Left to right: Nancy Sacco and Terry Hochstetler, Circle of Hope Bracelets volunteers; Arkadiusz Dudek, M.D., Ph.D., Masonic Cancer Center researcher; and Debbie Erickson, Circle of Hope Bracelets volunteer.

(Dec. 5, 2008) Volunteers from Circle of Hope Bracelets presented the Masonic Cancer Center with an $18,000 gift November 11 to support a clinical trial for the treatment of malignant melanoma with an experimental cancer vaccine called large multivalent immunogen (LMI) vaccine. The trial is being led by Masonic Cancer Center researcher Arkadiusz Dudek, M.D., Ph.D. LMI vaccine is generated from a patient's tumor cells to boost the immune system's ability to recognize and destroy cancer cells.

Circle of Hope Bracelets is a not-for-profit organization with volunteers who make and sell bracelets. Profits from the bracelet sales are donated to cancer research, treatment, and education. Over $2 million dollars has been donated since its inception in 1999. Since 2004, the Minnesota Team has sold over $115,000 in bracelets. This recent donation is the second gift Circle of Hope Bracelets has made to the Masonic Cancer Center; the previous gift was designated to breast cancer research.

Visit www.circleofhopebracelets.org to learn more. If you are interested in purchasing a bracelet, please contact Debbie Erickson, 651-653-9323, debraerickson@comcast.net.