February 12 - Bald is Beautiful!

St. Patrick's Day is just over a month away so I wanted to give a little advance notice to those of you who would like to get involved and make a difference in the fight against childhood cancer.  Are you brave enough?!


On March 17, 2000, reinsurance executives Tim Kenny, John Bender and Enda McDonnell turned their industry’s St. Patrick’s Day party into a benefit for kids with cancer. The three planned to raise “$17,000 on the 17th,” recruiting 17 colleagues to raise $1,000 each to be shorn. Instead, the first St. Baldrick’s event raised over $104,000!




At a St. Baldrick’s event, something amazing happens. People who normally shy away from the very thought of childhood cancer find themselves compelled to support this cause after looking into the face of these brave children who are beaming as their friends and family members proudly display their newly shorn heads. Volunteers and donors see it can be fun to support a serious cause. Young cancer patients and survivors see how many people care. And researchers see St. Baldrick’s funds helping to find cures!


The event had a life of its own and quickly grew into the world’s largest volunteer-driven fundraising program for childhood cancer research! The Foundation now funds more in childhood cancer research grants than any organization except the U.S. government. Since 2000, events have taken place in 24 countries and 50 US states, raising over $74 million. More than 130,000 volunteers– including over 10,000 women– have shaved their heads in solidarity of children with cancer, while requesting donations of support from friends and family – each one becoming a walking billboard for the cause!

Get Involved:

Go ahead – throw vanity out the window. We dare you to experience the brilliance of being bald while raising funds for life-saving research. Your fundraising efforts will raise much-needed research support and your bald head will be a display of solidarity with kids who have cancer – most of whom don’t get to choose how to style their hair today. Give them the best chance for a cure!

 How does it work? First, register online, upload a photo of yourself with hair and share why you’ve chosen to brave a shave. Next, email family and friends, asking for financial support and while you’re at it, invite them to see you go bald when you go to your local St. Baldrick’s event and face the clippers. It’s easy!



Check out their website for the other ways you can help & read the stories of the children who are battling cancer.  It is very inspirational! 


Click here to find a St. Baldrick's event near you.

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Source:  http://www.stbaldricks.org/

December 20 - 25 Days of Giving

From December 1st through December 25th, 2010 join with The Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer in their “25 Days of Giving” fundraiser.   This holiday season lets Celebrate the GIFT OF LIFE...and GIVE to those who are fighting for theirs.





Help The Austin Hatcher Foundation raise $10,000 in 25 days! Every GIFT makes a difference in the lives of children with cancer and their families.


The Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer was born of unspeakable heartache and grief.  The loss of ONE child birthed a mission to save THOUSANDS of others.  Jim and Amy Jo Osborn lost their beautiful little boy Austin when he was 9 weeks old.  Hatch took his last breath in Jims arms as Amy Jo sat next to them on the floor.


Childhood cancers are the #1 disease killer of children - more than asthma, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, and pediatric AIDS combined.  One in every 330 children will develop cancer by the age of 20. On the average, 12,500 children and adolescents in the U.S. are diagnosed with cancer each year.  On the average, 1 in every 4 elementary schools has a child with cancer. The average high school has two students who are a current or former cancer patient. In the U.S., about 46 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer every weekday.


While the cancer death rate has dropped more dramatically for children than for any other age group, 2,300 children and teenagers will die each year from cancer.  Childhood leukemia (making up the largest group of childhood cancers) was once a certain death sentence, but now can be cured almost 80% of the time. Today, up to 75% of the children with cancer can be cured, yet, some forms of childhood cancers have proven so resistant to treatment that, in spite of research, a cure is illusive. Several childhood cancers continue to have a very poor prognosis, including: brain stem tumors, metastatic sarcomas, relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and relapsed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

We celebrate. We champion.

We hope. We love.

Our Mission.  Our mission is to support research towards the diagnoses, treatment and development of a cure for pediatric cancer and to provide support and hope to children and families undergoing treatment as well as to those who have lost children due to cancer.

