Flint Foundation Gives $3 Million for Animal Cancer Center; Largest Cash Gift Ever to College of Veterinary Medicine

Plans to build a much-needed new wing onto Colorado State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital have become a reality, thanks to a gift of $3 million from the Flint Foundation of Bloomfield Hills, Mich. The gift is the largest single cash donation made to the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

Groundbreaking for the new Animal Cancer Center wing is scheduled for June 2001. The new wing, to be called the Robert H. and Mary E. Flint Animal Cancer Center, is planned as a 32,000-square-foot, two-story facility to be added to the existing Veterinary Teaching Hospital on Drake Road in Fort Collins. The center will be dedicated to cancer research, teaching and treatment programs.

The gift was made by Mrs. Flint and her late husband, Robert H. Flint, in memory of their two Labrador retrievers, Anna and Eve, who were treated at the Animal Cancer Center.

"The work being done at the Animal Cancer Center is vitally important. With more space they will have more capability for continuing to make advances in this field," said Mary Flint from her home in Michigan. "This is a wonderful way to honor the memory of my husband and offer support to the dedicated team of veterinarians, researchers and staff at the ACC."

Robert and Mary Flint were longtime clients and friends of the Animal Cancer Center. Dr. Stephen Withrow, chief of oncology and professor of clinical sciences at the center, treated their two Labradors for several different malignancies over a period of 9 years.

"The Flint’s generous donation has made it possible to get started on making this longtime dream a reality," Withrow said. "Many of the treatments we develop for cancers in dogs have direct applications to treating cancers in humans. With more space, better and newer equipment, more personnel and the retention of those who have made such valuable contributions over the years, we think we’ll be able to move closer to our goal of defeating cancer in animals and humans."

Since November of last year, the Animal Cancer Center has been engaged in a national awareness and fundraising campaign, "Paws For A Cause," to raise the $11 million for the new wing. The campaign will continue through the end of the year, focusing on raising the additional money for construction, new equipment, educational programs and personnel. Private contributions will fund the entire project. All donations are tax deductible.

The new wing will house the Animal Cancer Center, the Argus Center, which focuses on the human aspects of veterinary medicine and a center for professional medical training and patient treatment in alternative and complementary medicine.

Since the 1960s, Colorado State’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences has conducted innovative research and provided state-of-the-art treatment for companion animals, moving from research that identified the types of cancers affecting pets to methods of prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

A team of some 40 professionals, plus students and residents have pioneered a variety of techniques such as limb-sparing surgery, a new method of timed release chemotherapy, dietary supplements that support cancer treatments and improved radiation treatments for companion animals. Complementary and alternative medicine has become a more frequent adjunct to cancer research and treatment studies. The College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and the Animal Cancer Center have been in the forefront of exploring the scientific aspects of alternative medicine in this area.

H. Howard Flint founded Flint Ink Corporation in 1920 in Detroit, Michigan. Mr. Robert Flint served as Chairman and CEO of the company until his retirement in 1992. The company provides printing inks for newspaper, directory, magazine, packaging and other printing applications to customers on six continents. Flint Ink operates nearly 100 facilities in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, Central and South America and Asia.