J.B. Hunt inducted into MD Anderson philanthropic society

by Jeff Della Rosa ([email protected]) 752 views 

Lowell-based carrier J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. was inducted into The Anderson Assembly at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center after giving $1 million to the cancer center.

The company provided the gift in 2019. According to J.B. Hunt, “this was the company’s first large-scale gift to MD Anderson.”

According to a news release, the Anderson Assembly is a society created to recognize philanthropic donors who have made “a lifetime commitment” to support the MD Anderson mission. According to an MD Anderson presentation, the Anderson Assembly comprises donors who have given at least $1 million to the cancer center.

“MD Anderson is an organization that is dear to J.B. Hunt as many of our employees utilize their expertise and resources,” said Brad Hicks, president of highway services and executive vice president of people at J.B. Hunt. “We are proud to extend our support to MD Anderson as its experts pioneer innovative cancer care and research to improve the health and quality of life for people across the world.”

The company’s gift created The J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. Cancer Prevention and Control Endowment and supports the launch of The Joint Center on Geospatial Analysis and Health led by MD Anderson’s Cancer Prevention and Control Platform in partnership with UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, the release shows. The goal of the endowment is to increase MD Anderson’s reach and impact nationally by accelerating the development and distribution of strategies, community services, policy interventions and knowledge to reduce cancer incidence and mortality. The gift will allow MD Anderson to use data to better help medically underserved communities across the United States.

“J.B. Hunt’s leadership directly enabled a novel vision to help communities access expert analyses at the intersection of place and health,” said Michael Walsh Jr., executive director of the Cancer Prevention and Control Platform. “This work, built as a global public good, will ensure that communities can easily use the data necessary to prioritize evidence-based actions and to strengthen the systems underlying the achievement of good health.”