October 17, 2005

Tara Bean Foundation Established to Fund Research and Treatments for Pediatric Brain Tumors in Memory of 9-Year-Old Shrewsbury Girl

Kick-Off celebration to be hosted by UMass Memorial Children’s Medical Center

Shrewsbury, MA — Looking to "take this dream to the next level," Karen Lynn Bean, mother of Tara Katherine Bean, a fourth grader from Shrewsbury who died February 15, 2000 from complications caused by a brain tumor, and members of the Tara Bean Committee have established a Foundation in the youngster's name, building on the remarkable fundraising success of the Tara Bean Fund. UMass Memorial Children’s Medical Center will host a kick-off celebration on Wednesday, October 20, 2005 at 6:30 p.m. in the Aaron Lazare Medical Research Building on the University Campus of UMass Memorial Medical Center.

The mission of The Tara Bean Foundation, as a non-profit corporation and a recognized Massachusetts 501(c) (3) organization, is to obtain and allocate funds for pediatric brain tumor treatment and research advancements. "As an independent foundation, The Tara Bean Foundation will be able to secure funding from other sources and foundations on a national level. We want to make the biggest impact possible to honor Tara’s memory," said Ms. Bean. Brain tumors are the leading cause of solid tumor cancer deaths in children through high school age and the second most common form of cancer in children and adolescents after leukemia. There are over 120 different types of brain tumors, making effective treatment difficult and complicated.

Since 2001, and prior to establishing the Tara Bean Foundation, The Tara Bean Committee, comprised of Tara’s family, friends and local community supporters, raised over $250,000 for The Tara Bean Fund at the UMass Memorial Children’s Medical Center under the guidance of the UMass Memorial Foundation. Proceeds have been used to support both treatment and research of pediatric brain tumors, including the purchase of state of the art operating room equipment and the funding of a Research Fellow studying brain tumors.

“UMass Memorial Children’s Medical Center is grateful to the Tara Bean Foundation for its generous support of medical services for children,” said Marianne E. Felice, MD, physician-in-chief of the UMass Memorial Children's Medical Center.  “Their continued dedication is an inspiration for all of us and their hard work will help us continue to provide the best possible care for children in the region, and further our research into pediatric brain tumors.”

Karen Donovan-Bean, vice president of the Tara Bean Foundation and Tara’s aunt, has spear-headed the annual Tara Bean Valentine’s Gala, which netted $90,000 in proceeds this past February. “We began fundraising by hosting a dinner of Tara’s favorite foods—ham with macaroni and cheese—at a local school. The event raised over $19,000 in proceeds. We were overwhelmed at the generosity and support of the Shrewsbury community; everyone we knew, and many people we didn’t, pitched in without hesitation. We were so energized by the compassion and support, that we wanted to keep going—we wanted to grow our fundraising efforts each year in order to help other children suffering from this terrible disease,” Ms. Donovan-Bean added.

Rod Miller, chief executive of the UMass Memorial Foundation, which continues to enjoy a long and valued relationship with the many people who have helped grow the Tara Bean Fund, is optimistic about the potential of the Tara Bean Foundation. “The growth of this effort has been gratifying, and brings hope to the many young patients and their families confronting neurological disorders. As a foundation, it can expect to grow its success even further,” said Miller.

About the Tara Bean Foundation

Established in 2005, the Tara Bean Foundation is a 501(c)(3) Massachusetts non-profit corporation whose mission is to secure and allocate funds for pediatric brain tumor treatment and research advancements.  The Foundation is named in honor of Tara Bean, a seemingly healthy fourth grader who passed away from complications just three short weeks after being diagnosed with a brain tumor. Donations are welcome and are tax deductible to the extent permissible by law.  In 2006, the foundation’s signature annual event, the Tara Bean Valentine’s Gala to Benefit Pediatric Brain Tumor Care and Research will be held on Saturday, February 11. For more information or to reserve tickets, please e-mail KBean@TaraBeanFoundation.org, or visit the Foundation on the Web at www.TaraBeanFoundation.org.

About the UMass Memorial Children’s Medical Center

The UMass Memorial Children’s Medical Center is the only comprehensive program for the care of infants, children and adolescents in Central Massachusetts. Led by Physician-in-Chief Marianne E. Felice, MD, the center focuses on excellence and is set within UMass Memorial Health Care, the region’s preeminent academic medical center and its community based hospitals. UMass Memorial, led by President and CEO John G. O’Brien, is the largest not-for-profit health care delivery system, with 1,500 physicians and more than 12,000 employees. Its network of care includes teaching hospitals, affiliated community hospitals, freestanding primary care practices, ambulatory outpatient clinics, long-term care facilities, home health agencies, hospice programs, a rehabilitation group and mental health services. UMass Memorial Health Care is the clinical partner of the University of Massachusetts Medical School. For more information, visit www.umassmemorial.org and www.umassmed.edu.