Need a hug? Better yet, how about a high five? On April 19, Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute will be one of four beneficiaries of this year’s National High Five Day and its program, the High-Five-a-Thon for Cancer Research. Organized by the National High Five Project founded in 2010, the event channels the organization’s goal of using the high five to raise money for worthy causes. Jacob Feala, Ph.D., formerly a postdoctoral researcher at Sanford-Burnham, sits on the board of the National High Five Project, and invited the Institute — home to one of only seven National Cancer Institute-designated basic research cancer centers in the country — to apply as a beneficiary for the fundraiser, knowing the money raised would be used well. “Working there as a postdoc, I witnessed cutting-edge, clinically focused cancer research all around me,” Feala said. “Cancer is an incredibly complex disease, and to cure it we have to understand it at several levels, from mutated DNA, to the rewiring of circuits within the cell, to the cancer’s interactions with surrounding tissue. For that, we need interdisciplinary, collaborative institutes like Sanford-Burnham.” Anyone can participate in the National High-Five-a-Thon by creating a profile page at www.nh5d.stayclassy.org. Participants agree to give 55 (or more) high fives on National High Five Day. They are then encouraged to reach out to friends and family through email and social media to gain support. Individuals or teams can participate. They will earn prizes for reaching certain fundraising goals along the way. For more information please visit www.nationalhighfiveproject.org. — Kendra Hartmann