CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Last month, the Carolina Panthers and Atrium Health's Levine Cancer Institute came together to celebrate the grand opening of a new wing, the Keep Pounding Family Center. The Panthers committed $1 million to support cancer research at the Institute through the Keep Pounding Fund.
"Community support from organizations like the Panthers continues to enable Atrium Health to offer the best care, and access to the latest research, close to home," said Derek Raghavan, MD, PhD, president of Levine Cancer Institute. "Thanks to their generosity, we will now have a signature space to offer patient families and visitors a place of respite while their loved ones are receiving treatment."
The spacious family and visitor center is located along the 3rd Floor of the Institute within the Skybridge, which connects the original Institute to the new building. Exterior windows and natural light create a calming environment in the center, which features a Keep Pounding theme throughout, including a mural that pays tribute to former Panthers player and coach Sam Mills, who originated the Keep Pounding mantra while fighting his own battle with cancer.
"The Carolina Panthers are honored to support such a meaningful space for patients and families," said team president Tom Glick. "Cancer has touched many of us – including our own teammates – and we are proud to carry on their legacies through this new family-oriented center."
Atrium Health Foundation has benefited from a longstanding partnership with the Carolina Panthers since first establishing the Keep Pounding fund in 2003, to benefit adult and pediatric cancer programs at Atrium Health. Since that time, the Panthers have helped raise nearly $3 million for the fund through the sale of wristbands, keychains, hats, Panthers vanity license plates, the Keep Pounding online auction, and hosting the annual Keep Pounding 5K at Bank of America Stadium.
