First Coast News said Tuesday that anchor Donna Deegan will leave Aug. 31 after almost 30 years of broadcast journalism to lead her philanthropic organizations.
Deegan spent 24 years anchoring First Coast News at WTLV/WJXX-TV. She anchors the 5:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts.
She is the founder and president of The Donna Foundation, which began in June 2003 offering financial assistance to breast cancer patients.
A three-time breast cancer survivor, Deegan was first diagnosed in 1999 at the age of 38. She formed her foundation after hearing from women with the disease who couldn’t make ends meet.
To date, more than 5,000 women have been assisted by The Donna Foundation, according to First Coast News.
In 2008, Deegan, in partnership with the Mayo Clinic and breast cancer researcher Dr. Edith Perez, launched the first marathon to raise funds exclusively for breast cancer research and care.
The 26.2 With Donna The National Marathon to Finish Breast Cancer has raised more than $3 million for research and for the underserved.
“Journalism will always be a passion and a part of my life. As a cancer survivor, expanding this mission has been tugging at my heart for some time,” Deegan said in a statement.