I can’t believe it is already that time of year! Again, I am going to have my head shaved in solidarity with the kids who have lost their hair due to childhood cancer and the treatments that must be endured. Incredibly, this is my 12th year participating!

My honoree is Benjamin, “The Bean,” who died at 17 after being diagnosed with neurooblastoma at 2.5 years old. He suffered six relapses before he succumbed to this unrelenting demon.

For an intimate outpouring of raw emotion, here is his mother’s blog:

https://strongerthanilook.com/

Here’s a few numbers to ponder:

— Every 2 minutes a child is diagnosed with cancer. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

— In the U.S., 1 in 5 KIDS diagnosed with cancer will not survive.

— More than 99% of the survivors will have chronic health problems, and 96% will have severe or life-threatening conditions.

— $250 supports about 5 hours of lab research leading to lifesaving discoveries.

— $500 funds about 20 hours of research to improve patient and survivor quality of life.

— $1000 helps support one child in a clinical trial, which is often their best hope for a cure.

Research is hope for kids with cancer, but donations to find cures have been down since 2020.

Your gift will give kids hope, supporting the best research across the country, through the largest charitable funder of childhood cancer research grants.

Cancer kills more of our kids than any other disease. I don’t want to let these kids down. Can you help? Thank you!