BEVERLY HILLS-Dana and David Pump are on a mission to beat cancer. Cancer is what took away their father. Cancer is a disease that has become the cause of death for millions of Americans and people worldwide.
As I’ve witnessed personally through the steady health decline of an uncle and cousin, cancer is an uncompromising disease that robs the immune system until it leaves the body permanently limp.
In memory of their late father, the Pump brothers have set up camp with their professional athlete and celebrity pals to try to beat the odds and find a way to cure to knockout the deadly disease.
They’ve been at it for awhile. Formally, the Pump brothers have been in the fight against cancer for the past 13 years.
During that time period the siblings have worked hand-in-hand together to network and incorporate all-star celebrity talent to become engaged in the cause. It’s turned out be a golden egg for the Harold & Carole Pump Foundation.
Millions of dollars have been raised for cancer research and mammogram screenings.
But the fight against cancer isn’t a one-trick pony. It’s an ongoing effort. That’s why Dana and David Pump have sought and successfully been able to attract the high-profile athletes and entertainers to their ambitious journey.
Whether it’s a friend or family member being relentlessly bombarded by it, cancer affects everyone.
That message has resonated with both the entertainment and sports industries. High-profile former athletes and celebrities made their way to the Beverly Hills Hilton Hotel in early August to lend their support for the 13th Annual Harold & Carole Pump Foundation fundraising gala.
The event was to set up to raise money for the Carole Pump Women’s Center, the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Cancer Center and the Harold Pump Department of Radiation Oncology at Northridge Hospital.
Big-time talent like NFL Hall of Fame players like Jim Brown, Marcus Allen, Ronnie Lott, and Warren Moon attended the annual ceremony.
The NBA and Major League Baseball was not without representation as Oscar Robertson, David Robinson, Julius “Dr. J” Erving, Roger Clemens and Dave Winfield came to see Shaquille O’Neal, former MLB skipper Joe Torre and Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx being honored.
Leah Pump, the wife of Dana Pump, said this is all about exploring ways to beat cancer. The Pump Foundation has handed out $5.5 million for the treatment and cure of cancer.
“This is the 13th year of the Pump Foundation where we fight for cancer research, mammograms,” Leah Pump said. “We worked hard to get every celebrity here…sports, entertainment, everybody. We’ve raised over five million dollars. We’ve given it away. We don’t make any money off of this. It goes straight to cancer research and healthcare participation.”
Cancer has affected both sides of Leah Pump’s family. Her husband lost his father to cancer. Now her dad is battling the disease. It is a subject that hits close to home for herself and Dana.
“His father died of cancer, and my father is currently diagnosed with cancer,” Leah Pump said. “He’s getting better and better every day. Cancer affects all of us. It is something that me and my mother-in-law used to say. We have to get rid of. The more fundraisers we have, the more research we can get, let’s get rid of this disease. That’s what we do.”
Getting all the high-level industry folks to buy into what you’re selling call be a challenging and difficult task. Dana Pump has been successful at it because of his unyielding persistence.
“My husband is tenacious,” Leah Pump said. “He calls, and calls and calls and calls. He doesn’t go through the PR (public relations) people. He goes through the friend or the family and he gets them here. It’s amazing that they all show up.”
Dennis has covered and written about politics, crime, race, sports, and entertainment. Dennis currently covers the NFL, MLB, NBA, NCAA, and Olympic sports. Dennis is the editor of News4usonline.com and serves as the publisher of the Compton Bulletin newspaper. He earned a journalism degree from Howard University. Email Dennis at dfreeman@news4usonline.com
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