The Mark Buttitta Memorial Foundation for Research

Mesothelioma does not have the spotlight or research dollars behind it as do many of the more widely recognized diseases such as prostate and breast cancers.  According to doctors and researchers familiar with the disease, the lack of funding for a cure stems from both the disease’s low incidence amongst the population as well as the disease’s victims - blue collar workers with limited access to the political and lobbying power necessary to secure adequate funding.

The Mark Buttitta Memorial Foundation for Research is in memory of Mark Buttitta, an advertising executive who died of Mesothelioma in late 2002. While most Mesothelioma victims are employed in the construction or automotive manufacturing industries, Mark did not fit this typical profile.

Nonetheless, Mark’s family has established the Foundation to support research for a cure.  Now in its fifth year, the Foundation has been instrumental in supporting the work necessary to apply for research grants.  To date, the Foundation has raised over $150,000 through individual donations and fundraisers like the annual wine tasting. With the Foundation’s help, a generous grant was recently approved by the National Institute for Health, which will not only help to raise awareness of the disease but will also provide the much-needed aid to researchers who are working towards a cure.

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