Highland Park resident Steven Braun, a Financial Advisor with The McTigue Financial Group, a network office of Northwestern Mutual, was honored by the Northwestern Mutual Foundation with the 2011 Community Service Award for his extensive dedication to Partnership for Cures, a nonprofit medical research organization that works to improve the quality of life for patients with life altering diseases. A $10,000 grant was presented to Partnership for Cures to support the Patient Impact Initiative projects at the University of Chicago that repurposes approved drugs and devices to quickly create safe, effective and affordable treatments.
Steve has been a donor and volunteer leader at Partnership for Cures for over 9 years, and a member of the Executive Board since 2008. “Steve is neither a researcher nor a physician, so he cannot work in the lab or with patients,” noted Dr. Bruce E. Bloom, President and Chief Science Officer of Partnership for Cures, “but he is an extraordinary volunteer leader and philanthropist who can and does make sure that medical professionals have the funding to make better treatments and cures a realty right now.” Specifically Steve has been a great supporter of the Partnership for Cures Rediscovery Research™ model, connecting the organization to thought leaders inside and outside of medicine, matching donors to Rediscovery Research projects they can support, and providing business and marketing guidance, explains Dr. Bloom.
“As a financial advisor, I help my clients turn their dreams and ideas into action that makes a difference for them and their families,” explains Braun. “In my 25 years as a financial representative I have seen family, friends, colleagues and clients affected by disease issues and Partnership for Cures has made a difference for some,” he adds. After hearing that one of his Northwestern Mutual colleagues had been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Steve and the staff of Partnership for Cures we able to help this colleague enroll in a Rediscovery Research clinical research trial at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After participating, this colleague, and the other 9 participants were all able to regain function that had been lost to the MS. This colleague went from requiring a walker to being able to walk a mile without the need of assistance. Such an accomplishment is attributable to the funding of Rediscovery Research supported by Partnership for Cures, notes Braun.
“It clearly and significantly has improved the length and quality of life for those I care about and other patients with catastrophic diseases,” he adds. “This is why I am passionate about increasing awareness and raising needed funds to find and manage research that creates new uses for FDA-approved drugs and therapies,” he concludes.
About Partnership for Cures
Partnership for Cures raises funds for Rediscovery Research™ that repurposes approved drugs and devices to quickly create safe, effective and affordable treatments to increase the quality and length of life for patients with life altering diseases.
About Northwestern Mutual
The mission of the Northwestern Mutual Foundation – the largest corporate giver in the state of Wisconsin – is to build strong, vibrant communities that serve as a legacy to future generations. The Foundation’s giving is designed to create an impact on the communities where the company’s employees and financial representatives live and work. In fiscal year 2011, the Foundation contributed more than $15 million to nonprofit organizations across the country.
The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company – Milwaukee, WI (Northwestern Mutual) is the “World’s Most Admired Company” life insurance company in 2011 according to FORTUNE® magazine, has helped clients achieve financial security for more than 150 years. As a mutual company with $1.2 trillion of life insurance protection in force, Northwestern Mutual has no shareholders. The company focuses solely and directly on its clients and seeks to deliver consistent and dependable value to them over time. Northwestern Mutual and its subsidiaries offer a holistic approach to financial security solutions including: life insurance, long-term care insurance, disability insurance, annuities, investment products, and advisory products and services. Subsidiaries include Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC, broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, member FINRA and SIPC; the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company, limited purpose federal savings bank; and Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Company; and Russell Investments.
