Stand Up To Cancer is an organization, launched just last year in hopes of becoming closer to a cure for cancer.

The charitable cause announced only a few days ago that the first round of three-year grants totaling $73.6 million to five research “dream teams.” The majority of the money that will be distributed was raised during the television broadcast that took place last September.

These “dream teams” will conduct research that will benefit many types of cancer, including pancreatic, breast, ovarian, cervical, uterine, brain, lung, prostate and rectal and colon, which represent two-thirds of all U.S. cancer- related deaths. SU2C will bring together the country’s top medical minds and form teams that will work together to conquer cancer. The organization, along with the generosity of many other cancer fighting organizations, hope to generate many breakthroughs in the cancer world and continue to raise funds for ground breaking cancer research.

The American Cancer Society predicts that 1,479,350 new cancer cases will be diagnosed this year alone and that 562,340 people will die from cancer in 2009. The teams are comprised of laboratory scientists and physicians, collaborating in extraordinary ways to help save lives and see these numbers diminish.

Stand Up To Cancer’s next round of funding — innovative research grants for individual investigators — will be announced later this year.

An organization called the Rasmuson Foundation has been awarding grants to leaders of non-profits in Alaska so that they can take a sabbatical. During this time, they would leave their jobs for 60-180 continuous days in order to pursue projects outside the organizations they are currently involved in. This time is meant to help them grow professionally and renew themselves personally so that they can gain insight into how they can better run their agencies. By allowing these leaders to step outside of the office, they can look back on their original goals and better serve their organizations when they return.

Sabbaticals could allow an avenue for people to gain their one year for cancer. The activities these leaders engage in not only help personal and professional devolopment but help make a difference. If more organizations allowed their employees to take paid leaves of absence and volunteer for cancer foundations, we could be one year closer to a cure.