FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Foundation for Children with Cancer hosts Alternative Spring Break
ST. LOUIS, (March 9, 2011) – Instead of partying on the beaches in Florida, 20 college students from the University of Michigan and the University of Vermont will spend their spring breaks repairing homes and visiting children suffering from cancer. In conjunction with the Foundation for Children with Cancer (FCC) and Cardinal Glennon Hospital, students will be paired with one of five families who can desperately use their help tending to much needed home repairs. Children diagnosed with cancer frequently undergo lengthy, protracted hospital stays and treatments requiring a parent to stay at their bedside. Amid this turmoil, one parent often cuts back work hours or quits his or her job entirely, expenses skyrocket, and normal repairs like fixing broken stairs and painting rooms get ignored. Enter the Alternative Spring Break (ASB) program.
Started over 18 years ago at the University of Vermont, the ASB has sent groups of college students across the country on week-long, substance-free volunteer trips as an alternative to typical spring break vacations. FCC is proud to sponsor these students who, in addition to performing home repairs will visit children in the hospital and learn more about the impact childhood cancer has on an entire family.
This week, the ASB students have been working on renovating the basement for a family in O’Fallon, MO. Although a lot of their time has been spent painting and dry-walling, the most valuable experience has been time spent getting to know the family they have been working with, learning not only of their financial hardship but also of their tremendous strength and optimism.
Last week, students from the University of Michigan also worked with a family from O’Fallon, taking advantage of the good weather to accomplish some outdoor tasks. The student volunteers painted the family’s front porch, built a fence, and constructed a paved walkway in the backyard—tasks which would have been hard to accomplish without the help of FCC and student volunteers.
Every year, 12,400 children and teens are newly diagnosed with cancer, and one in four die. The mission of Foundation for Children with Cancer is to provide financial assistance for the families of children with pediatric cancer. By providing tangible and direct financial support, such as mortgage payments, insurance premiums and utility bills, families are given a greater opportunity to focus on their child’s treatment and recovery.
FCC President and CEO, Renee Verhoff, worked closely with Kim Selig, a social worker with Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital to identify the recipient families and coordinate the upcoming efforts. Local, family-owned construction companies, Kuhn Construction and Roser Construction, have generously offered to supervise the work force of 20 (18 of whom are female) as they make much needed repairs to the homes of these deserving families. In addition to pounding nails and rolling paint, volunteers will spend time with these heroic, inspirational kids in the Costas Center of Cardinal Glennon Hospital to learn more about their day to day struggles and triumphs.
During their week-long tenure, the UVM students are being hosted by both the Alphi Phi Omega students of St. Louis University and the Sisters at the Loretto Convent and are here from March7th-12th. The women from University of Michigan were here from February 28th through March 5th and stayed at Epiphany United Church of Christ.
For more information on the Foundation for Children with Cancer, please visit: childrenwithcancer.org or call 314-843-9300. For more information on Alternative Spring Break, please visit: www.uvm.edu/~uvmasb/. For more information on service programs offered through the University of Michigan please visit: http://ginsberg.umich.edu/serve/asb/all-about-asb.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
St. Louis Children’s Hospital and FCC WELCOME
“GO THE DISTANCE, 2010″ CROSS-COUNTRY CYCLISTS
St. Louis – At 9:30 am on Monday June 21st, Team Will, a group of cyclists riding cross-country to raise funds and awareness for childhood cancer, in conjunction with St. Louis Children’s Hospital and Foundation for Children with Cancer, will be visiting their heroes, children suffering from cancer, on their nationwide goodwill tour. Acting as a travelling billboard, 3 teams of riders (15 cyclists), and 6 drivers will travel 3,600 miles in 10 days. “Go The Distance, 2010″ starts in San Francisco, June 15th and ends in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on June 24th.
Riders, greeted by a hospital representative, will visit the kids and recognize them as their heroes. Ken Scarberry, spokesman for Team Will and one of the riders on Team 1, says their “goal is to make the kids smile, thank the parents, and, just for a period of time, take away from the fact of why they may be there.” They also to want to “let them know we’v0e travelled from California, and we’re doing this ride for them.” The kids will have an opportunity to visit with the riders, sign their jerseys, and receive a hero kit. The riders act as goodwill ambassadors and as partners with FCC to share information with hospital staff on what FCC is doing.
