RALEIGH, N.C., Nov. 24, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- First Citizens Bank is joining together with nonprofit Teen Cancer America and The Who’s Roger Daltrey to help open the door to better cancer care for young adults.
The North Carolina-headquartered bank announced today a major sponsorship of Teen Cancer America designed to increase awareness and support for targeted care and specialized treatment facilities for teens and young adults with cancer. First Citizens Bank is the official Southeastern U.S. corporate sponsor of Teen Cancer America.
As part of this effort, Roger Daltrey, lead singer of the classic rock band, The Who, has recorded a new version of the 1980 Pete Townshend hit, “Let My Love Open The Door,” exclusively for First Citizens and Teen Cancer America. Daltrey’s song is featured in new television and radio commercials produced by First Citizens that begin airing this week in the bank’s North and South Carolina markets.
“First Citizens is excited to introduce Teen Cancer America to the people, communities and hospitals in the markets we serve,” said Frank Holding, chairman and CEO of First Citizens Bank. “Together, we can help open the door to better care and brighter futures for young people faced with cancer.”
Teen Cancer America works with hospitals and cancer centers to create treatment programs and recovery spaces for teens with cancer. Every year, almost 11,000 young people between the ages of 13 and 25 are diagnosed with the disease and often receive their care at units designed for either adults or children. First Citizens is working with Teen Cancer America to fill the space between and give teens a place where they feel they belong — by raising awareness, increasing support and seeking to open new teen cancer facilities.
“On behalf of Pete Townshend and Teen Cancer America, I’d like to thank First Citizens for the support the bank is giving us to achieve our goal — supplying hospital spaces for adolescents and young adults with cancer,” Daltrey said. “In the States, 30 young people a day are diagnosed with cancer, and they’re either put in a hospital with children or with older people. But we’re fixing it. With First Citizens’ assistance, we can bridge the gap and create places for treatment where they can be young people first and cancer patients second.”
Both Daltrey and Townshend of The Who are founders of and the driving force behind Teen Cancer America. After over a decade working with Teenage Cancer Trust in the United Kingdom, the two established a similar nonprofit organization, Teen Cancer America, to support the specific needs of teens with cancer in the United States.
First Citizens’ “Let My Love Open The Door” effort with Teen Cancer America marks the bank’s largest overall corporate philanthropic initiative. First Citizens’ financial commitment to Teen Cancer America includes contributions to the nonprofit and to hospitals in key markets that agree to establish Teen Cancer America units. This support is in addition to the advertising in North and South Carolina and social media, marketing and public relations across the bank’s 18-state franchise.
The television ad, audio of the song and a documentary-style online video featuring First Citizens’ leaders, Daltrey and Teen Cancer America representatives can be found at LetMyLoveOpenTheDoor.com. The website also includes more information about First Citizens’ sponsorship and how to make a donation to Teen Cancer America.
“First Citizens has always understood the importance of serving the financial needs of families; we also specialize in working with hospitals and medical practices, so our support of this effort with Teen Cancer America is a great match for us,” Holding said. “In addition, Roger Daltrey’s enthusiasm for this project is immense, and his version of this song expresses the passion we all have for this cause. We’re proud to open the door to even better care and treatment for young people with cancer here in our home territory, and we hope our neighbors throughout our markets will too.”
To date, Teen Cancer America has partnered with more than 10 major cancer centers across the United States to build specialized, teen- and young adult-friendly inpatient and outpatient cancer care facilities and programs. Four Teen Cancer America-branded facilities are up and running in the U.S. today with two more expected to open by the end of the year.
“We gladly welcome First Citizens’ involvement with Teen Cancer America,” said Simon Davies, executive director of Teen Cancer America. “The bank’s participation will help us create places where a young person diagnosed with cancer not only has access to great care and treatment, but feels like a teen again.”
For more information, visit LetMyLoveOpenTheDoor.com, #LetMyLoveOpenTheDoor, or stop by a local First Citizens Bank location.
About First Citizens Bank
Founded in 1898 and headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., First Citizens Bank is the largest family-controlled bank in the U.S., with offices in 18 states. Drawing from over a century of experience serving the needs of its customers, First Citizens focuses on developing long-term relationships and offers a comprehensive array of products and services to individuals, families, businesses and the medical community. First Citizens Bank is a major subsidiary of First Citizens BancShares Inc. (Nasdaq:FCNCA), which has over $30 billion in assets. For more information, visit firstcitizens.com.
About Teen Cancer America
Following in the footsteps of the highly developed and successful Teenage Cancer Trust – Teen and Young Adult Cancer Program out of the UK, Teen Cancer America is designed to help hospitals and healthcare professionals bridge the gap between pediatric and adult oncology care. Teen Cancer America aims to educate and support hospitals and outpatient facilities in the development of specialized units for this age group. The units are places just for teens and young adults where the cancer experience is understood and the importance of living life through the cancer journey is nourished. Teen Cancer America’s work also supports the coming together of physicians and allied healthcare professionals in both pediatric and adult oncology so that the teen and young adult cancer patient care becomes closer to where it needs to be.
About Roger Daltrey / Pete Townshend
Teen Cancer America founder Roger Daltrey is a legendary singer, musician, songwriter, actor and humanitarian best known as the founder and front man of the English rock band, The Who. Daltrey received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001 for outstanding artistic significance in music and The Who has seven albums on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Daltrey is also a longstanding patron of the British charity, Teenage Cancer Trust, and its successful, annual benefit concerts at Royal Albert Hall. Daltrey is deeply committed to raising awareness about teen cancer in the U.S. He aims to raise the bar on how young people with cancer are treated by establishing specialized facilities and services to help meet their physical and emotional needs.
Teen Cancer America founder Pete Townshend is well known as the lead guitarist and primary songwriter for The Who. He was named by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the top 10 greatest guitarists of all time. In his 40 years with The Who, he has written over 100 songs for the band’s 11 studio albums, including the popular rock operas, Tommy and Quadrophenia. He is dedicated to supporting teens with cancer and, with Daltrey, co-founded the Daltrey/Townshend Teen and Young Adult Cancer Program at UCLA Medical Center.