The annual Steps for Sarcoma event has raised more than $1.2 million and funded several research programs that have improved the outcomes for sarcoma patients at the James, and beyond. “It’s so fantastic for us, as caregivers, to see them walking and doing the things they want to do because of the care we’ve given them,” said Joel Mayerson, MD, director of the James sarcoma program. In this episode, Mayerson describes the emotional impact of Steps for Sarcoma, and some of the research it has funded. He told the story of one of his patients, a young woman, who eventually lost a leg. “She was able to recover and ski and walk, and she sang the National Anthem for us [at a Steps for Sarcoma],” Mayerson said. “Everyone had a tear in their eye, and then she walked around most of the course with crutches.” The 12th Annual Steps for Sarcoma will be held September 26. Due to the pandemic, it will be a virtual event. One of the goals of Steps for Sarcoma is to fund young, rising-star James researchers working on sarcoma-related studies. Steps for Sarcoma has funded a pilot program, in conjunction with the Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine, in which an ultrasound machine is used, in real time, during a sarcoma operation to make sure that surgeons remove “clear margins” around tumors. “This allows us to take less tissue and that leaves patients more functional,” Mayerson said. “This is how we support our young researchers. It can be hard to gain that first small amount of money to take your idea to the next step and that’s what Steps for Sarcoma has allowed them to do.”