Watkins, Lourie, Roll & Chance Gives Back

ATLANTA, GA, March 07, 2014 (Press-News.org) The partners of Watkins, Lourie, Roll & Chance, PC have a long history of service to charitable organizations. The firm's senior partner, Joe Watkins, was recently inducted as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Team in Training Hall of Fame. Joe became involved with the Atlanta Chapter of Team in Training in 2001, and the firm has been an annual Team in Training Sponsor since 2001. Participants in Team in Training complete an endurance event to raise money in honor of patients who have been diagnosed with a blood-related cancer such as leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's Disease and myeloma. Joe has participated in over 20 marathons and one triathlon, and now coaches other Team in Training participants.

Sadly, Patrick Chance, the son of Stephen and Erin Chance, passed away on January 9, 2012 - his ninth birthday. Patrick was diagnosed with stage IV neuroblastoma when he was three years old and fought valiantly until his death. Shortly after Patrick was diagnosed, Stephen and Erin formed Press On, a fund dedicated to curing neuroblastoma. Three years later, the mission of Press On was expanded to include research for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) when Brennan Simkins, the son of dear friends Tara and Turner Simkins, was diagnosed with AML. Brennan survived four bone marrow transplants and is now in remission.

Press On provides desperately needed funding for basic, translational and clinical research relating to pediatric cancers, specifically neuroblastoma and acute myeloid leukemia. Press On provides grants to scientists conducting research aimed at developing novel, targeted therapies for neuroblastoma and AML, with the ultimate goal of achieving a greater cure rate for these cruel diseases, while mitigating the potentially devastating side effects of current therapies.

Press On has raised approximately $2,000,000 and has directed more than $1,500,000 to neuroblastoma and AML research being conducted at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Press On will be making additional grants in the coming weeks, and its mission will never end until cures for these deadly pediatric cancers are discovered.

In 2008, the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association recognized the Chances' efforts by giving them the organization's Community Service Award. That same year, both the House and the Senate of the Georgia General Assembly passed resolutions recognizing the Chances' efforts to cure these diseases.

Lance Lourie has been a leader in The Interfaith Children's Movement (ICM), an organization founded on the conviction that people of all faiths can work together - across boundaries of religious institutions and spiritual practices - to improve the lives and well-being of all children. ICM calls upon the faith communities to put faith in action to fight against social inequities that threaten our children's ability to realize their potential.

Our law firm, Watkins, Lourie, Roll & Chance, PC, handles the full range of personal injury cases. We have the experience, professionalism and personal service that our clients deserve. Located in Atlanta, we serve clients in many communities and counties throughout Georgia.