Berner-Garde Fund Raiser

Begins July 13, 2025 Ends August 31, 2025

Contact: joye.neff@gmail.com
Joye Neff

This year's Gift Bonanza is being Dedicated to the memory of Dr. Vilma Yuzbasiyan-Gurkan.
Dr. Vilma worked with Berner Garde as explained by Lori Jodar in her message below.

A Memoriam message by Michigan State University may be found here.

LIST OF WINNERS!

We Have MET the $5,000 CHALLENGE!
and the SECOND $5,000 CHALLENGE, BUT, we have a third $5,000 Challenge!

I am thrilled to announce that Phase 1 of the 2025 Berner-Garde Fundraiser has been completed:
We have hit our goal of raising $25,000 for the Liquid Blood Biopsy Research Study at Michigan State University.

I am also happy to report that we met the Robin and Gene Hamme $5,000 Challenge
by raising $7,005 by August 31st. Thank you Robin and Gene for your generous $5,000 donation.

WE MET THE $5,000 CHALLENGE: We raised $2,610, so we will get $5,000 from the very generous anonymous Berner Lover.

(8/15/25)

THANK YOU SO MUCH to the Berner Lover who helped us raise more money to support the liquid biopsy research, a cutting-edge method that could transform early cancer detection in Bernese Mountain Dogs.

THANK YOU SO MUCH to the people who sent in donations so we could meet the $5,000 Challenge!

Challenge #3:

We have a NEW $5,000 CHALLENGE from the Bernese Mountain Dog Charitable Foundation (BMDCF)!
If we can raise $5,000 in the next 10 days, we will get the $5,000 Challenge.
(8/15 - 8/25/2025)

WE CAN DO IT!! We have just ten (10) days to raise $5000 to get the $5,000 challenge.

Please do your part to help us get the $5,000 Challenge by making a donation to support the liquid biopsy research,
a cutting-edge method that could transform early cancer detection in Bernese Mountain Dogs.

This entire project grant is $99,000. Early Detection is the Key! Help Support the Research!

Make your donation here:  https://bernergarde.org/home/Donate
Please enter “2025 Berner-Garde Fundraiser” in the dedication field so we know your donation is for the fundraiser challenge.

We are now in Phase 2 of our 2025 Berner-Garde Fundraiser and our goal
is to raise $25,000 more to support this important research study.
The Early Cancer Detection Liquid Blood Biopsy Research Study
at Michigan State University 's grant contract with Berner-Garde Foundation is $99,000.
Let’s make a huge dent in that amount!

Fighting Histiocytic Sarcoma and other cancers is not cheap.
It takes funds: money that is donated by generous, caring people like you.
We couldn't do this important research, if it were not for ALL of YOU! Please help us keep fighting histio!

TOGETHER WE CAN DO THIS! ‘FOR THE LOVE OF A BERNER’

Tackling Cancer in Bernese Mountain Dogs: Using liquid biopsies to maximize chance of treatment success

This project is currently underway with Michigan State University. The entire project grant is $99,000.

Efforts are ongoing to address the elevated incidence of cancer within this breed, with several projects currently supported by the BGF and BMDCA. Dr. Hedan's research remains active, and a collaboration with Ramitrex, under the guidance of Dr. John Robertson, has recently commenced. Each of these three initiatives focuses on the early detection of cancer, particularly HS. Although Dr. Vilma initiated the current project prior to her passing, the research is being continued by her colleagues who previously worked alongside her.

Early diagnosis has proven critical in improving survival rates and outcomes for various human cancers. Notable examples include breast cancer, where mammography enables timely intervention; prostate cancer, aided by measurement of prostate-specific antigen levels in blood; and colon cancer, for which colonoscopy and, more recently, genetic screening of fecal samples have facilitated earlier, less invasive detection. Another promising method for early disease identification is the use of "liquid biopsies." It is well recognized that by the time clinical symptoms manifest in affected dogs, effective intervention is often no longer feasible due to significant tumor burden. The goal of these projects is to enable earlier detection, thereby improving the likelihood that dogs can be treated successfully using the chemotherapeutic agents currently available.

If you would like to help us hit our NEW goal of raising $25,000, you can make a donation via PayPal.
Please type: "2025 Berner-Garde Fundraiser" where it says "Enter dedication or in memory of here."  Here is the link!

https://bernergarde.org/home/Donate

Or you can make a check payable to Berner-Garde Foundation and mail it to me at: Joye Neff, 108 Minnock Drive, Mars, PA 16046.

Berner-Lovers are the most bestest people!!

