The Canary Foundation is the nation’s only non-profit organization devoted exclusively to the funding, discovery and development of tests for early cancer detection. The Foundation was founded in 2004 by Don Listwin, a successful high-technology executive who lost his mother to misdiagnosed ovarian cancer. Don soon discovered that, although nearly $10 billion is spent annually on cancer research in the United States alone, the vast majority of this funding is allocated to the development of new cancer treatments and caring for patients, while surprisingly little funding is available to researchers investigating new ways to detect cancer at its earliest and most curable stages.

Spurred by this realization, the Canary Foundation sought to refocus cancer research programs toward prevention and early detection. Beginning with ovarian cancer research, the Canary Foundation began to invest in the research of new technologies that would allow scientists to discover new biological markers (biomarkers) that form the basis for simple blood tests for the early detection of cancer. Today, the Canary Foundation has established six unique cancer biomarker research programs, including a $10 million program for lung cancer research.

To better reach its goals, the Canary Foundation has formed a partnership with The Thomas G. Labrecque Foundation. In collaboration with the Foundation, the Canary Lung Program aims to apply a cooperative approach to:

The Canary Lung Program has seen several significant accomplishments since it was implemented by the Foundation in 2007. These accomplishments include:

The Joan Scarangello Foundation to Conquer Lung Cancer is committed to fight lung cancer by funding innovative research and increasing awareness of the world’s leading cancer killer, with a special focus on non-smoking-related lung cancer.

In only five years of funding, Joan’s Legacy has awarded over $3.6 Million in direct research grants to individual researchers at top cancer centers and raised awareness of lung cancer across the United States. The first nonprofit in the U.S. to identify and cultivate lung cancer research with a special focus on non-smoking-related lung cancer, Joan’s Legacy has quickly become recognized as the "venture capital" source for lung cancer research in the U.S.

Because the battle against lung cancer can only be won by working together, and the reason each person cares about lung cancer is often very personal, the name "Uniting Against Lung Cancer" was created. Using this legally-established name, groups can run awareness and fundraising events in their loved one’s honor and direct donations to Uniting Against Lung Cancer, thereby avoiding name confusion with "Joan’s Legacy." All the while, knowing that donations to Uniting Against Lung Cancer benefit from the same strong Medical Committee, the same successful research program, and the same solid nonprofit status, while expanding the kinds of lung cancer studied.

The Thomas G. Labrecque Foundation supports the efforts of Joan's Legacy: Uniting Against Lung Cancer by providing critical funding toward vital lung cancer research projects at national institutions.