The charitable initiative “A Gift from Heaven for AIRC,” which involved all personnel of the Air Force during its centenary year, concludes with the delivery of two highly advanced, state-of-the-art pieces of equipment.
On Monday 29 April, at IFOM, the AIRC Foundation's Institute of Molecular Oncology in Milan, a ceremony was held to present the Orbitrap Exploris 240 mass spectrometer, the Essential Plan Orbitrap Exploris 240, and some additional components, purchased with the proceeds of fundraising within the “A Gift from the Sky for AIRC” charity project, undertaken by the Italian Air Force in its Centenary year for the benefit of the AIRC Foundation for Cancer Research.
A generous gesture, born from the will of all the personnel of the Italian Air Force, a testament to the passion, pride, and ideals that have always animated the spirit of service and sense of belonging, an expression of the values of altruism and solidarity.
The meeting was attended by Air Brigadier General Urbano Floreani, Head of the 5th Department “Communication” of the Air Force Staff, on behalf of the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Luca Goretti, Col. Luca Vitali – Head of the Command Office of the 1st Air Region, Lt. Col. Claudio Martinelli – Head of the Charity Project Team, Dr. Esmeralda Rettagliata – Vice President of the AIRC Foundation, Dr. Federica Gargiulo – Head of Corporate Fundraising for the AIRC Foundation, Prof. Alberto Bardelli – Scientific Director of IFOM, Eng. Enrico De Santis – Director General of IFOM, Dr. Angela Bachi – Principal Investigator at IFOM, and Dr. Elena Bauer – Corporate Communication Manager at IFOM.
On handing over the equipment intended for molecular oncological research, General Floreani highlighted the importance of this initiative, stating, “...the result obtained has confirmed that the teamwork between the Air Force and AIRC has led to a fundraising effort well beyond the set expectations, enabling the purchase of highly technological and state-of-the-art instrumentation that will allow for accelerated research in this delicate and very important medical sector.” General Floreani also thanked all the individuals and companies connected to the aeronautical world who believed in and contributed to this success.
Dr. Rettagliata wished to thank the Armed Forces for this valuable contribution in support of research, stating, “...the new tools will allow us to accelerate the work of our researchers who will thus be able to rely on cutting-edge equipment for understanding the aggressive characteristics of the tumour and for studying its molecular features...”
Social commitment has always been part of the Aeronautica Militare's DNA. The choice of the AIRC Foundation as the beneficiary of the ‘A Gift from Heaven’ solidarity project to ‘make oncological research fly’ was consistent with the values that have inspired the Aeronautica Militare for a century, constantly engaged in promoting and supporting initiatives aimed at helping citizens. Technology, therefore, at the service of research, to bear witness once again, with concrete and tangible actions, how close the Armed Force is to the community. Indeed, there are many occasions when this commitment is realised: from humanitarian emergencies to natural disasters, from the defence of the population to healthcare support in Italy and abroad.
Since 1965, AIRC has courageously supported innovative scientific projects through transparent and constant fundraising, disseminating scientific information, and promoting a culture of prevention in homes, public spaces, and schools. It relies on four and a half million supporters, 20,000 volunteers, and 17 regional offices, ensuring that 6,000 researchers have the necessary resources to bring results from the laboratory to the patient as quickly as possible. In almost 60 years of commitment, AIRC has invested over €2.3 billion in funding thousands of cancer research projects.
