HOUSTON — Mattress Firm has appointed industry veteran and philanthropist Roger Magowitz executive director of the Mattress Firm Foundation. He will oversee the day-to-day operations of the foundation, which raises awareness and funds for pancreatic cancer research and clinical trials.
Roger Magowitz
The announcement was made on the eve of the 11th edition of The Seena Magowitz Golf & Spa Weekend, a major contributor to the fight against pancreatic cancer. It is set for Dec. 6-8 at the Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa in Phoenix and is sponsored by the Seena Magowitz Foundation.
Almost 400 participants are expected at this year's event.
Magowitz has served as the Mattress Firm Foundation's charitable advisor since 2011, when the organization took on the pancreatic cancer cause. Since then, he has helped the foundation raise more than $500,000 for the Translational Genomics Research Institute, which is also the recipient of the funds raised by the Seena Magowitz Foundation - an organization founded by Magowitz in 2001 after his mother succumbed to pancreatic cancer.
"Roger has made finding a cure for pancreatic cancer his life's mission," said Steve Stagner, Mattress Firm CEO and a Mattress Firm Foundation board member. "He passionately pursues every opportunity to raise much needed awareness. His unwavering dedication has not only united an industry, but it has also provided TGen with funding for clinical trials that have resulted in several breakthroughs. I am amazed by his conviction and look forward to having his leadership at the Mattress Firm Foundation."
Pancreatic cancer is the fourth-leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. and annually takes the lives of more than 38,000 Americans. About 75% of those diagnosed die within the first year and only 6% survive more than five years. Despite these statistics, the National Cancer Institute currently allocates less than 2% of its annual research budget to pancreatic cancer, officials said.
The Mattress Firm Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization focused on raising national awareness of pancreatic cancer and directly funding research and clinical trials in an effort to find a cure for pancreatic cancer.
Mattress Firm, one of the nation's largest specialty bedding companies, has more than 1,200 stores in 31 states.
