Wellington-based Malaghan Institute of Medical Research is named after Queenstown-born businessman and benefactor, the late Len Malaghan, who funded its establishment in 1967.
Malaghan is best known for establishing the Tip Top ice-cream brand — he and his wife also funded Queenstown’s former Malaghan Library, which opened in 1971.
However, the Malaghan name goes back even further in Queenstown — Len’s grandfather Michael arrived in 1862 and was the town’s third mayor and a noted hotel owner.
The Central Otago Friends of the Malaghan Medical Research Institute has now been set up — the institute’s only South Island ‘friends’ group.
Its chair is Kelly Sutton, who formerly chaired the Wellington ‘Friends’ group before moving here a year ago.
Like the other groups, it’ll support the institute’s ground-breaking research by raising funds and awareness.
One aim is to establish Central Otago Lakes as a regional hub for health innovation.
Currently the institute’s main fundraising’s to support a phase 2 clinical trial of a CAR-T cell therapy that’ll treat certain blood cancers in NZ.
However, the institute doesn’t only do cancer research, Sutton says.
"It’s all immunology and a lot of it’s gut health and asthma, allergies, everything like that."
She expects her group could fundraise through a speaker series featuring high-profile people like new institute board members Sir Ashley Bloomfield and Dame Patsy Reddy.
Her founding committee also includes Jess Guthrie, Jo Eddington and Sarah Ottrey.
Wendy Walker, the institute’s head of fundraising, says "with a long-standing connection to the Queenstown Lakes region through the Malaghan family, it’s wonderful to now see the establishment of a Queenstown Friends of the Malaghan group, led by Kelly Sutton".
"Through this group, we look forward to connecting more and more with supporters in the region as we work together towards a healthier future for Aotearoa NZ."
Meanwhile, Len Malaghan’s grandson Matt Malaghan says it’s fantastic to see the supporters’ group continuing a Queenstown connection with the Malaghan family going back 162 years.
