Wipe Out Kids’ Cancer (WOKC) has just completed their “When I Grow Up” Warrior Portrait Exhibit at NorthPark Center which can be viewed through Sunday, November 21, 2022, on Level One between Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom stores.
        
Chaired by Karee Sampson, WOKC board member and co-chaired by Cindy Brinker Simmons, WOKC founder, the exhibit is a curated collection of portraits and stories of brave young pediatric cancer patients (called Warriors) dressed as what they dream of being when they grow up.
        
Karee said, “The genesis of this project was to encourage the hopes and dreams of these courageous young cancer patients by seeing themselves as they want to be when they grow up.  Curating their costumes and seeing the hope and joy in their innocent faces as they dressed for their future and posed for the camera has been a privilege.  This exhibit symbolizes the hope Wipe Out Kids' Cancer has provided to these inspiring Warriors and their families for over 40 years. We are especially grateful to the team at NorthPark Center for their support and generosity helping us raise awareness about children with cancer and their hope for the future.  NorthPark Center's ongoing dedication and unwavering support of so many worthy charitable endeavors all year in an effort to highlight the philanthropic needs in our community is unrivaled.  We are also thankful to Marc Robins for his donation of photography services.  Each child will have their portrait to hang on their bedroom wall to continually inspire their dreams."         
        
WOKC CEO, Aashik Khakoo said, “WOKC realizes that cancer affects more than just the child who received a cancer diagnosis and provides various programs to support the entire family unit. At Wipe Out Kids' Cancer, we are dedicated to supporting pediatric cancer patients and their families in three ways: our core Buddy Bag and Warrior Family Programs and critical novel research."
        
Every year hundreds of families in the DFW area receive the devastating words, "Your child has cancer." Spanning four decades, WOKC has significantly impacted innovative, cutting-edge novel pediatric cancer research and has achieved excellent outcomes battling pediatric cancer and increasing survival rates.
        
Cindy said, “It has been a joy and privilege for Wipe Out Kids' cancer to serve brave and resilient young heroes and their families over the past four decades. WOKC has achieved excellent results in battling pediatric cancer and increasing survival rates. But there is still more pressing work and critical research needed for discoveries. We thank the community for their support as we boldly continue to conquer this dreadful disease. Onward we go!"

Wipe Out Kids' Cancer's mission is to work relentlessly for a day when cancer is no longer a threat to any child.  Visit the website at www.wokc.org to learn more about how the community can become involved and for more information about the nonprofit.  

Photos by Marc Robins.