About

Real estate investor Donato Marinelli has donated to several medical and research organizations dedicated to improving outcomes for cancer patients. Additionally, Donato Marinelli has participated in fundraising events for the American Cancer Society, the Advanced Breast Cancer Community, and the American Childhood Cancer Organization (ACCO).

In addition to assisting children who have been affected by pediatric cancer, ACCO advocates for legislative action on behalf of cancer patients and survivors. In 2017, the organization celebrated the passing of the STAR Act.

First passed by the United States House of Representatives in 2015, the bipartisan Childhood Cancer Survivorship, Treatment, Access & Research (STAR) Act was drafted into law in 2017. The law increased the amount of federal funding dedicated to pediatric cancer research and encouraged the National Cancer Institute to develop clinical trials focused on childhood cancers. The act also provides funding for a robust registry to help provide surveillance and prevalence data on pediatric cancers.

The STAR Act also calls for more research, programming, and support for cancer survivors, who often experience long-term health effects. Finally, the act mandates increased representation of pediatric issues by adding at least one pediatric cancer specialist to the National Cancer Advisory Board. In 2018, Congress pledged $30 million to fund the STAR Act until 2023.