MasterCard Announces Results of Make Purchases and Give Hope Campaign in Support of Stand Up to Cancer

Moscow — MasterCard today revealed the results of the Make Purchases and Give Hope charity campaign that was conducted by MasterCard in Russia to support Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C). 34 000 000 RUR (approximately 1.1 M USD) will be transferred from MasterCard to Stand Up To Cancer to support research and development of new methods of cancer treatment through the support of translational research in oncology.

Running from January 1, 2013 until March 31, 2013 MasterCard donated 10 kopecks (3 cents) from every payment made in Russian POS with MasterCard® and Maestro® cards issued by Russian banks. On the start of the campaign it was reported that MasterCard will donate at least 30 million rubles, but the final amount was determined by the actual number of POS transactions over the past three months. Make Purchases and Give Hope is the first charity program of such scale conducted by MasterCard in Russia.

MasterCard’s charity campaign involved such partners as Novikov Group and Ginza Project restaurants, TNK-BP gas stations, Svyaznoy Bank, Petrokommerts Bank, VTB24, Alfa Bank, MTS and others.

“Cancer remains the number one cause of death and despite its prevalence, is still an unexplored disease. By joining forces with Stand Up To Cancer we got closer to our common goal − victory over cancer. MasterCard will donate 34 000 000 Rubles to Stand Up To Cancer to support translational research in oncology. We are very thankful to all of our partners who joined the initiative and to all cardholders who supported the campaign,” said Ilya Riaby, Head of MasterCard in Russia, Armenia and Belarus.

The money from MasterCard will be donated to scientific research funded by Stand Up To Cancer. Half of the funds will be granted to TRIO (Translational Research in Oncology) to hire strong research staff teams at cancer clinics in Russia and training for innovative research trials, particularly in the field of breast cancer. This effort will achieve an ultimate goal of having local clinical research teams that are self-sufficient and capable of participating confidently in other studies to benefit their institutions, physicians and most importantly, patients. Another part of the funds will be used for cancer research abroad.

“We are pleased that our program is being implemented in Russia with support of MasterCard. Stand Up To Cancer is designed to accelerate innovative research in the field of cancer treatment that will make the reality of the rapid application of new treatments and save lives now,” says Rusty Robertson, co-founder of Stand Up To Cancer. “We are focused on transparency and the highest standards in matters of finance and are confident that we can help a large number of patients.”



Together Against Cancer (Stand Up To Cancer), a charitable program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, is a unique initiative which sets its mission to bring innovative therapies, research and cancer treatment, and allow faster practical application of such methods to save lives now.

Together Against Cancer allows collaboration of the best scientists, and promotes collaboration, rather than competition of scientific efforts. Continuous Entertainment Industry support helps Together Against Cancer reach out to broader audiences and effectively promote its cause.

Famous Russian actors, musicians and journalists actively support Together Against Cancer program of SU2C by becoming ambassadors of the movement in Russia. Among these people are Ingeborga Dapkunaite, Konstantin Kryukov, Andrey Makarevich, Vladimir Pozner, Olga Shelest and Ivan Urgant.

TRIO (Translational Research in Oncology), is an international nonprofit organization that unites 2,000 scientists from 45 countries. TRIO has been working with Russian scientists since 2000. A unique network of leading international scientists allows TRIO to conduct innovative studies, getting closer and closer to the discovery of a universal systemic treatment of disease.

Read more at www.VmesteProtivRaka.ru.



MasterCard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com, is a technology company in the global payments industry. We operate the world’s fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. MasterCard’s products and solutions make everyday commerce activities – such as shopping, traveling, running a business and managing finances – easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone. Follow us on Twitter @MasterCardNews, join the discussion on the Cashless Conversations Blog and subscribe for the latest news.