Kure It Cancer Research, a nonprofit dedicated to funding kidney and other cancer research, reached the $2 million milestone last month with a donation from Pam and Jack Domingue, owners of Storage Solution Inc., a Southern California self-storage operator. The Domingues have been longtime supporters of the organization, officials said.

Pam Domingue worked alongside the Kure It team to help the organization reach the $2 million mark before the end of August, even hosting a fundraising cocktail party. "Kure It is important to us on both personal and professional levels. Personally, cancer has impacted my family so many times and in so many ways that we truly understand the need for more research. Professionally, we feel that as business owners, we should give back to our community, she said. [Kure Its] creativity inspires us to give in ways that wont have a negative impact on our business, and helps promote consumer awareness and participation at the same time.

We have heard from Pam fairly frequently the past few weeks, checking in on our progress toward the big milestone, said Karen Jones, director of Kure It. We couldnt be more grateful for Jack and Pams support, or more thrilled that theirs was the gift that got us to $2 million.

Kure It was launched six years ago by self-storage industry veteran Barry Hoeven, who was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 1998. In April 2007, Hoeven partnered with cancer center City of Hope to create the Kure It! Kidney Cancer Research Fund, which raised more than $400,000. Kure It Inc. was established in January 2010 to grant funds to cancer researchers investigating progressive treatments and cures. The nonprofit reached the $1 million dollar mark in October 2011.

"Many researchers have theories and preliminary research but lack the funds to carry out their projects to the end. It is not uncommon for researchers to spend precious time seeking funding for innovative research, when the time could be better spent in the laboratory," Hoeven said. "We established the nonprofit to fill that gap, placing the funds directly into the hands of the researchers."

Storage Solution operates five self-storage facilities east of Los Angeles, serving the communities of Fontana, Lancaster, Twentynine Palms and Yucca Valley.