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27 min ago

Maine Cancer Foundation awards grants to boost patient access to care

By Renee Cordes

Maine Cancer Foundation has awarded $660,000 in grants to 14 organizations that support cancer patients’ access to care.

The groups provide a range of services, from transportation to and from medical appointments to overnight lodging when needed. (Scroll down for a list of recipients and amounts.)

Ray Ruby by the water
File Photo / Jim Neuger
Ray Ruby

“This pushes our granting over $2.5 million this year,” Ray Ruby, executive director of Maine Cancer Foundation, told Mainebiz. “Not a bad way to end 2025 on a positive note."

Ruby was honored on the Mainebiz 40 Under 40 list in 2023.

The grants, awarded in partnership with the John T. Gorman Foundation, support organizations across Maine helping patients address logistical and financial challenges.

That’s especially true in rural areas, where some patients may need to travel for hours for treatment. Without a ride or a place to stay nearby, some patients even delay or forego necessary treatments.

Grant amounts range from $7,500 to $60,000. 

In addition to the grants, Maine Cancer Foundation supported a needs assessment that brings the group's recent investment total to $700,000.

The Falmouth-based nonprofit leads a statewide effort to reduce the impact of cancer in Maine by investing in programs that advance cancer prevention, increase screening and improve access to care for all.

Grant recipients and amounts 

  • Brian's Ride Cancer Fund (Caribou): Ride to Treatment — $60,000
  • Dean Snell Cancer Foundation (Brunswick): Patient Transportation & Lodging Program — $60,000
  • Djiboutian American Community Empowerment Project (Lewiston): Cultural Bridge Cancer Transportation Project — $7,500
  • HEADstrong Foundation (statewide): Nick’s House, Boston: Easing the Emotional and Financial Burden for Maine Cancer Patients — $30,000
  • Hospitality Homes (statewide): Medical Lodging and Transportation for Maine Cancer Patients Receiving Care in Boston — $60,000
  • Ifka Community Services (Lewiston): Family Support Program — $7,500
  • Indian Township Child & Family Services (Princeton): Motankomiquk Family Cancer Support Project — $15,000
  • ITNAmerica (Westbrook): Sponsored Rides for Cancer Treatment, Prevention and Screening — $60,000
  • MaineGeneral Medical Center (Augusta): Transportation and Lodging Assistance for Patients of the Harold Alfond Center for Cancer Care — $60,000
  • Northern Light AR Gould Hospital (Presque Isle): RideLink — $60,000
  • Penquis (Bangor): Accessing Cancer Care — $60,000
  • Boston House (statewide): Free Housing for Children from Maine with Cancer — $60,000
  • Waldo Community Action Partners (Belfast): MidCoast Cancer Care Transportation Network — $60,000
  • York Hospital (York): Patient Transportation: Expanding Capacity for Cancer Care — $60,000

Save the date 

Every July, Maine Cancer Foundation organizes the Tri for a Cure fundraiser in South Portland; next year's edition is scheduled for Sunday, July 12.
 

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