‘Cancer touches everyone’ – The Hormel Institute receives more than $33K in donation
Published 6:42 am Tuesday, December 18, 2018
- Dr. Zigang Dong, executive director of The Hormel Institute, was presented a check of more than $33,000 that was donated to help fund cancer research on Monday morning. Hannah Yang/hannah.yang@austindailyherald.com
With a generous gift, The Hormel Institute got another step closer to finding a cure for cancer on Monday morning.
Gathered inside The Hormel Institute, Gary Lynch, owner of The Lynch Companies based in Waucoma, Iowa, and Jason Golly, CEO of The Lynch Companies, presented a check for $33,474 to Dr. Zigang Dong, executive director of The Hormel Institute, which will go toward cancer research.
Donations were raised through a “Pink Pie in the Face” fundraiser that took place in October. Individuals competed to raise money, with the winner having the chance to throw a pink whipped cream pie in the face of another. Although Golly raised the most money, Lynch matched the donations on the stipulation Golly would get pied in the face as well.
“We’re glad to be a part of it,” Lynch said. “It was great to find the institute that was close to Decorah, and we’re just glad to help out.”
Gold Standard Farms is a division of The Lynch Companies and supplies animal-welfare certified pork without antibiotics and is a member of the Hormel Foods family of companies.
Dr. Zigang Dong, executive director of The Hormel Institute, thanked The Lynch Companies for their donation of more than $33,000 for cancer research at the institute on Monday morning. Hannah Yang/hannah.yang@austindailyherald.com
This particular gift for The Hormel Institute was personal, as Lynch survived prostate cancer and Golly, Lynch’s son-in-law, lost his mother to breast cancer. Having continuing research into cures means there is hope for those continuing to fight cancer to see another day.
“I think there is a lot of hope,” Lynch said. “I’m glad to be helping out the institute in a small way and we’re happy to do this.”
Dong said the money from the donation can make a difference in finding a breakthrough in research and that donations like the one Lynch and Golly gave, were crucial to the progress being made at The Hormel Institute.
“Truly, cancer is a disease that affects us all and through amazing efforts such as these, we can accelerate answers to cancer the only way possible: through research,” Dong said.
