Hopkins 4K for Cancer

July 20, 2006

Day Off
Waking up this morning in a huge, soft bed at the Excalibur Hotel was quite amazing. Getting out of bed was impossible. Such luxurious accommodations made it easy to forget the delirious heat in Hite or sleeping on the side of the road in Caliente without tents. The last few days have been grueling and our day off in Vegas was a much needed vacation. Everyone slept a little late and arranged to meet in the lobby sometime around 10am in order to shuttle to the Nevada Cancer Institute for a tour of the facility and lunch.

We arrived at the Nevada Cancer Institute and were escorted to a conference room where NCI staff, physicians and board members spoke to us about their mission. Through community programs, patient treatment and comprehensive research, the NCI hopes to reduce the burden of cancer. We saw a touching film that detailed the mission and programs provided by the facility. We were then given a tour of the state-of-the-art facility which was opened in 2005 and cost some $50 million.

The entrance of the building is an immense oasis, decked with a nearly two-story high waterfall and a glass blown chandelier donated by Chihuly (glass blower who also decorates the Bellagio Hotel). During out tour we visited the salon where wigs are made, Zen-like meditation rooms, and the 3rd floor infusion area where patients receive treatment. This infusion room is probably the most luxurious I’ve seen, with floor to ceiling windows and incredible views of the Vegas strip a few miles away. We saw patients receiving treatment, accompanied by their caregivers and families. One infusion room was donated in memory of a patient who passed on. This room was designed to serve patients who wanted to continue working through treatment. It was equipped with executive desk and chair, a computer, fax machine and other necessities.

We were also taken to the library, a place where patients and families can research different cancers and treatments. Our tour guide told us about the NCI’s connection with the Lance Armstrong Foundation and we were each given Lance’s new book, Every Second Counts. At the end of the tour, we took pictures outside and were given goody bags with NCI brochures, cancer survival booklets and notepads.

Our afternoon spent at the Nevada Cancer Institute was extremely informative and will help us in the last few days of our trip. We share a common mission to foster hope and spread awareness, and it was wonderful to see their magnificent facilities which aim to alleviate patients’ struggles. Thank you to everyone at the NCI for the book, the goody bag and the time spent showing us around. We are in awe of what you do each and every day!

-Nicole