Grateful family ‘drives’ research to treat glioblastoma

Roland Card loved coaching soccer, playing golf, listening and dancing to music, and decorating his Paxton home for the holidays. Most of all, he cherished spending time with family and friends. 

Sadly, Roland’s life was cut short in October 2021 by glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. In celebration of his life and legacy—and with an express goal of advancing brain cancer research—his family launched an annual charity golf tournament in 2022. 

Bringing together family, friends and community members, Roland's DRIVE against CANCER supports innovative biomedical research at UMass Chan Medical School. Roland’s family invites the public to participate in the fifth annual event, which tees off at 8:30 a.m. Monday, Aug. 17, at Kettle Brook Golf Club in Paxton. 

As in previous years, donations will be directed to the lab of Roland’s physician, David Cachia, MD, professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology. Dr. Cachia’s work includes collaborating with basic scientists to translate research discoveries into clinical approaches for treating glioblastoma. 

Fueled by strong community support, the 2025 tournament generated a $15,000 gift to advance Dr. Cachia’s research at UMass Chan. Hopes are high that this year’s event will be just as successful. 

“My research team and I are grateful for the meaningful support of the Card family and everyone who participated in the golf tournament,” said Dr. Cachia. “Your generosity helps keep our research moving forward so we can develop more effective treatments for glioblastoma and bring hope to patients and their families.”

Roland passed away at age 60, just four months after his diagnosis. His family is thankful for the support of Dr. Cachia and the healthcare professionals who treated him with kindness and dignity, guiding him through difficult decisions.  

“We’re grateful for Dr. Cachia and the wonderful teams at UMass Chan and UMass Memorial Medical Center, who provide compassionate care to patients like Roland,” said Kathy. 

The Card family recognizes that continued investment in biomedical discovery is essential to improving outcomes for patients with glioblastoma.  

“We know Roland would be proud that donations made in his memory are supporting brain cancer research at UMass Chan. It’s important to bring more research and clinical trials to the Worcester area so people in Central Massachusetts have better access to these critical opportunities.” 

Registration for Roland's DRIVE against CANCER on Aug. 17 is now open.