About Us
About William
William, at the age of 24 was in the prime of his life. First new apartment and working for his dream company Apple. He was surrounded by a wonderful family, loving girlfriend and terrific life long friends. He had an amazing future ahead of him.
This was all cut short when he was diagnosed with a rare form of sarcoma. Sadly, only 15 months later, he lost his battle with this terrible disease.
It was William’s wish that there could be more help for patients and families fighting Sarcoma.
About The Foundation
The William J. Riley Foundation was formed by the Riley Family to honor William’s memory. It is our desire to make a difference and help fulfill his wish. We have joined together with loving family, friends and caring volunteers to raise awareness and support for patients and families affected by Sarcoma.
Because Sarcoma Cancer Research is underfunded, the donations we raise are used to support dedicated and innovative Research programs pursuing a cure.
Recent Donations
January, 2022
We are proud to announce a $10,000 donation has been made to support Dr. Timothy Chan, and his exciting new research. A team lead by Dr. Chan at Cleveland Clinic are working together with the focused goal of achieving groundbreaking treatment options to offer hope for pediatric and young adult patients facing aggressive cancers like Ewing's Sarcoma. Dr. Chan has discovered that neoantigens can be targeted by immunotherapies that reactivate patient immune cells. Dr. Chan is working on developing immunotherapy options to save lives and move away from toxic therapies and toward personalized treatments that use the body's own cells to achieve remission.
Targeted research efforts like this will help move forward the treatment options and potential cure for Sarcoma cancer.
Thank you, Dr. Chan for your dedication to finding the answer.
April, 2021
The William J. Riley Foundation, Inc. is proud announce a $20,000 donation made to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in support of Dr. Christopher Vakoc MD, PhD. for his sarcoma cancer research.
Dr Vakoc and his team are workings on discoveries that will be highly impactful in the hunt for drug targets in Ewing’s sarcoma and rhabdomyosarcoma.
Cancer cells achieve their pathogenicity by changing which genes are on and off. To maintain these changes in gene expression, cancer cells rely on proteins that interact with DNA or modify chromatin. Dr. Vakoc and his team investigate how such factors sustain the aberrant capabilities of cancer cells, thereby identifying new therapeutic targets. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory is a National Cancer Institute designated center for Cancer Research
Recent Donations
December, 2020
The William J. Riley Foundation, Inc. is proud to donate $5,000 to Caring For A Cure at Mass General Hospital, Boston, MA
Caring For A Cure is an amazing organization that is founded by oncology nurses at MGH Cancer Center. Their mission is to support patients, families and research.
During these challenging times, a sincere “Thank You” to all the Doctors, Nurses and Staff that help cancer patients endure the fight everyday. Hoping that this donation will bring some comfort and support in 2021.