08/27/2026
The Dog Days of Summer
Greetings everyone,
Well now that August is here, we can certainly call this “the dog days of summer.” I daresay that when we were younger, time seemed to slow down over the summer months, but that certainly hasn't been the case for us at WSCR-NCORP, dba Altitude Clinical Research.
Since this time last year when we were informed that our federal funding was going to be cut, we have been engaged in developing a new business model that extends beyond oncology studies. Our goal is to create a clinical trial portfolio that is innovative, robust and sustainable out of which we can continue to be true to our mission of bringing clinical studies into local communities for the broadest array of patients in need of access. We remain a nonprofit and mission driven organization.
We anticipate a bridge grant for fiscal year 2026-2027, but we also expect the amount to be considerably less than we have received in previous years. While the amount we receive from the grant award is not nearly enough to cover our costs, we will be grateful to receive any amount of funding from the NCI.
As I mentioned above, our grant award does not cover all our expenses, so we must rely on donor contribution events (fundraisers), and grants from other organizations. On August 3rd, we held our 19th Annual Drive for the Cure golf tournament at Arrowhead Golf Club. We had the largest turnout of golfers EVER! With just shy of 100 golfers, we raised $32,528.00, compared to $20,610.00 last year. And the weather was perfect!
Over the next couple of months, we have a great lineup of fundraiser events we hope you’ll be able to join us at. On October 9th is our 9th Annual Rock with the Docs event at Clancy’s Irish Pub in Wheat Ridge with live music provided by, In Limbo. For $45 per person, you get two free drinks, appetizers, and a guarantee of a good time had by all ages. You can register for Rock with the Docs on our website starting Sept. 2nd. Our 3rd Annual Whiskey Business whiskey tasting fundraiser will be held in November, date and location to be determined. Tuesday, December 8th is Colorado Gives Day. This is one of the largest fundraising events for non-profits in Colorado, and we hope you can support us. You’ll see more about all of these events in the coming weeks and months, so keep an eye out for the emails.
If you are not able to attend one of our fundraiser events but would like to support our mission of bringing clinical trials into local communities, please consider making a donation by clicking the link. https://www.coloradogives.org/donate/westernstatesncorp
To learn how to support us in other ways, please visit our “Ways to Give” page in the Community section on our website. There you will find the perfect way to be a part of our mission. https://www.altitudeclinicalresearch.org/community-ways-to-give
We hope to see you at one or all of the upcoming events. In the meantime, enjoy the last days of summer.
Be well and take care of yourselves and each other.
Lisa Switzer, M.A.
CEO & Executive Director
