PA Olympics 2022- METAvivor

Hello all! Thank you for choosing to donate to METAvivor. We appreciate your support and contribution to one of the 11 Physician Assistant programs competing in the 2022 PA Olympics! Please remember to select the PA program you wish to represent in this fundraising campaign. 

What is the PA Olympics? PA Olympics is a yearly fundraising campaign that was started in 2003 by Michael Huber, MMS, PA-C, DFAAPA. Each year, PA programs in the greater Philadelphia region go head-to-head to raise money for a selected organization. The competition culminates this year on April 9th. From 2003-2019, students from each program would come together for a day of medically themed sports activities to raise awareness for the chosen organization. Last year, due to the pandemic, PA Olympics took on a format that was different from previous years. Last year, the theme was “The Great Race,” where each program competed in a scavenger hunt through the city of Philadelphia. This year, we will hold “The Great Race” again.

The PA programs participating this year are Arcadia University, DeSales University, Drexel University, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Salus University, Temple University, Thomas Jefferson University (Center City, East Falls, and Voorhees, NJ campuses), University of the Sciences, and West Chester University. This year, we are fundraising for METAvivor.

METAvivor is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing support for women and men with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) by providing support, raising awareness, and funding research to transition MBC from a terminal illness to a controlled, chronic condition. Each year, 200,000 Americans are diagnosed with breast cancer. Six to ten percent of those have metastatic, stage IV disease at the time of diagnosis and another 30% of breast cancer patients develop metastatic breast cancer. Despite these statistics, research focused on metastasized breast cancer is funded at only 2-5%. METAvivor aims to rally public attention to the needs of the MBC community, help patients find strength through support and purpose, and make every dollar count as they work with researchers to extend and improve the quality of life for those with MBC. METAvivor is the only organization in the US that exclusively funds MBC research.

This organization was selected to be the recipient of our fundraising efforts this year in memory of Dana Cafaro, PA-C. Dana was an emergency medicine PA and the Associate Program Director of the Thomas Jefferson University EF/NJ PA Program. She was a huge supporter of the PA Olympics and the competing students. Dana passed away from MBC in June 2021. Her passing has left a huge hole in the hearts of those who loved her. This year’s PA Olympics are dedicated to her memory. 


Fundraising efforts are currently underway for the PA Olympics to raise $25,000. We hope to work with METAvivor to spread awareness about MBC, enable them to continue to provide hope and support to those battling MBC, and provide further funding for research about MBC. Since the event’s inception in 2003, over $170,000 has been raised for various local organizations including The Krueger Hat Trick Foundation (2021), For Pete’s Sake (2020), IM ABLE Foundation (2019), Miracle League (2018), VAST -Valley Against Sex Trafficking (2017), and the Mazzoni Center (2016). Thank you for your generous support for this incredible organization!