San Diego jet charter operator Schubach Aviation has partnered with Immunotherapy Foundation (IF) for its sixth-annual donation-per-mile giving campaign. IF, a Solana Beach nonprofit that funds research for cancer treatment and eradication, will receive one cent for each mile flown on Schubach Aviation’s private charter flights this year. While the campaign gave Shelter to Soldier and Promises2Kids $10,159 for the 99,622 miles flown in 2016, the 2018 campaign is expected to raise $12,000 for IF.

IF was founded by the late Ralph Whitworth, a longtime Schubach Aviation client, and his wife Fernanda in 2015. The organization collaborates with researchers from institutions around the world to work on the discovery and development of new immunotherapies. This development includes using a patient’s immune system to target and fight cancer cells, which leaves healthy tissue unharmed.

"Giving back to the local community has long been a core tenet at Schubach Aviation. It is our responsibility and privilege,” said Schubach Aviation founder Henry Schubach. "Ralph Whitworth was one of my first airplane charter customers over 20 years ago. I flew him for many years and we had the privilege of flying him and his family during his precious final years. I'm honored to have this opportunity to support his legacy and the important work the Immunotherapy Foundation is enabling."

Schubach Aviation’s charter clients have the option to match the per-mile donation to IF every time they fly with the operator. All of the money donated by Schubach Aviation, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2017, will support IF’s research for immunotherapy-based personalized medicines, future vaccines, and new drugs. The donation will also support patient care at the organization’s processing lab, the Advanced Cellular Therapy Lab.

“We are delighted to join with Henry and the Schubach Aviation family as their philanthropic partner of choice in 2018,” said Fernanda Whitworth, president and co-founder of Immunotherapy Foundation. “The rapid progress we have made with our research collaborators has only been possible with the continued, generous support of organizations like Schubach Aviation and our community of supporters in San Diego and beyond. With this partnership, we can continue to accelerate closer to a cure.”