Cancer research and fundraising organization Kure It! was one of more than 120 exhibitors that participated in this year's Inside Self-Storage World Expo. The group has been working with many self-storage operators in recent years to help raise charity funds through unit rentals.

Kure It, which raises money to research and prevent kidney and other cancers, received two large donations at the expo. Supply Side, a provider of self-storage retail products, gave $1,200. USstoragesearch.com, a self-storage aggregator website and marketing firm, presented a check for $5,500, which it gathered during various fundraisers.

“Kure It had a positive, valuable experience at the ISS World Expo,” said Kure It Director Karen Jones. “We were able to share our mission and programs with a large number of operators and vendors, and wish to thank Inside Self-Storage for allowing us to exhibit at the show.”

Kure It will be awarding grants in the next few months, and will choose several projects being conducted at major research institutions. “The funds received at the ISS Expo will allow us to make larger contributions and a potentially longer commitment to each of these institutions,” Jones said.

Kure It’s mission is to raise money for research specialists conducting innovative projects to better treat and ultimately cure kidney and other underfunded cancers. Founded by self-storage industry veteran Barry Hoeven after his diagnosis with kidney cancer, Kure It has raised more than $1 million since 2007. In 2011, Kure It supported research done at Cedars-Sinai and City of Hope.