Thanks to the support of such prominent national sponsors as West Marine, the Leukemia Society of America’s 1997 Leukemia Cup Regtta campaign has raised $600,000 in 27 separate racing events.

"This money will be used to fund the kind of cutting edge reseazrch that has yielded life-saving treatments like chemotherapy and bone marrow transplants," said Gary Jobson, national chairman of the Leukemia Regatta Cup, ESPN commentator, world class sailor and tactician during Ted Turner’s 1977 America’s Cup victory.

"West Marine’s commitment to the Leukemia Cup Regatta was an enormous boost to the program this year," said Jobson. "Their help brings us that much closer to finding a cure for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s Disease and myeloma."

"We are proud to be members of the Leukemia Society team," said Randy Repass, West Marine founder and chairman. "The Leukemia Cup Regatta represents hope for patients and their families, and our company is proud to be associated with this effort to save lives through research." Special recognition also goes to top Reggatta Cup fund-raiser Jerry Carney of New Orleans, who singlehandedly raised $10,500. Carney is only one of thousands from Leukemia Society chapters across the country who have turned their love of sailing into a change to cure leukemia.

"None of the challenges I have witnessed in my years at sea match the incredible courage of leukemia patients - many of them children," said Jobson. "They are always on our minds during a race."