Vera Bradley endows $6.8 million to IU Cancer Center

A $6.8 million gift from The Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer will go towards breast cancer research in IU's Cancer Center, loacated in Indianapolis, officials said in an announcement Monday.\nStephen Williams, IU Cancer Center director, said the latest gift is the continuation of a strong, long-term relationship between IU and the organizations. \n"Vera Bradley is a wonderful Indiana company with strong Indiana roots," he said. "They want to see Indiana institutions and Indiana breast cancer patients do well." \nThe Foundation has been committed to supporting breast cancer research and representives said they hope the contribution will allow IU to continue making progress toward cracking the cancer code. \n"We feel like we are absolute partners in IU's quest for a cure," said Catherine Hill, development director of the Foundation. "We don't think of ourselves as a funding constituent, we think of ourselves as a true partner to make sure IU is the one to break the code."\nThe University is aiming toward becoming "an international-class life sciences research community," IU President Adam Herbert said in his State of the University speech last fall. \nAt the same time, he announced a goal for IU's already renowned Cancer Center to become one of the top five in the \nnation. \nWilliams added that because modern scientific research is so costly, this would be impossible without philanthropic contributions. \nThe gifts from Vera Bradley will assist in further development of the center's infrastructure, faculty recruitment and pilot projects. \n"The funds have given us the ability to continue our groundbreaking research, which provides patients with better treatment outcomes than ever," Williams said in a statement. \nThe gift was announced Monday after the close of the Vera Bradley Classic, a women's golf and tennis tournament held in Fort Wayne where the company is \nheadquartered. \nVera Bradley designs and creates quilted cotton handbags, luggage and accessories. The Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer was founded by the company in 1998 to support breast cancer research, programs and services. \nThe Foundation is supported by sales of special Vera Bradley Designs collections, according to a press release.\nThe endowment is the third in a series of major gifts from the Foundation to the IU Cancer Center. A gift of $1.2 million in 2001 endowed the Vera Bradley Chair of Oncology, a position currently occupied by Dr. Linda Malkas. \nThe second major gift, a $2 million donation in 2005, created the Vera Bradley Breast Cancer Research Endowment.