-Joye Neff

Click Here for: How to make your Donation

Click on a TIER or Batch "Bone" below to see the gifts, their number and descriptions below each picture
(or see the complete set of Thumbnail pictures at the bottom of this page)

We have a NEW Tier of Gifts! Just added August 11th!

Tier 2

"It's back!!! The annual Berner-Garde Foundation Gift Bonanza organized by Joye Neff! This is the Main Page for the Gift Bonanza and will be updated as necessary with important information such as the progress of this event, the lucky gift winners, etc. You can click on the buttons (Bones) above for more information, and to see all of the gift items (Tier 1 and Batch 1 though 8).

The BGF Board of Trustees looks forward to this event every year! The organization is run entirely by volunteers. Without the generous support of donors like you we could not continue our work. And to Joye Neff, the Berner world is blessed to have such a friend. Please donate to this Gift Bonanza...for the Love of a Berner.

Lori Jodar
President, BGF

Please click on the photo above on the right for an important message from Lori Jodar about current projects to upgrade the BG database application framework and to continue the DNA Repository and expand tissue collection - especially histiocytic sarcoma - that is being used for research.

A Message From Pat Long
I know Joye gives these tickets away, but she gives them away when she’s happy, too! What makes her happy? When people donate to Berner charities, or donate to Berner charities to thank other people for their hard work. It makes her happy when Berners benefit from our generosity, and Joye must be about the happiest person I know – because no one is as generous as the Bernese Mountain Dog community!

I was the Berner-Garde File Manager for 12 years, and I know how much of a labor of love it is for so many of you. Making updates that were terribly painful, as well as many that were joyful and exciting, are greatly appreciated. Thanks to each and every one of you for adding your dogs to a legacy that helps the future of the breed! YOU help to make this open database unique among all breeds. Thank you one and all!

And for those of you who participate in the BMD DNA Repository – thank you! And for those of you who have donated tumor tissue, words are not enough – but thank you for making the effort during the worst possible time.

Hug your dogs and tell them I think they are so very lucky to have the most special owners!

Hosted by
Berner News Network

WHY?
To support the Berner-Garde Foundation (BGF), which operates the incredible open, online health and pedigree database for Bernese Mountain Dogs all over the world. There is no charge to enter data in this database. There is no charge to access this database for information. Check out the website and submit details of your Berners! www.bernergarde.org

HOW??

We have assembled many lovely Berner items to give to those who have Berners in their lives or who wish they had a Berner in their life.

· Tickets to win these wonderful Berner items are FREE and easy to obtain!

· Just send an e-mail to Joye Neff at joye.neff@gmail.com and ask her for 20 FREE TIER 1 tickets and 100 FREE tickets for Batches 1 through 8.

· Tell Joye how to distribute your FREE tickets among the many prizes. That way you can try to win prizes that you really want.

FOR EXAMPLE: "Joye, please place my 20 FREE Tier One tickets into #1_1 or #1_2. Please place my 100 Batch tickets as: Batch 1 through 8 tickets as follows: 20 in #7, 10 in #15, 30 in #47, 10 in #55, and 30 in #88. That's it! Just ask for tickets and tell Joye how to distribute them for you.

Please remember that all contributions to Berner-Garde are much appreciated.

WHO/WHERE???

HOW TO MAKE YOUR DONATION:

1. For ONLINE Donations:
Go to the Berner-Garde PayPal Donation site and make your donation ~ Please type in: "2025 Berner-Garde Fundraiser" where it says "Enter dedication or in memory of here."
Here is the link!

https://bernergarde.org/home/Donate

OR

2. For Checks or Cheques:
Mail your check payable to: Berner-Garde Foundation
If you are mailing a check from another country, make the check payable to: Joye M. Neff
(My bank does not charge me a fee for converting foreign cheques to US dollars, so Berner-Garde will get the entire amount of your donation)

Send me an email at joye.neff@gmail.com if you are sending a check and I'll give you the address to mail your check.

Help support Berner-Garde Foundation by donating and sharing the information about the Berner-Garde Gift Bonanza and the Berner-Garde Fundraiser with all of your Berner friends.

WHAT???????

You can view all available items below, for quick reference. If you click on a photo it will open as a larger pop-up. The items are also presented in groups, Tier 1,
Batch 1, Batch 2, etc. via the buttons at the top of this page and below. Some of the donors have provided websites or email addresses, which are available on the Batch pages. Also, if there is more than one available of an item, there will be multiple winners drawn for those items.
(Pictures May NOT be to scale. Click to see full picture)

Click on a TIER or Batch "Bone" below to see the gifts, their number and descriptions