Who we are.  A foundation created for the profit of common good by parents who know the long reach of pediatric cancer. Born from loss, Austin Hatcher Foundation passionately values the sparkle of infant life and moves towards

What we do.  We champion bold research, new treatments, and the vision for a cure. We join families in their struggle by providing tangible support.

How we move.  Austin Hatcher links its corporate partners and financial network with pioneers in medicine and providers of family care.

Why we’re here.  To help families overcome childhood cancer by financing research and treatment developments, awareness programs, diversionary therapies, and the many unforeseeable costs a family often endures.

What we hope.  That out of the loss of one, thousands will be served and saved.

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Source:  http://www.hatcherfoundation.org/

September 30 (Day 213) Finding Cures. Saving Children.

What a great way to end Childhood Cancer Awareness Month! Celebrating and highlighting the work of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, located in Memphis, Tennessee, is one of the world’s premier pediatric cancer research centers. Its mission is to find cures for children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases through research and treatment.  St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital opened on February 4, 1962 and was founded by the late entertainer Danny Thomas. Its mission is to find cures for children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. St. Jude has treated children from all 50 states and from around the world.

The mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is to advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. Consistent with the vision of our founder Danny Thomas, no child is denied treatment based on race, religion or a family's ability to pay. St. Jude is the only pediatric cancer research center where families never pay for treatment not covered by insurance.

Our vision is to be the world leader in advancing the treatment and prevention of catastrophic diseases in children. Through these efforts we seek to cure and enhance the quality of life for an increasing proportion of children who come to us for treatment, and by expanding and sharing knowledge, to advance treatment of children with catastrophic diseases worldwide, while developing strategies to prevent catastrophic diseases in children.

In 1962, the survival rate for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common form of childhood cancer, was 4 percent. Today, the survival rate for this once deadly disease is 94 percent, thanks to research and treatment protocols developed at St. Jude.


The daily operating cost for St. Jude is nearly $1.5 million, which is primarily covered by public contributions.
Won't you consider making a difference in the lives of young cancer warriors! 


Get Involved:

Donate to St. Jude Children's Hospital.

Shop at the St. Jude online store.

Volunteer at a St. Jude regional office in your area.

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Source:  http://www.stjude.org/

September 27 (Day 210) Kids Kicking Cancer

September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

Kids Kicking Cancer (KKC) was founded by Rabbi/Professor Elimelech Goldberg, who is both a black belt in the martial arts and a father who lost his first child to cancer in 1983. He is also a Clinical Asst. Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Wayne State University Medical School. Rabbi G (as he is fondly called by his students) created the Kids Kicking Cancer program after serving for 12 years as the Director of a New York based summer camp for children with cancer. His experience in the martial arts, as a spiritual leader and as a parent who can identify with other parents facing serious disease, has provided him with remarkable insight into issues facing children and families with a diagnosis of cancer.


Children with cancer typically feel a tremendous loss of autonomy, control and personal identity. They are required to endure treatments that cause them to feel sick in order to heal. They are confronted with multiple fears, including mortality, hair loss, falling behind academically and socially, as well as many other issues that affect how they view their bodies, their lives and their destinies. Rather than allowing children to view themselves as victims of disease, KKC trains pediatric cancer patients to see themselves as capable and important participants in their own healing. The impact of this change in perception on the psychological and emotional outlook of the children is dramatic.


By focusing its program around the healing themes of martial arts training, KKC not only strengthens children physically, but also teaches them to tap into the inner light of their spiritual self – a focus that generates incredible power, energy and internal strength. The inner spirit or soul of each child is viewed as the defining element of the child, rather than the body or the tumor that has invaded the child’s body.  Instead of emphasizing all the things that pediatric cancer patients cannot do, KKC focuses on all the things they can do. The goal of KKC is to help children with serious disease to heal, while empowering them physically, spiritually and emotionally.

