German ticketing firm CTS Eventim has made the largest donation in its history of €1m (£881,600/$1.2m) to the German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ), allowing work on personalised cancer therapies to get started.
The donation has also allowed the DKFZ to appoint biophysicist PD Karsten Rippe (pictured) of the University of Heidelberg as endowed chair in chromatin networks. Rippe will also lead the same department at the Centre.
Rippe said: “I am delighted that the DKFZ and Uni Heidelberg have placed their trust in me. My special thanks are extended to the remarkable commitment shown by CTS Eventim. This generous support enables us to conduct basic research, the findings of which will hopefully benefit many cancer patients in the form of personalised therapy.”
The fight against cancer is one of CTS Eventim’s key areas of social engagement, with the company this past weekend also donating a further €10,000 to the German Cancer Aid associated at the ZDF Television Charity Gala ‘Willkommen bei Carmen Nebel’.
Rippe hopes to glean the maximum amount of information from tumour samples, using automated analysis of thousands of cells, which has been made possible through Eventim’s donation.
Klaus-Peter Schulenberg (pictured below), chief executive of CTS Eventim, who has already been involved for many years in the Advisory Council of the DKFZ, said: “Fighting cancer is still one of the greatest challenges we face, even in this age of the knowledge society. We therefore want to do what we can to support Mr Rippe and his team in this important work. Supporting cutting edge research in Germany is also close to our heart. With its enormous expertise and many years of experience, the DKFZ is the best possible partner for us in both these endeavours.”
Josef Puchta, administrative and commercial director of the German Cancer Research Centre, said: “The more complex the research, the more expensive it becomes. Publicly funded research is therefore dependent more than ever before on support from private-sector donors. The acquisition of funds is not as widespread here in Germany, unfortunately, as it is in the USA, for example. I wish that the wonderful example set by CTS Eventim will be emulated by very many others.”
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