Cancer

Tony Yanow ony Yanow , the owner of the new and improved Tony?s Darts Away on Magnolia Boulevard, hosted a fundraiser to benefit the Family Service Agency of Burbank last week. The event, tied into the grand re-opening of Yanow?s vegan-friendly, beer and wine pub that originally opened in the 1960s, saw a portion of the proceeds of every beer sold go to help the agency continue its mission of building a better community by caring for families in need. Following the formal ribbon-cutting ceremony presided over by Mayor Anja Reinke and officials from the Burbank Chamber of Commerce, the agency?

When doctors 10 years ago diagnosed Mary Strauss with breast cancer, the retired bookkeeper was forced to confront a condition that for much of her life went unnamed. "Growing up, we never talked about cancer," said Strauss, 76, of La Cañada. "It was the big C. You didn't tell people you had the big C, this dreadful, terrible disease. Who tells people about a looming death sentence?" This weekend she joined more than 1,000 survivors, their supporters and people who lost loved ones to cancer at American Cancer Society Relay for Life events in La Crescenta and Burbank.

Technology at the new Roy and Patricia Disney Cancer Center in Burbank is offering patients a more comfortable environment with new radio frequency technology, executives said. From the moment they walk into the center’s front doors, cancer patients are monitored, and their medical history is immediately made available to hospital staff, said Raymond Lowe, director of Disney Cancer Center ministry support. When arriving at the center, a patient will have an ID badge scanned by a plate-sized ThingMagic Inc. reader.

It is with great pride that I read the glowing articles regarding the opening of the new Roy and Patricia Disney Family Cancer Center at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center (“Center offers hope,” Jan. 30). Great pride because I am part of that $36 million raised to fund Dr. Raul Mena’s vision of a comprehensive care facility for the valley. Yes, I am the part that was never mentioned, the part that is a group of less than 200 women, known as the PSJMC Guild who pledged the first $1 million to build the center.

Decades of patronage from the local studios revealed its grandest form this week with the introduction of the new Roy and Patricia Disney Family Cancer Center. As the first comprehensive cancer center in the San Fernando Valley, it is surely the crowning jewel for the Providence St. Joseph Medical Center — especially with a $36-million price tag. Amid all the pomp and circumstance that typically comes with opening a building of this scope and size, it might be easy to forget the long history the local studios have had in supporting St. Joseph.

Given her family history, Marla Zack was well aware of the plights of cancer. As she aged, the Burbank resident received a regular mammogram, ultrasound and MRI, wary that the disease would strike. “Still, it’s devastating when you get that news, especially when you think you’ve dodged that bullet because you’ve been so proactive,” said Zack, a breast cancer survivor who was diagnosed in March 2008. “It just shows you that there’s no rhyme or reason to this disease.

Roy Edward Disney, who despite toiling for decades in the shadow of his famous uncle put his stamp on the Walt Disney Co. through the revival of its renowned animation unit and charitable contributions, lost his battle with cancer Wednesday. He was 79. Remembered as a shy man who favored cardigan sweaters over a power suit, Roy Disney’s presence across the region grew with time, along with his public persona, observers said. The Roy and Patricia Disney Family Cancer Center, slated to open on the Burbank Providence St. Joseph Medical Center campus in February, received a major shot in the arm when he and ex-wife Patty provided a $10-million endowment to fund its construction.

Roy Edward Disney, who despite toiling for decades in the shadow of his famous uncle put his stamp on the Walt Disney Co. through the revival of its renowned animation unit and charitable contributions, lost his battle with cancer Wednesday. He was 79. Remembered as a shy man who favored cardigan sweaters over a power suit, Roy Disney’s presence across the region grew with time, along with his public persona, observers said. The Roy and Patricia Disney Family Cancer Center, slated to open on the Burbank Providence St. Joseph Medical Center campus in February, received a major shot in the arm when he and ex-wife, Patty, provided a $10-million endowment to fund its construction.

Burbank firefighter Chris Piligian’s mustache has served as more than just a dinner conservation piece for the past few weeks. “It’s a good way to get the conservation started,” Piligian said of his unruly mustache. He joined more than three-quarters of the Burbank Fire Department and Burbank Firefighters Local 778 in growing their mustaches for November to raise awareness and funds for prostate and testicular cancer. “When I get asked why I am doing it, it gives me the opportunity to bring up the cause,” Piligian said.