Wipe Out Kids' Cancer hosted their annual Guild Kickoff Party at the home of Pat and Pete Schenkel. The Guild provides financial and volunteer support to Wipe Out Kids' Cancer and its mission to bring comfort, hope, and support to kids with cancer and their families, while relentlessly pursuing a cure through research funding.
The party began with an inspirational address from WOKC founder Cindy Brinker Simmons, comments by WOKC CEO Kris Cumnock, and an overview of planned events by Guild co-chairs Connie Yates and Lori Waggoner.
"It is our privilege to work with such a passionately committed group of women to actively support our heroic children and families,” said Yates. The Guild will be instrumental in spreading the word about Jersey Mike's Subs "Day of Giving" in March. On Wednesday, March 29th, Jersey Mike's locations in DFW will donate 100% of sales to Wipe Out Kids’ Cancer.
After a resounding round of applause, guests were also reminded that membership in the Guild is open to the community and encouraged those who were not already members to join now and bring in their friends to be a part of this dynamic group. The future is certainly bright!
To learn more about Wipe Out Kids’ Cancer and how you can become involved, visit the website at www.wokc.org. Facebook @WipeOutKidsCancer and Instagram @wokc
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NEWS FLASH! Remember to visit your local DFW Jersey Mike's Subs location on Wednesday, March 29 when 100% of sales benefit WOKC.
Wipe Out Kids’ Cancer sponsors these programs:
* The Buddy Bag Program: Every 30-minutes a parent is told, "Your child has cancer." Those are devastating words to hear and at that moment, the entire family's world is turned upside down. Typically, as soon as the diagnosis is given, the parent(s) and child are sent directly to the hospital in order to begin treatment. There is no time to return home to pack a bag, so there you are - in a hospital room with a pediatric cancer diagnosis, and not much else. That changes the moment a Child Life Specialist rolls a WOKC Buddy Bag into the room. The canvas, rolling duffle bag is strategically filled with hygienic, comfort, and entertainment items designed to ease the transition from home to hospital.
* The Warrior Family Program involves numerous fun events throughout each year, including professional and semi-professional sporting events, picnics, fishing tournaments, holiday parties, a summer camp in Maine, and more. Because a pediatric cancer diagnosis affects the entire family, WOKC invites the entire family to take part in each activity. Possibly the most impactful aspect of the Warrior events is the ability for parents whose children are undergoing a similar battle to share information and emotional support.
* The Research Grants Program: Wipe Out Kids’ Cancer focuses on funding novel pediatric cancer innovations that may represent advancements in treatment outcomes, which includes:
>Earlier detection
>Prevention of harmful side effects
>Greater diagnostic accuracy
>Less invasive treatments
Our renowned Science and Medical Research committee carefully select innovative research studies that might not initially receive traditional funding, but these innovations are critical and keeping scientists working toward advancements in medicine and treatments is essential to the mission we serve. WOKC has significantly impacted the pediatric cancer space by funding over $8 million in research. This seed money has yielded more than $22 million in additional grant money for further research and discoveries. Since we began in 1980, WOKC has funded a wide range of national cancer research projects in almost every pediatric cancer category, as well as critical programs in support of cancer care for children.
About Wipe Out Kids’ Cancer (WOKC):
Wipe Out Kids' Cancer (WOKC) is a Dallas-based nonprofit organization founded in 1980 by Cindy Brinker Simmons in memory of her mother, the late tennis champion Maureen "Little Mo" Connolly Brinker, who died of cancer at age 34. WOKC recognizes the suffering associated with any childhood disease and our focus is on the one that claims more children's lives than any other...cancer.
Our three primary initiatives focus on making the pediatric cancer journey better for the entire family, while constantly searching for improved treatments, positive outcomes, and one day, that elusive cure.
The mission of Wipe Out Kids' Cancer is to bring comfort, hope, and support to kids with cancer and their families, while relentlessly pursuing a cure through research funding.
Additionally, WOKC has provided hope to children diagnosed with cancer and their families through multiple social engagement programs ..."medicine for the soul" as parents have described. WOKC has funded $7 million in seed money for its novel research projects, which have received $22 million in additional grant money over these past 40
years.
CHILDHOOD CANCER REALITIES: Reported by the National Institutes of Health
* Cancer is the #1 disease killer of children in the US
*45 children are diagnosed each day with cancer (1 every 30 minutes) in the U.S. 1 out of 8 children will not survive
* Nearly 60% of those who survive will have long-lasting chronic health conditions as adults
* More children die from cancer than AIDS, muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis, and asthma combined.
* Less than 4% of the federal cancer research budget is dedicated to childhood cancer.
* Childhood cancer research has led, and continues to lead, to successful treatments for adults
Photos by Rob Wythe/Wythe Portrait Studio