The ownership team behind the Cleveland Browns has made a substantial financial commitment to advancing blood cancer treatment, contributing $12.5 million to support research efforts.
Dee and Jimmy Haslam structured their philanthropic gift to support two key initiatives. The largest portion, $10 million, will support the Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Centre in England, specifically targeting research and medication development for chronic lymphocytic leukemia and other uncommon blood cancers. The remaining $2.5 million will benefit Cleveland’s University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, where it will create a permanent research position focused on CLL studies and establish a fund to advance patient care innovations.
The charitable contribution stems from personal experience, as Dee Haslam received a CLL diagnosis in 2021. “I am extremely grateful that I am living a full, healthy life after being diagnosed with CLL in 2021,” Dee Haslam said in a statement. “Together with UH Seidman Cancer Center and the Oxford-Harrington Centre, we hope to increase knowledge of CLL, generate new treatments and give others the confidence and information they need to navigate the disease. Ideally, cures for other blood disorders will be discovered in the process.”
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia represents the most prevalent type of leukemia affecting adult patients. While medical professionals have yet to develop a cure, current treatment approaches have transformed the condition into one that patients can manage long-term.
The Harrington Discovery Institute began operations in 2021 and has achieved significant milestones in its brief history. The organization currently oversees 227 potential medications in development, provides support to 75 medical institutions, has helped launch 47 companies, advanced 24 treatments to clinical trials, and secured 15 pharmaceutical licensing agreements.
Beyond their NFL ownership, the Haslam family maintains majority ownership stakes in the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team, Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew, and a Columbus-based NWSL expansion franchise.
