Battle began at adventure’s end

Lindsay Sandham

Although legendary film star John Wayne passed away 26 years ago, his

name and his legend live on through his many descendants and the

research and development that comes out of the John Wayne Cancer

Institute.

Anita Swift of Costa Mesa is the oldest of Wayne’s 24

grandchildren. Her mother, Toni, was from “the first batch” of Wayne

children -- he had seven from two marriages.

Swift took a position on the board of the John Wayne Cancer

Institute four years ago, after her mother died of lung cancer. She

is also a member of the John Wayne Cancer Institute Auxiliary, which

raises money for the institute’s researchers.

“One of our very big specialties, which is really fabulous for

Southern California and the Southwest, is melanoma,” Swift said. “We

have developed a skin cancer vaccine that’s in its fourth clinical

phase, which means that hopefully by the end of this year, it should

be in the general public. We are so excited about that.”

The doctors at the institute have been working on the development

of a skin cancer vaccine for 20 years. The institute mainly focuses

on skin cancer and breast cancer, although its research and

development has branched off into many areas of oncology.

Wayne -- known to many fans as “The Duke” -- died of stomach

cancer in 1979. He also battled lung cancer in 1965 and knew

firsthand how painful the disease can be.

“When my grandfather was dying,” Swift said, “the one thing he

wanted to do and the one thing he told his kids was, ‘I want you to

help these doctors find a cure for cancer.... There has to be a cure,

and I want you to help these doctors find a cure for cancer. Do

whatever you can to help them.’”

Pursuant to that wish, the Wayne children started working with the

cancer research department at UCLA and founded the John Wayne Cancer

Clinic. In 1991, the clinic became affiliated with St. John’s

Hospital and Health Center and moved to Santa Monica, where it became

the John Wayne Cancer Institute.

In addition to being active in the John Wayne Cancer Institute

Auxiliary, Swift also helps raise money for the John Wayne Cancer

Foundation, the nonprofit arm of Wayne Enterprises.

Newport Beach’s Ethan Wayne, youngest son of John Wayne and

president of Wayne Enterprises, said the foundation is working to

bring fundraising events to Orange County.

“We’ve established a partnership between the John Wayne Cancer

Foundation and the Lance Armstrong Foundation to bring an event to

Orange County,” Wayne said.

Swift is currently working as co-chair of the Odyssey Ball, an

annual fundraiser for the institute that will be held in Beverly

Hills on April 9. She said she plans to help with the Orange County

event after the Beverly Hills fundraiser.

“We want to do it down here because we want to really get Orange

County more involved, since he lived down here,” she said. “He’s got

three children that live down here ... and he’s got four

grandchildren that live down here.”

Every year, the institute honors an individual or individuals at

the Odyssey Ball by presenting them with the Duke award.

“[This year,] we’re hoping to raise $1 million. Last year, we

raised a little over $600,000,” Swift said. “It really depends on who

you’re honoring, and the people we’re honoring this year, Bob and

Diana Thom, have been honored by several different groups because

they are really philanthropic in L.A. They’re big donors.”

The Odyssey Ball is now in its 20th year.

For more information on the John Wayne Cancer Institute, visit

https://www .jwci.org, and for more information on the John Wayne

Cancer Foundation, visit https://www.jwcf.org.