundation. To read more about Karen's Story, click here.
Following that first event "Friends of Karen Wyckoff" a group of Karen's peers and her parent's peers continued to sustain Karen's vision. That group was quickly joined by legions of other sarcoma patients, survivors and loved ones that has made Rein in Sarcoma the primary sarcoma patient advocacy and research fund in the Upper Midwest.
Funds for Proceeds for the fund are dedicated to three major goals of the fund that continue the vision Karen first established.
The Karen Wyckoff Rein in Sarcoma Fund was established as a Minnesota non-profit organization in February 2004 to continue the Karen's vision. The independent structure of the Fund brings both exciting new opportunities and the need for all persons concerned about finding a cure for sarcoma to lend a hand. Its name was changed from Fund to Foundation in June of 2008. We are increasing our fund-raising efforts in order to expand our support of the Sarcoma research and education. The Karen Wyckoff Rein in Sarcoma Foundation is purely a "Labor of Love. Please help us give this orphan disease a home and a voice here in the upper Midwest, as we assist the University of Minnesota in looking for a cure, and helping patients in finding hope as they battle this disease. Since inception The Foundation has raised over $450,000 for Sarcoma research.
To read Karen's story, click here.