Case in point: Dr. Arnold S. Leonard. Dr. Leonard, and avid hunter, has made it his life’s mission to bring cancer to its knees. He’s the backbone of a cancer research team that is rewriting the book on how to kill tumors. In fact, their work recently earned them the Watson Award from the University of Minnesota, two American College of Surgeons Awards, and prestigious recognition from the American Surgical Association that included an $80,000 prize to help them continue their research. Many years ago, Dr. Leonard and his hunting companion Rob Evans realized their fellow hunters shared the same passion for helping others. So it only made sense to involve them in the cause, through fundraising events like Hunt For The Cure - which supports the ASL Cancer Fund. Now in its 17th year, Hunt For The Cure is an annual pheasant and pigeon shoot held at the Minnesota Horse and Hunt Club. It’s attended by hundreds of generous sportsmen and women, and sponsored by the hunting industry’s most altruistic companies. Among them is Core Resources, makers of Gamehide brand hunting clothing. Dave Larsen from Gamehide gave me a call recently and invited me to shoot on his team at this year’s Hunt For The Cure event. Sadly, I was traveling and was unable to attend. But I promised Dave I would write about it to raise awareness for the amazing things Dr. Leonard’s team has accomplished with the help of hunters’ donations. Using Bacteria To Eat Tumors You’ve heard of Salmonella, right? That nasty bacteria that’s commonly associated with food poisoning? Well, Dr. Leonard and his colleague Dr. Dan Saltzman, along with their researchers, have found a way to use Salmonella for a good cause. First, they take a human IL-2 gene and attach it to the membrane of a Salmonella organism. This “genetically-engineered” bacteria suddenly takes on a new personality. Instead of wreaking havoc, the Salmonella develops a taste for cancer cells and immediately goes to work devouring tumors! On test animals with tumors, findings indicate that this “Super Salmonella” reduces tumor mass by up to 90%! And all from an oral-dose medicine that’s as easy to administer as taking an aspirin. What’s more, the medicine appears to be as well-suited for CANCER PREVENTION as it is for CANCER TREATMENT! It’s conceivable that people at high risk of developing cancer could “beat the illness to the punch” with this bacteria. Simply amazing! With any new drug or procedure, researchers must work diligently to investigate and document everything related to the treatment. It’s necessary for receiving FDA approval to take the remedy from laboratory animals to humans. At the Hunt For The Cure banquet on March 11, Dr. Leonard announced to the hunters in attendance that phase-one FDA approval for the genetically-engineered Salmonella had just been granted! Which means it can now be prescribed to human cancer patients. Want to hear even better news? It is extremely effective on Neuroblastoma, which is the number-one childhood solid tumor. All the work Dr. Leonard’s team has achieved, made largely possible through the financial support of hunters and the organizations that serve us, will save childrens’ lives. Maybe your child or grandchild one day. A whopping $250,000 was raised this year to support the ASL Cancer Fund. Next year, I hope my schedule is clear to attend the 18th annual Hunt For The Cure event. If you’ve never experienced a pheasant and pigeon shoot at a gun club, you owe it to yourself to do so. It’s a ton of fun and a great way to hone your shooting skills. Better yet, make Doc Leonard’s event the shoot you attend, and help his team continue their incredible fight against cancer. If you’d like to make a tax-deductible contribution, you can send it to the Arnold S. Leonard Cancer Research Fund, 606 24th Avenue South #818, Minneapolis MN 55454 (501C# 20-2924536). To learn more, visit www.ASLCancerFund.org. Good Hunting.
Babe Winkelman is a nationally-known outdoorsman who has taught people to fish and hunt for nearly 30 years. Watch his award-winning “Good Fishing” and “Outdoor Secrets” television shows on Versus Network, Fox Sports, Wild TV and many local networks. Visit www.winkelman.com for air times where you live.
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