Foundation for Children with Cancer is a national non-profit organization whose mission is to provide financial assistance for the family of children with pediatric cancer. By providing tangible and direct financial support, such as mortgage payments, insurance premiums and utility bills, families are given a greater opportunity to focus on their child’s treatment and recovery. Founded in 1998 it has provided over $1,000,000 in financial support to families of children suffering with cancer.
Team Will is a community of cyclists of all skill levels and ages committed to raising public awareness and funds for childhood cancer research and family resources through a mixture of cycling activities and events. In 2006 Team Will raised over $120,000 with their “Ride to Reach the Day”.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Renee L. Verhoff, President and CEO
Foundation for Children with Cancer
11327 Gravois Road, Ste. 202, St. Louis, MO 63126
Phone: 314-843-9300 Fax: 314-843-9362
www.childrenwithcancer.org
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Murder at the Deadwood Saloon
St. Louis, MO – Monday November 2, 2009- It’s time to fasten your belt buckle, slip on your cowboy boots and gallop over to the Deadwood Saloon. At 6:30 p.m. on Friday, November 13, test your luck at poker in the Tenderloin Room at the Chase Park Plaza. But be careful, a murderer is in the room.
The Foundation for Children with Cancer is a non-profit organization holding its 3rd Annual Murder Mystery Event to help benefit families of pediatric cancer patients. For only $55 (or $100 for a couple), you can help a family pay everyday bills as you eat, drink and solve a crime. The Foundation has already provided over $1,000,000 for families. With your help, it can provide much, much more.
The Grand Prize for the Super Sleuth is a Nintendo Wii from Best Buy in Crestwood. Other sponsors include:
Presenting: Best Buy
Four of a Kind: Major Brands
Four of a Kind: Carey and Danis, LLC
Full House: Laura and David Busch
Two Pair: The Tenderloin Room
Two Pair: Trio Printing
Try to keep your best poker face as you move through this tournament among the bankers, saloon girls, sheriffs, gamblers and locals. Keep a watchful eye. The murderer could be right next to you. For more information, log on to www.childrenwithcancer.org.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Renee L. Verhoff President and CEO
11327 Gravois Road, Suite 202, St. Louis, MO 63126
314-843-9300 PHONE
314-843-9362 FAX
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tour of Missouri and Foundation for Children with Cancer Team up for Childhood Cancer Awareness
ST. LOUIS – September 2, 2009. As the 2009 Tour of Missouri winds its way through the state, on the sixth day of the race, Saturday, September 12, professional cyclists will team up to raise awareness and funds for children with cancer on their journey from Chillicothe to St. Joseph.
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and through an affiliation with the Foundation for Children with Cancer (www.childrenwithcancer.org), a select number of riders competing in the Tour of Missouri will pedal 110.3 miles in honor of children with cancer. On Saturday, September 12, three children will share stories of their battles with cancer and represent the rest of the Missouri pediatric cancer patients. While the 612 mile seven-day journey may seem long and trying, a child’s fight for cancer is even more arduous.
The Foundation for Children with Cancer is a non-profit organization that strives to assist families when they need it most. While trying to provide for medical treatment, many families often need assistance with everyday bills. Since its inception in 1998, FCC has provided over $1,000,000 to families for mortgage payments, insurance premiums and utility bills. If you would like to aid children and their families through their battles with cancer, please donate. At www.childrenwithcancer.org, you can show your support and help struggling families focus on what is really important: the children. The recommended donation levels are $0.50, $1.00, $5.00 and $10.00 per mile of the 110.3 mile journey. Upon receipt of your donation, we will send you our own token of appreciation.
The Tour of Missouri is an elite professional cycling race taking place September 7-13, 2009. For the first time the Tour will route East to West, beginning in St. Louis on Monday, September 7 and finishing in Kansas City on Sunday, September 13. The third annual tour has attracted the top teams in the cycling world, including Astana, BMC Racing, Cervelo Test Team, Columbia-HTC, Garmin-Slipstream, Saxo Bank, and others. The top nine overall finishers at the 2009 Tour de France represent teams that will compete in the Tour of Missouri. For more information visit www.tourofmissouri.com.
