Prof designs plate to help fight cancer
R. Steve Dick/University Relations
Gregory Thomas, professor and chair of the Department of Design, displays the license plate he designed that will raise funds for the KU Cancer Center if approved by the legislature.
Sen. Barbara Allen, R-Overland Park, a breast cancer survivor, introduced a bill this month to create specialized Kansas license plates to raise money for research and education at the KU Cancer Center. Gregory Thomas, professor and chair of the design department, also a cancer survivor, designed the plate.
At a legislative hearing Feb. 8 to introduce the bill, Allen unveiled a design of the plate for her fellow lawmakers. The plate infuses well-known imagery associated with the cause and the location.
"We have two pretty recognizable icons here," Thomas said while displaying a print of the plate. "There's the pink ribbon and the Kansas sunflower."
If the bill passes, motorists would have the option to purchase the specialized plate when licensing a vehicle. Of the $85.50 cost of the plate, $50 would support research and education at the KU Cancer Center.
Thomas, like Allen, became involved in promoting cancer awareness after surviving a bout with the disease. In 2000, he was diagnosed with kidney cancer.
"I thought, ‘My job is as a communicator. I haven't been using my skills as well as I could,' " Thomas said.
Several years later when he came to KU, he contacted Roy Jensen, director of the KU Cancer Center, and volunteered to help market the center. Jensen put him in contact with Allen, who had told him about her idea for the license plates.
Along with the ribbon and sunflower, the plate features a shaded pink background, "Kansas" across the top and the words "Driven To Cure" at the bottom.
"We really thought ‘Driven To Cure' was a great idea," Thomas said. "One, it plays on the idea of the vehicle, and two, it shows there is a lot of determination and drive behind this cause."
The specialized plates would raise awareness and money but can also help the KU Cancer Center achieve its goal of Comprehensive Cancer Center designation from the National Cancer Institute. Establishing such a center in Kansas is especially important, Thomas said, as it would provide top rate cancer care in the region, eliminating the need for patients to travel to Minnesota, Texas or California to receive treatment.
The specialized plates are not the first government initiative to raise funds for the KU Cancer Center. Last year, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius signed a bill, authored by Allen, to provide a tax check-off to fund breast cancer research at the center. Individuals can check a box on tax return forms to donate a portion of their return to the research.
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