Hutch Heroes

The strength and resolve of cancer survivors will be highlighted during each Thursday Seattle Mariners home game this season through the longtime partnership between the Mariners and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
Beginning on Opening Night, Thursday, March 29, Hutch Heroes will spotlight survivors who are fighting cancer with the same determination and spirit as baseball legend Fred Hutchinson, the namesake of Seattle's world-renowned cancer research center.
The first Hutch Heroes honoree is Rose Ibarra of Seattle, who will be introduced to the Opening Night crowd at Safeco Field at the end of the third inning.
In 2011, at the age of 25, Ibarra was diagnosed with stage 4 acute lymphoblastic leukemia. After six months of intensive chemotherapy, Rose was declared cancer-free. But in 2015, five months after the birth of her son Gus, Ibarra's cancer relapsed. Her only chance for a cure was a bone marrow transplant, a treatment pioneered by Fred Hutch. Since 2016, Ibarra has been cancer-free.
Mariners outfielder Mitch Haniger will serve as the Hutch Heroes Ambassador this season. Haniger will participate in radio appeals to fund cancer research and visit Fred Hutch to meet with researchers who are working to eliminate cancer and related diseases.
About Fred Hutchinson
Fred Hutchinson made his name as a star pitcher for the old Pacific Coast League Seattle Rainiers, pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, and manager for the Rainiers, Tigers, St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds. His honors included Pacific Coast League MVP in 1938, and two-time Manager of the Year in 1957 with the Cardinals and 1961 with the Reds.
Tragically, Hutchinson died of cancer in 1964 at age 45. His brother, Dr. Bill Hutchinson, a Seattle surgeon and athlete, established Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center as a tribute to his brother. Today, Fred Hutch is a world leader in research for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer, HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening diseases.
About Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
At Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, home to three Nobel laureates, interdisciplinary teams of world-renowned scientists seek new and innovative ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening diseases. Fred Hutch's pioneering work in bone marrow transplantation led to the development of immunotherapy, which harnesses the power of the immune system to treat cancer. An independent, nonprofit research institute based in Seattle, Fred Hutch houses the nation's first National Cancer Institute-funded cancer prevention research program, as well as the clinical coordinating center of the Women's Health Initiative and the international headquarters of the HIV Vaccine Trials Network.