Contact:
Reneé L. Verhoff
Chief Executive Officer
314-843-9300
renee@childrenwithcancer.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Teeing Up to Help Families of Children with Cancer
ST. LOUIS – March 16, 2009 – The Foundation for Children with Cancer (FCC) and the 1904World’s Fair Charitable Foundation will hold its 2009 Golf Classic on Tuesday, May 12 at the Dogwood and Redbud Courses in Forest Park. Proceeds from the event benefit the families of children and teenagers with cancer.
Check in begins at 10:30 a.m.; lunch will be served at 11 a.m. The shotgun start takes place at noon, and the tournament is followed by a cocktail reception from 5 to 7:30 p.m. and a live and silent auction.
The registration deadline for the tournament is April 15. Individuals interesting in participating can register online at www.childrenwithcancer,org, by phone at 314-843-9300 or by mail, with the completed form sent to: Foundation for Children with Cancer, 11327 Gravois Road, Suite 202, St, Louis, MO 63126.
Businesses and individuals can take advantage of numerous sponsorships that help generate publicity – and enable them to contribute to a great cause. The sponsorships range in price from a $10,000 platinum sponsorship for three foursomes to a $250 hole sponsorship.
Nationwide, more than 12,000 children – newborn to 18 – will be diagnosed with cancer this year. Approximately one in four will not survive. The physical and emotional toll on these children and their families is enormous. And their situation is exacerbated by financial worries. Many families simply cannot afford the high price of cancer care – and the number of families without health insurance or who are underinsured keeps growing, especially during the current economic crisis.
FCC’s mission is to provide direct financial assistance for basic household expenses such as mortgage and car payments, insurance premiums, and utility bills to families of children with pediatric cancer. This support helps reduce monetary worries and enables families to focus on the child’s treatment and recovery.
Cancer is hard. Giving is easy.
Contact:
Reneé L. Verhoff
Chief Executive Officer
314-843-9300
renee@childrenwithcancer.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ThurtenE Carnival Selects Foundation for Children with Cancer as 2009 Beneficiary
ST. LOUIS – March 23, 2009 – The Foundation for Children with Cancer (FCC) has been selected as the partner charity for the ThurtenE 2009 Carnival, an event planned and managed by students from Washington University in St. Louis. The carnival will take place from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. April 18-19 on the grass median in front of the Brookings Hall towers on the university’s Danforth Campus. More than 100,000 people are expected to attend.
Each year, the university’s ThurtenE Junior Honorary chooses a St. Louis area children’s charity as its partner. ThurtenE Honorary students and other Washington University community members volunteer with the charity. The charity also receives a donation from the ThurtenE Honorary and other organizations at the conclusion of the carnival.
“We liked how eager FCC was to get involved with the carnival, and we felt the added publicity from partnering with ThurtenE could help FCC in its work with such an often-overlooked issue in our society,” said Andrew Weisberg, public relations co-chair.
“We really enjoyed the enthusiasm and spirit of the FCC staff,” added public relations Co-chair Tessa Braun.
“We are incredibly honored to have been selected and to partner with students who are dedicated to giving back to their community,” said Reneé Verhoff, FCC’s president and chief executive officer. “All the ThurtenE activities will bring greater visibility to our organization and to the children and families we serve. And I am sure they will be a lot of fun.”
The ThurtenE Carnival is the oldest and largest student-run carnival in the United States. This year, 21 different student organizations will carry out the carnival’s theme of “Timeless Traditions, Endless Adventures.” Wonderwall.com, a subsidiary of MSN.com, is the carnival’s main sponsor for 2009.
A major event leading up to the Carnival is the Road Race, a 5-K/1-K Run/Walk that will begin at 8:30 a.m. March 29 at Francis Field, Washington University’s athletic field. A Guitar Hero® contest will be held on the carnival’s main event stage on April 18 from 1:45 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Nationwide, more than 12,000 children – newborn to 18 – will be diagnosed with cancer this year. Approximately one in four will not survive. The physical and emotional toll on these children and their families is enormous. And their situation is exacerbated by financial worries. Many families cannot afford the high price of cancer care – and the number of families without health insurance or who are underinsured keeps growing, especially during the current economic crisis.
FCC’s mission is to provide direct financial assistance for basic household expenses such as mortgage and car payments, insurance premiums, and utility bills to families of children with pediatric cancer. This support helps reduce monetary worries and enables families to focus on their child’s treatment and recovery.
Cancer is hard. Giving is easy.
Reneé L. Verhoff
Chief Executive Officer
314-843-9300
renee@childrenwithcancer.org