Dedicated to... This book is dedicated to Brian J. Monaghan—brother, son, husband and father of five children. He passed away at age 34 from LMS, Leiomyosarcoma and Condrosarcoma, two rare cancers. Brian invented and patented a hologram system that created the holograms in this book. A portion of the proceeds from Adventures of Snooky will go to the Sarcoma Foundation of America and other charities honoring Brian's memory. We will always miss his spirit. He was brave, unselfish, and generous, just like our hero, Snooky. Brian’s hope was that someday we will find a cure for Sarcoma Cancers and help other families from experiencing this tragedy. What is Sarcoma? Sarcoma is a term used to describe a whole family of cancers that arise in the body's connective tissues, which include fat, muscle, blood vessels, deep skin tissues, nerves, bones, and cartilage. Quick Facts About Sarcoma Sarcoma is a rare cancer in adults (1 percent of all adult cancers) but rather prevalent in children (about 20 percent of all childhood cancers). At any one time, 50,000 patients and their families are struggling with sarcoma. Every year, about 10,000 new cases are diagnosed, and about 5,000 people die from sarcoma. About the Sarcoma Foundation of America The Sarcoma Foundation of America (SFA), a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit charitable organization, is an advocate for increased research to find new and better therapies with which to treat patients with sarcoma. SFA raises its own funds to provide research grants to sarcoma researchers. SFA also interacts with public, private for-profit, and private non-profit organizations to raise awareness of the treatment needs of sarcoma patients. For more information, please visit Some of the profits of our book sales went to the following research grants: Lawrence A. Donehower, Ph.D. Baylor College of Medicine Recipient of a $25,000 research award Abstract: Osteosarcoma, while relatively rare in humans (about 1000 cases per year in the U.S.), represents a continuing challenge to oncologists. Current chemotherapy regimens have a 60-70% five year survival rate. Identifying native and heteroclitic epitopes for T-cell immunity to PAX3-FKHR alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma Stacie Goldberg, M.D. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Recipient of a $25,000 Brian J. Monaghan Memorial Research Award Abstract: Advanced liposarcoma has low overall response rates to chemotherapy. There is a need for targeted therapy for liposarcoma. Tumor Angiogenesis in Different Organ Environments: Implications for Anti-VEGF Therapy for Soft Tissue Sarcomas Sam Yoon, M.D. Massachusetts General Hospital Recipient of a $25,000 Brian J. Monaghan Memorial Research Award Abstract: Anti-angiogenic agents targeting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and other angiogenic pathways are a major focus of clinical drug development for cancers including soft tissue sarcomas (STS). Email: sales@snookybook.com