Our Story

The story of the Pine Tree Apple Tennis Classic (PTATC) is an amazing one! Ron and Mary Ann Peterson created the PTATC in 1986 when their 12 year-old daughter Julieann was diagnosed with leukemia. Their mission was to raise money to provide the medical professionals at Children’s Minnesota a means and a way to research, while still being able to perform the crucial efforts of treating children with cancer.

At that time, there were no meaningful tumor registries and protocols for how to treat many cancers with a high degree of success.  The Petersons (right) wanted to give back after receiving such great care for their daughter and contribute towards the fight to end pediatric cancer. The Jacobson Family of the Pine Tree Apple Orchard stepped up to provide the “seed” money to start the event which raised $15,000 in 1986

As a result of our fundraising efforts, we have accomplished some amazing things, including the following:

• The inception of the International PPB Registry in 1987. The establishment of this global research program based here in Minnesota and now used in over 49 countries, directly resulted in the discovery of variants in the DICER1 gene as a cause of PPB - the most common lung cancer of children. Since this pivotal discovery in 2009, the mission and vision of Registry research has expanded and now includes study of ovarian, kidney, thyroid and brain tumors and has become a model for other registries to help identify best treatment outcomes.
• The founding of a parallel sister registry called the International Ovarian and Testicular Stromal Tumor Registry. The greater understanding of this spectrum of tumors has led to the creation and refinement of surveillance guidelines facilitating detection of these tumors in their earliest form. The lives of children and adults here in Minnesota and around the world have been saved by early detection made possible by these pivotal discoveries!
• The development of an international prospective clinical trial at Children's Minnesota to translate findings from the lab into clinical care. The goal is to translate new discoveries into less toxic and more effective therapies for childhood and adult cancers. 
• The development at Children's Minnesota of a nationally-recognized model of rehabilitation for childhood cancer patients. This evidence-based model is being taught to cancer centers both nationally and internationally by recognized experts Lynn Tanner PT, PhD and Laura Gilchrist PT, PhD - both based in Minnesota.
• The founding of a measure of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy used in clinical trials both nationally and internationally to reduce the long-term consequences of cancer treatment.
• The establishment of the Pine Tree Apple Tennis Classic Endowed Chair in Cancer and Blood Disorders Research at Children’s Minnesota and the appointment of Dr. Kris Ann Schultz as the inaugural holder of the position in 2020, marking only the third endowed chair position established in history at Children’s Minnesota.
• And our latest accomplishment, the establishment of the $1 million Hematology, Oncology Point of Care through Survivorship Research Endowment Fund in 2024 which will support research by nurses and advanced practice practitioners aimed at addressing any stage of a patient’s care journey with a focus on the unique long-term physical, mental and social challenges patients can face months or years after completing cancer treatment.