A DECADE OF PROGRESS AND WE’RE JUST GETTING STARTED.
SINCE 2011, RCF HAS:

EASED CANCER’S IMPACT
by funding $1,158,843
in Patient Programs and serving
14,442 young cancer patients

RAISED SURVIVAL RATES
by hosting 12,992 guests at
AYA Cancer Awareness Events

HELPED FIND A CURE
by funding $1,503,197
in research for less toxic, more
curative cancer therapies

THE DIAGNOSIS
CARLEY RUTLEDGE, age 15, is diagnosed with Stage IV Ewing sarcoma after 11 months of misdiagnosed pain.
December
2010
FIRST FUNDRAISER
Family and friends host first GOLD RIBBON KICKBALL GAME, raising $23,000 for sarcoma research at Georgetown University and $15,000 for a dedicated Teen Room at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth.
FIRST FUNDRAISER
December
2011
FIRST CARLEY'S CLOSET
Carley’s Closet is established at Cook Children’s and MD Anderson Medical Centers, providing teen and young adult resources and comfort items to newly diagnosed cancer patients.
FIRST CARLEY'S CLOSET
December
2011
A FOUNDATION IS CREATED
Carley J. Rutledge Sarcoma Foundation is established as a 501(c)(3), later becoming Rutledge Cancer Foundation.
December
2011
PATIENT OUTINGS KICK OFF
RCF begins hosting patient outings allowing young patients to connect with others on their same cancer journey, creating important community and connection.
PATIENT OUTINGS KICK OFF
2013
EWING SARCOMA RESEACH
RCF helps push forward the development of Ewing Sarcoma targeted drug vaccine therapies at Mary Crowley Cancer Research Center
2013-2016
FIRST RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP
RCF begins work with UNT Health Science Center studying a novel nanoparticle that could target cancer cells and deliver drug payloads with minimal toxicity.
2013-2015
FIRST AYA PSYCHOLOGIST AT COOK
RCF helps establish the first adolescent and young adult (AYA) psychologist at Cook Children’s Medical Center.
2014
FIRST COMMUNITY-WIDE FERTILITY PRESERVATION PROGRAM
RCF and Moncrief Cancer Institute parter to pioneer the first community-wide Onco-fertility preservation program in the US establishing a patient fertility program for all AYA cancer patients and a fund for underserved patients.
FIRST COMMUNITY-WIDE FERTILITY PRESERVATION PROGRAM
2013-2015
SOLID TUMOR PROGRAM ESTABLISHED
RCF helps establish Solid Tumor Program at Cook Children’s, making clinical trials for solid tumor cancers more accessible to young cancer patients.
2016-2019
CHILDREN'S CANCER THERAPY DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE
RCF funds Children’s Cancer Therapy Development Institute in Beaverton, Oregon to develop pediatric cell lines for ASPS, a rare pediatric sarcoma.
2017
FITSTEPS OPENS ITS DOORS
RCF partners with R4 Foundation to establish and fund FitSteps for Life (now ForeverFit) therapeutic cancer exercise program in Fort Worth at UNT Health Science Center.
FITSTEPS OPENS ITS DOORS
2019
A NEW RESEARCH COLLABORATION
RCF creates a collaboration between Jason Yustein, MDPhD, Lab at Baylor College of Medicine and Greg Aune, MDPhD, Lab at UT San Antonio and a partnership with Qana Therapeutics in Austin, Texas, to continue research of novel nanoparticle delivery mechanism for Ewing sarcoma. New research team receives an NIH R21 Grant to continue development of Nanoparticle Drug Delivery in pediatric sarcomas.
A NEW RESEARCH COLLABORATION
2019-2020
CLEVELAND CLINIC RESEARCH PROJECT
RCF supports research of Drs. Pete Anderson and Timothy Chan at Cleveland Clinic to develop an mRNA Vaccine and CarT Therapy for Ewing sarcoma.
2021
$2,600,000 IN RESEARCH & PROGRAMS
Since 2011, RCF has funded over $2,600,000 in research for less toxic, more curative therapies for sarcomas and other solid tumor cancers and programs that ease the impact of AYA cancers.
2011-2022
RESEARCH FOR EWING SARCOMA EXPANDS
RCF begins supporting Dr. Poul Sorensen at BC Cancer Molecular Oncology Research, Provincial Health Services Authority, Vancouver, BC, Targeting IL1RAP surface protein with novel immunotherapy approaches for Ewing sarcoma.
2023