Kids Kicking Cancer is a non-profit 501© 3 organization that provides weekly classes for children, both inpatient and outpatient, in the mind-body techniques found in the martial arts.  We emphasize relaxation and mental imagery, and skill each student according to his or her capabilities to engage in breathing, meditation, and active karate exercises. We also instruct the parents, siblings and the medical personnel in these methods. Our instructors are invited to accompany their students and further assist them in the hospital rooms and clinics as they undergo painful procedures such as spinal taps and bone marrow aspirations. Our mantra: “Pain is a message one does not have to accept.”


 
Get Involved:
 
Donate to Kids Kicking Cancer.

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Source:  Kids Kicking Cancer.

June 1 (Day 93) When life hands you lemons....

MAKE  LEMONADE ! 

Nothing tastes better on a hot summer day than a nice tall glass of icey cold lemonade !

Help Put the Squeeze on Childhood Cancer

 

 

Stir up some fun as you raise money to help find a cure for pediatric cancer by taking part in our 7th Annual Lemonade Days, on the weekend of June 11, 12, and 13, 2010. Host an Alex's Lemonade Stand fundraising event along with more than 10,000 volunteers across the country. Our Lemonade Days goal this year? $1 million raised for childhood cancer research… And YOU can help us get there!

 

To take part in our Lemonade Days, hold your Alex's Lemonade Stand fundraising event anytime during this year’s three designated days—June 11, 12, and 13. You can set up in your front yard, at your school, at your workplace, church, temple, community center or anywhere you like!

 

Find out all you need to know, register to participate, and download materials right here to make your Lemonade Days Fundraiser a success.

 

Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) shares the vision of our founder and creator, Alexandra “Alex” Scott—a cure for all children with cancer. 

 

When Alex, who was diagnosed with childhood cancer just before her first birthday, was four, she told her parents she wanted to set up a front-yard lemonade stand. Her plan: to give the money to doctors to help them find a cure. Her first “Alex’s Lemonade Stand” raised an astonishing $2,000 in one day. While bravely fighting her own cancer, Alex continued to set up lemonade stands every year. As news spread of the remarkable girl so dedicated to helping other sick children, people everywhere were inspired to start their own lemonade stands—donating the proceeds to her cause.

 

In 2004 when Alex passed away at the age of eight—her stand and inspiration had raised over $1 million towards finding a cure for the disease that took her life. Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation was started by her parents in 2005 to continue the work that Alex began. Our mission is simple: to raise money for and awareness of childhood cancer causes—especially research into new treatments and cures—and to encourage and educate others, especially children, to get involved and make a difference for children with cancer.

 

Since Alex set up her first lemonade stand in 2000—truly exemplifying the saying “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade”—we have raised more than $30 million, with more than $12 million of those dollars coming from lemonade stands. That money has helped to: 


• fund more than 125 cutting-edge research projects

• create a travel program to help support families of children receiving treatment

• develop resources to help people everywhere touched by childhood cancer

 

Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation is the living embodiment of Alex’s spirit of determination and hope. Like Alex, we believe that every person can make a difference. Together, we can bring about a cure. Please join us in “making lemonade” today!


Donate to Alex's Lemonade Stand.  -For Mobile Donations, text Lemonade to 85944.
Click here to find a Lemonade Stand / Fundraiser in your area.



Alex's Lemonade Stand on Facebook.
Read / Subscribe to the Lemonade Blog.



Source:  Alex's Lemonade Stand

 

 

 

April 15 (Day 46) - Turning frowns upside down..

Bandages for Rosie is another wonderful charity started by a child!  Boy, there are some awesome kids out there and Kayla Hooker is among the most awesome!  Here is her story;

Rosalee "Rosie" Hooker was a beautiful child who lost her battle with brain cancer August 4, 2009.  Her angelic blonde curls mixed with her feisty personality, touched the hearts of many people at home and around the world. As her illness progressed, she lost her curls, but never her fighting spirit..

