A St. Paul charity run raised over $15,000 for Hamline University’s Rene and Brian McCoy ’79 Monarch Fund last month. The endowment, established in honor of Rene’s last wishes, helps fund Hamline undergraduate students focused on engaging in collaborative cancer research with faculty.
More than 150 people participated in the Aug. 18 Monarch Run, KSTP reported. This event, which took place on Harriet Island, was the second annual run.
“Every step taken, every dollar raised goes directly to cancer research at Hamline University, driving us closer to a future where cancer no longer steals our loved ones,” Brian McCoy said.
This special endowment, in which 100% of the funds go directly to a student recipient, was established in 2021 with an initial funding of $53,000 pooled from the generous contributions of the McCoys’ friends.
“This funding allowed me to participate in medical research that not only developed my skills as a researcher but provided an opportunity to advance literature in the medical field,” said Zach Griebel ’24, the fund’s first student recipient. “The opportunity allowed me to be fully invested into research with a mission to help patients, and that mission brought out my and our team’s best efforts. This experience prepared me for a full time career and instilled a drive to find work with a mission driven focus. I truly cannot say thank you enough to the McCoy family and the Monarch Cancer Research Fund for the opportunity and support along the way.”
At Hamline, the fund’s academic arm is led by an advisory science professor committee, which searches year-round for the best and brightest from Hamline’s STEM departments.
