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Our Mission & Giving


Vision Statement

The D-Feet Cancer Mission Statement

D-Feet Cancer The Dalton Fox Foundation raises awareness of Ewing Sarcoma and other under-studied pediatric cancers. By directly funding research into these cancers, we are determined to help discover more effective and less toxic treatments while supporting both patients and families during their greatest time of need.

Vision Statement

We strive to create a world where every child, along with their families, battling cancer will have access to proven targeted therapies. 

2023 – Our First Grant

In January 2023, D-Feet Cancer partnered with the St. Baldrick’s Foundation to fund Ewing Sarcoma research through the Empowering Pediatric Immunotherapies for Childhood Cancer (EPICC) Team. Originally called the Pediatric Cancer Dream Team, this groundbreaking research began in 2013 and was funded by St. Baldrick’s and Stand Up to Cancer. When the Stand Up to Cancer grant expired, St. Baldrick’s decided to continue to fund the EPICC team but needed help.

As an EPICC team partner institution, the University of Pittsburgh is researching ways to specifically target Ewing Sarcoma cell surface receptors. If successful, this specific targeting could lead to treatments that kill Ewing Sarcoma cells while leaving healthy cells alone. St. Baldrick’s rated this research highly but didn’t have funding available. After ensuring that 100% of any potential grant would flow to the researcher, D-Feet Cancer studied the EPICC Ewing Sarcoma research proposal. Our medical advisors met with St. Baldrick’s and the leader of EPICC, Dr. John Maris, and became convinced about the potential of this research. So, D-Feet Cancer The Dalton Fox Foundation agreed to partner with St. Baldrick’s and provide a $100,000 grant to the EPICC Ewing Sarcoma research team. St. Baldrick’s covers the administrative costs of administering the grant so every penny of our grant will go to the Ewing Sarcoma EPICC researchers. You can read more about St. Baldrick’s and the EPICC Team here.

This $100,000 grant would not have been possible without the trust and generosity of our donors and supporters. As the research progresses, we will provide progress updates. We also hope the to be able to continue to fund this project if warranted. Thank you for allowing us to fund promising Ewing Sarcoma research and help us help kids like Dalton.  

2021 Initial Gift

Dalton’s family and friends, affectionately known as Team Dalton, donated over $30,000 to help him fight Ewing Sarcoma over the past year of his life. Shortly before Dalton died in May 2021, both of his parents, Will and Jen, promised D that they would not stop fighting on his behalf. With much help, Will and Jen created D-Feet Cancer to help find better treatments and a cure for Ewing Sarcoma.

The initial donation to D-Feet Cancer, in the amount of $30,000 is Team Dalton’s gift to Ewing Sarcoma research. Will and Jen chose Dr. Toretsky and his lab at Georgetown to receive D-Feet Cancer’s first grant primarily for his passion and success in researching Ewing Sarcoma. Additionally, Dr. Toretsky consulted on Dalton’s care with Dr. Pegram, Dr. File, and the fabulous local healthcare team at The Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk, Virginia. Dalton was also enrolled in the TK216 clinical trial during the late summer of 2020. Unfortunately, the new drug wasn’t successful in D’s case. Will and Jen are hopeful that Team Dalton’s gift will help Dr. Toretsky and his team further their research and help current and future Ewing Sarcoma patients beat this awful disease.

Dr. Toretsky’s Intent For The Initial Gift, In His Own Words

Many of the experiments that are performed in the Toretsky Laboratory require analysis in multiwell plates. This allows for up to 96 mini test tubes to run experiments in a single plate, with the completeness of testing conditions in triplicate, or more. To collect data from the 96 well plates, a device, called a plate reader, is required to detect light from a chemical reaction, detect color changes, or show fluorescence. A multiwell plate reader can now measure a wide range of signals, however the current plate reader in the Toretsky lab is over 10 years old and needing replacement. We are grateful to the D- Feet Cancer, the Dalton Fox Foundation for supporting this upgraded replacement to continue our experimental quest to cure Ewing Sarcoma.

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