Paint the Town Pink: Annual Community-Led Campaign to Raise Funds for Cancer Research at The Hormel Institute Starts Next Week
Austin, Minn. - Event organizers for 2024 Paint the Town Pink (PTTP) are gearing up throughout Austin and southern Minnesota to raise funds for The Hormel Institute’s cancer research. PTTP is a community-led annual campaign to raise funds for innovative research to accelerate answers to cancer. “We hope every individual who donates and every organizer who works hard to raise funds for PTTP knows how important their support is to move cancer research forward. They are on the front lines with our researchers as together we work to prevent and control cancer and find better therapies to treat it,” said Gail Dennison, Director of Development and External Relations. Since it started in 2011, PTTP has raised nearly $3 million for cancer research at The Hormel Institute. “The community of Austin and communities throughout the region are amazing in their generous support of this important work. The Hormel Institute thanks every person who contributes. We all know every dollar, every cancer, and every person matters," said Dennison. The 2024 PTTP event lineup includes returning favorites like Plunging for Pink and Fishing for a Cure. There is also a new event: Austin Bruins Black & Gold Gala which will be held at Austin Country Club on January 31. “Cancer touches everyone including the families and friends of our players,” said Brian Schulz, President of the Austin Bruins. “Our new owner Brian Raduenz lost one of his closest friends to cancer so the PTTP campaign is meaningful and important to all of us.” 2024 PTTP Events:
- January 9: Business After Hours/ PTTP Kick-off at The Hormel Institute hosted by HI and Austin Hy-Vee
- January 20: “Dutchtown Jumpers Cook-Off” Swedish Meatball Competition - Hoot ‘N Ole’s
- January 27: “Plunging for Pink” Polar Plunge - East Side Lake
- January 28: “Pickle for Pink” Pickleball - Austin Recreation Center
- January 31: Austin Bruins' “Black & Gold Gala” - Austin Country Club
- February 3: “Paint the Rink Pink” Austin Bruins Hockey Game
- February 9: KAUS “Paint the Airwaves Pink” Radiothon
- February 9-10: “Toss for a Cure” Bean Bag Tournament - Austin Holiday Inn
- February 10: “Shooters for Hooters” - Cedar Valley Conservation Club
- February 17: “Fishing for a Cure” - East Side Lake
- February 17: VFW Pool Tourney
- March 2: “Smashing Cancer Demolition Derby” - Mower County Fairgrounds
- March 2: VFW Dart Tourney
For more information on PTTP and the 2024 events, visit https://pttp.hi.umn.edu/. If you have an idea for a new PTTP event, reach out to Daneka Wiechmann, The Hormel Institute’s PTTP Coordinator, at wiech035@umn.edu or 507-437-9650. Thanks to The Hormel Foundation’s annual support, every dollar donated to The Hormel Institute is used to support innovative research aimed at accelerating answers to cancer. MEDIA CONTACT Raquel Hellman Marketing & Communications Manager raquelh@umn.edu ABOUT THE HORMEL INSTITUTE The Hormel Institute is an independent biomedical research department within the University of Minnesota’s Research and Innovation Office (RIO). Collaborative research partners include Masonic Cancer Center UMN (a Comprehensive Cancer Center as designated by the National Cancer Institute, NIH), Mayo Clinic, and many other leading research centers worldwide. The Hormel Institute, which tripled in size in 2008 and doubled again in size in 2016, is home to some of the world’s most cutting-edge research technologies and expert scientists. Over the next few years, The Hormel Institute will broaden its impact through innovative, world-class research in its quest to improve human health. 1-4-24