PHILANTHROPY HOW VAN ANDEL INSTITUTE PURPLE COMMUNITY HELPS MAKE FUNDRAISING EVENTS A HIT For 13 years, Pat Ringnalda has been hosting the Bee Brave 5K to raise money for breast cancer research. Organizing the event is a heavy lift, but for the last three years, that work has been made easier with help from Van Andel Institute Purple Community. Bee Brave, which celebrated its 12th run in 2019, began partnering with Purple Community after Ringnalda attended a golf outing to benefit VAI’s scientific research. Ringnalda was impressed by the support Purple Community gives its community and corporate partners to carry out such events. The more she learned, the more she realized the Bee Brave 5K would benefit greatly from partnering with Purple Community. “I have often said, if God gives you the nerve to ask people for money to support great causes, do it!” Ringnalda said. “You start with the best institutions like VAI, because they will give you the tools and support you need to be successful in your efforts.” The Bee Brave 5K is one of dozens of community events hosted each year to benefit scientific research and education programs at the Institute. Many people who organize these events begin by wanting to donate to a good cause, but are unsure how to get started. Purple Community makes it easy using an online application that outlines each event’s needs such as expected event location, size and fundraising goal. Once the application is received, it’s reviewed to determine how Purple Community can best support the event. Examples include setting up online fundraising portals, designing event fliers and more. “Community events are an essential part of supporting the important work happening at VAI,” said Purple Community volunteer coordinator McKenzie Hollern. “We want our organizers to know how much we appreciate their efforts by offering our full support and resources to make their events a success.” To learn more, visit purplecommunity.org. PAT RINGNALDA (RIGHT) 28 | VAN ANDEL INSTITUTE HIGHLIGHTS OF HOPE
KAY KOO HONORS FAMILY LEGACY OF GIVING When Kay Koo and her husband, Dr. Han-Mo Koo, arrived in Grand Rapids from Maryland in 1999, the city’s downtown was a sparse collection of shuttered businesses, fast food restaurants and a few beautiful, old churches. There was not, however, a research institute back then. Dr. Koo was one of the first scientists asked by Dr. George Vande Woude, a cancer research pioneer and Van Andel Institute’s first director of research, to help build Van Andel Institute from the ground up. “I feel a connection with what my husband started 20 years ago,” Koo said. “The Institute has my heart, and I hope we continue to grow and come up with new therapies for diseases that affect the lives of our loved ones. I really think my husband would be proud of what the Institute has become.” “We came here because we respected the work of Dr. Vande Woude, and even though there was not a lot going on in Grand Rapids at the time, we knew it would be exciting to be part of something new that didn’t exist yet,” Koo said. Dr. Koo served as head of the Institute’s Laboratory of Cancer Pharmacogenetics until he lost a six-month battle with cancer in 2004. His work focused on the identification of genetic targets for anticancer drug development for melanoma and pancreatic cancer. He was also an active contributor to the Institute’s Employee Impact Campaign that supported his fellow scientists. After his passing, Koo began working at the Institute as Dr. Vande Woude’s administrative assistant. Like her husband, Koo continued their family’s legacy of generosity as an employee donor. “I come from a family of giving. I grew up as the daughter of a pastor in a family where giving of yourself was just so natural,” Koo said. “I give to honor my husband’s memory and to support the people who helped me when he was so sick.” Koo recently surpassed her 15th year as a VAI employee, and after a decade and a half of service to the mission, the Institute is more than a place to work — it’s a family. KAY KOO VAN ANDEL INSTITUTE HIGHLIGHTS OF HOPE | 29
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
This is the event program for Van Andel Institute Graduate School's 2020 Commencement Ceremony. It includes bios on each graduating student.
These are the new student biosketches to accompany the 2020 Van Andel Institute Graduate School Convocation.
Established by Jay and Betty Van Andel in 1996, Van Andel Institute is committed to improving the health and changing the lives of current and future generations, through biomedical research and science education.
Van Andel Institute is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) charitable organization. EIN 52-2000820
Van Andel Institute is committed to making our website’s content accessible and user friendly to everyone. If you are interested in applying for employment with Van Andel Institute and need special assistance or an accommodation to complete our application process, are having difficulty viewing or navigating the content on this website, or notice any content, feature, or functionality that you believe is not fully accessible to people with disabilities, please call the Human Resources Department at 616-234-5100 or email at vari-employment@vai.org.
Van Andel Institute is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) Employer. We are committed to cultivating a workplace in which diverse perspectives and experiences are welcomed and respected. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, ancestry, national origin, sex, age, disability (physical or mental), marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, political ideology, or membership in any other legally protected class. We are an Affirmative Action employer. We encourage individuals with diverse backgrounds to apply and desire priority referrals of protected veterans.