The Mandela Family and Anton Bilchik Honored for Their Work to End Human Suffering

The Mandela Family and Anton Bilchik Honored for Their Work to End Human Suffering

The John Wayne Cancer Institute Auxiliary will honor the Mandela family and Anton Bilchik, MD for their enduring efforts to end human suffering. The “True Grit” Humanitarian Award will be presented to the Mandela family during the 29th annual Odyssey Ball, Saturday, April 5, 2014, at the Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire Hotel, Beverly Hills.  Anton Bilchik, MD, PhD, FACS, Professor of Surgery and Chief of Medicine, John Wayne Cancer Institute at Saint John’s Health Center, will receive the “The Duke” Special Service Award. The John Wayne Cancer Institute Auxiliary organizes this yearly fundraising event, which benefits the John Wayne Cancer Institute at Saint John’s Health Center.

The John Wayne Cancer Institute, or JWCI, honors the Mandela family for continuing the work of former President of South Africa and Nobel Peace Laureate, Nelson Mandela, who led the charge against an oppressive government ruling over a racially divided country. Mandela himself spent nearly three decades in prison for his efforts; his family suffered terribly under the regime and spent an extensive amount of time under house arrest. Once freed from prison, Mandela became the first black president of South Africa in 1994. He established a multi-ethnic transitional government that would serve all the people of his nation; his family continues Mandela’s mission of democracy, equality, and learning for all.

JWCI will honor Anton Bilchik, MD, PhD, FACS, Professor of Surgery and Chief of Medicine at JWCI, with the “The Duke” Special Service Award. Anton Bilchik, who was born in South Africa, is an internationally recognized surgical oncologist. He has pioneered techniques that improve staging in colon cancer; Bilchik has also developed minimally invasive approaches to the treatment of liver and pancreatic cancer. Anton Bilchik has received numerous awards in the past, including recognition from the National Cancer Institute, American Cancer Society, and the American College of Surgeons.  The Anti-Defamation League has recently honored Dr. Bilchik with its annual “Humanitarian Award.” He has also been named as one of America’s Top Surgeons for ten years in a row. Anton Bilchik founded California Oncology Research Institute, a nonprofit organization that supports cancer research and education, internationally, and in underserved communities.

“It gives us great pleasure to celebrate the remarkable accomplishments of Dr. Bilchik and his commitment to our mission,” said Anita Swift, Auxiliary President.  “His worldwide collaborations and dedication to advance knowledge of cancer research and treatment, embody all that ‘The Duke’ Award symbolizes.”

The John Wayne Cancer Institute has been a leader in cancer research since 1982. The family of John Wayne commit themselves to pioneering cancer studies in memory of this American icon, who succumbed to cancer in 1979. In the three decades since its establishment, JWCI has changed the way doctors around the world detect, diagnose, and treat cancer.

In the thirty years since two breast cancer survivors established the John Wayne Cancer Institute Auxiliary in 1982, it has raised more than $18 million to fund groundbreaking research, laboratory equipment, and a fellowship to train future cancer surgeons.