When she died at age four, her grieving 7 year old sister Kayla wanted to take on a project that would honor Rosie, and help the many children who were patients at Helen Devos Children's hospital in Grand Rapids Michigan.

One of the few things her sister loved about being in the hospital were special bandages that the nurses would allow her to choose whenever she was "poked." Sometimes they'd bring one for her doll as well. These bandages featured cartoon characters, sparkles and other fun designs, and were purchased by the nurses. (Typically hospitals only use the standard brown type unless otherwise donated.)

Kayla determined to try to gather 1,000 boxes of bandages to donate to the hospital within a month. With the help of family, friends, local businesses and the local community, Kayla had exceeded and more than tripled her goal in six weeks. Now the community is continuing to collect to help other hospitals. A few bandage companies also heard about the bandage drive and mailed bandages to Kaylas house. Some of the businesses that had a late start with collections asked to keep the drive going an additional month. Any bandages received that month would start to be distributed to other area hospitals.

Our goal is to encourage anyone hearing about this wonderful story to honor someone you love by starting a Bandages for Rosie drive in your community and local hospital. This is a wonderful lesson in philanthropy and giving that is easily accomplished by individuals, schools, organizations... everyone can help.

Bandages can be purchased anywhere from $1.00 to $5..00 a box, with the average bandage at about 2.00 a box. Very special and unique bandages typically range 3.00 to 5.00 a box. Bandages are lightweight, easy to store, and extremely economical to purchase, so everyone can be involved in giving.  Click here to help purchase Bandages.  You can also visit the Bandages for Rosie Facebook page.

If you would like to help out this awesome charity, please do what you can. They currently need 900 boxes of children's bandages to meet their goal for St. Judes. They are happy to take bandages or cash / credit card donations to purchase at a discount via the paypal link at bandagesforrosie.com.   Kayla is also hoping to inspire others to hold similar drives to benefit hospitals in their communities - think about it... is this something you can do?  Turning frowns upside down.... one happy bandage at a time! 

Kayla, you inspire all of us!! 

Source:  Bandages for Rosie

March 17 (Day 17) A Close Shave !

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY !!

On March 17, 2000, reinsurance executives Tim Kenny, John Bender and Enda McDonnell turned their industry's St. Patrick's Day party into a benefit for kids with cancer. The three planned to raise "$17,000 on the 17th," recruiting 17 colleagues to raise $1,000 each to be shorn. Instead, the first St. Baldrick's event raised over $104,000!


The event had a life of its own and quickly grew into the world’s largest volunteer-driven fundraising program for childhood cancer research! The Foundation now funds more in childhood cancer research grants than any organization except the U.S. government. Since 2000, events have taken place in 24 countries and 50 US states, raising over $74 million. More than 130,000 volunteers-- including over 10,000 women-- have shaved their heads in solidarity of children with cancer, while requesting donations of support from friends and family – each one becoming a walking billboard for the cause!



At a St. Baldrick's event, something amazing happens. People who normally shy away from the very thought of childhood cancer find themselves compelled to support this cause after looking into the face of these brave children who are beaming as their friends and family members proudly display their newly shorn heads. Volunteers and donors see it can be fun to support a serious cause. Young cancer patients and survivors see how many people care. And researchers see St. Baldrick's funds helping to find cures!


Get Involved:


Go ahead – throw vanity out the window. We dare you to experience the brilliance of being bald while raising funds for life-saving research. Your fundraising efforts will raise much-needed research support and your bald head will be a display of solidarity with kids who have cancer – most of whom don't get to choose how to style their hair today. Give them the best chance for a cure!


How does it work? First, register online, upload a photo of yourself with hair and share why you've chosen to brave a shave. Next, email family and friends, asking for financial support and while you're at it, invite them to see you go bald when you go to your local St. Baldrick's event and face the clippers. It's easy!


Check out their website for the other ways you can help & read the stories of the children who are battling cancer.  It is very inspirational! 


Source:  St. Baldricks
Related Link:  www.stbaldricks.org