For nearly two decades, the Boon family of Ennis has been dedicated to the fight against cancer. When they teed up for their 19th annual Cancer Benefit Golf Tournament in September, it was another opportunity to honor the memory of the late E.K. Boon and transform their grief into a quest of hope for so many. In all, this tournament has raised more than $1 million in support of cancer research at Baylor Scott & White Health.
“We believe in a cure for cancer,” said Marilyn Boon Lindsteadt, E.K.’s sister. “E.K. believed in it, too.”
In 1992, E. K. Boon was diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma. During his four-year battle with the disease, he participated in a genetics research program at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas. His physicians advised him that his disease was too far advanced for the research to save his life; however, E.K. was confident his efforts would contribute to saving the lives of other cancer patients.
When E.K. lost his battle with cancer, his family wanted to continue his legacy and contribute to finding a cure. They held their first golf tournament in his honor the following year.
“As a leading clinical research institution, we participate in a wide range of innovative research that is paving the way for new breakthroughs in cancer care, diagnosis and treatment,” said Yair Levy, M.D., medical director of the Swim Across America Innovative Clinical Trials Center at Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center. “This is incredibly important for patients with difficult-to-treat cancers, or when standard therapies are no longer working. E.K. Boon took the first steps in participating in a clinical trial to help the patients who would come after him, and his family has carried that torch for nearly 20 years by funding these research efforts—we are so grateful for their support.”