On July 28 the Cell Therapy Foundation announced the good news that Emmy-award winning actor Dick Van Dyke has agreed to be its first-ever spokesperson.

CTF is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization formed in 2007 “after a group of friends, who had recently lost a friend to cancer, decided more funds should be dedicated to adult stem cell research to fight diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, arthritis, cancer, heart disease, peripheral arterial disease, diabetes, stroke and other neurodegenerative disorders,” according to its web page.

CTF’s mission is to “improve public health through the support of effective adult stem cell research and education by advancing basic and applied knowledge, processes and therapies.

CTF’s vision is to be “a premier source for the advancement of adult stem cell awareness, acceleration and development of useful research and therapies which will result in the global improvement of public health.”

Back to Dick Van Dyke, according to CTF’s press release:

Mr. Van Dyke is scheduled to record a series of public service announcements focused on educating the public that adult stem cells, which come from bone marrow, fat, umbilical cord blood and placenta, skin, muscle, and other sources, have healing functions that are leading to new therapies for many diseases.

An avid graphic artist and animation hobbyist, Mr. Van Dyke will also participate in the development of an animation film project that will visually explain the repair functionality of adult stem cells in a fun and creative way.

“I am truly impressed by the potential that adult stem cell research has already shown and am hopeful that by getting the message to more people, we can fund additional research that could positively impact thousands of lives around the world,” said Mr. Van Dyke.

The FRC blog, when noting Van Dyke’s new role, added this classic scene from Mary Poppins, which I will, too!