Meet Zander, an acute lymphoblastic leukemia warrior.

In May 2022, Zander exhibited swollen lymph nodes and petechiae, small pinpoint round spots that appear on the skin as a result of bleeding. “We knew something was wrong and he was off,” said his mother, Melissa. After weeks of trying to get a diagnosis, his parents drove him out of town and he was diagnosed with leukemia almost immediately. 

“He is three years old and probably the best patient. He is a pro at getting assessed and poked.” Zander is currently in the delayed intensification phase of his treatment and endures chemotherapy and getting poked for CBC’s. 

Zander is currently in remission and his mom said she is, “so proud of my warrior.” 

Event will be hosted in November at Boston Harbor Hotel in partnership with
the American Childhood Cancer Organization

BOSTON, Mass. – April 3, 2023 – In conjunction with the American Childhood Cancer Organization (ACCO), Liz Adams, Boston-based VP of Marketing & Events at The Beyond Collection, will be hosting a GO GOLD® Gala benefit to support funding for childhood cancer research. This is a personal cause for the executive, as the gala is being held in honor of her daughter Lily, a six-year-old B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia warrior. The gold ribbon is the universal symbol representing childhood cancer, and the event will be held on Saturday, November 18, 2023, at the Boston Harbor Hotel.

“When my daughter was diagnosed at just five years old with leukemia, I was devastated and immediately started searching for answers,” shared Liz. “Unfortunately, the response I was getting from doctors was that this was just bad luck. I can’t accept that and know that I need to do my part to support the amazing research efforts and specialized resources provided by ACCO. That was the inspiration for hosting this gala fundraiser, which I hope can be an impactful event for families in similar situations.”

According to studies, Massachusetts has the ninth highest rate of childhood brain and central nervous system tumors in the nation, the ninth highest rate of childhood lymphoma and ranks 11th highest overall in the rate of childhood cancer. In the last five years, ACCO has secured $72.4 million in state-based appropriations for childhood cancer research, and its goal is to expand the “What About Kids?” State Research initiative across the country, including Massachusetts. ACCO also distributes specialized resources to help children with cancer and their families understand this difficult journey and how to navigate it together.

Sponsorship packages for the benefit event are available starting at the GO GOLD® Friend level of $2,500, which includes five complimentary gala tickets, minor visual recognition on event and ACCO website, ACCO-sponsored emails and social media. The top-level sponsorship package is $40,000 and includes 3 complimentary gala tables (30 tickets), mention in gala press release, as well as onsite presence such as signage and display table, company branded items and premier visual recognition, among other benefits.

Tickets for the gala are $250 per person. All proceeds of the ticket sales as well as any donations and funds from the live auction will go directly towards expanding research for pediatric cancer. To purchase tickets or become a sponsor, visit https://accorg.regfox.com/go-gold-gala.

For more information, contact Ruth Hoffman, CEO of ACCO at rhoffman@acco.org or Liz Adams, Gala Manager at ladams@acco.org.

# # #

About the American Childhood Cancer Organization
The American Childhood Cancer Organization (ACCO) was founded in 1970 by parents of children diagnosed with cancer. ACCO is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots organization dedicated to childhood cancer. ACCO is determined to make childhood cancer a national health priority by shaping policy, expanding research, raising awareness, and providing educational resources and programs to children with cancer, childhood cancer survivors, and their families. For more information, visit acco.org.

Meet Samir, an Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) warrior.

Samir’s journey started with round the clock fevers and little red dots on his face. He was taken to several different hospitals and all thought it was a virus. Several weeks passed and the family finally got the diagnosis on November 5, 2019.  Samir was diagnosed with ALL. “I never expected to have my son fight for his life. It was the most confusing and painful pain in our life” Norma, Samir’s mother, remembers. 

“Samir has been in chemotherapy since day one, with countless blood transfusions, spinal taps and side effects. He had a port placed in his chest and then had it replaced since it was not working properly.” According to his mother, Samir has the best spirit even when near death. Samir suffered many side effects like losing the ability to walk, infections, viruses, fevers and neutropenia. 

Norma said that “Samir has been the bravest boy and is loved by everyone. He enjoys playing nurse and loves caring for others.” 

Learn more about ALL here.

Together, we can make a difference. Donate today, “because kids can’t fight cancer alone!®”

ACCO is so thankful for our event hosts. In this season of giving thanks, we want to highlight just a few of our many generous supporters. This September, ACCO was honored with more than 130 events across the United States. We were delighted to see so many first-time hosts, as well as so many experienced event-runners who had worked with us in the past! 

Last year, we received a donation from Custom Ink on behalf of Rio, an osteosarcoma fighter. Rio’s friend Chloe hosted a shirt fundraiser in his honor. Rio’s friends, family and community purchased shirts and wore them to school on Rio’s treatment days and on any day he might need extra support. This year, Chloe continued the tradition and held another shirt fundraiser. To date, Chloe has raised a little over $3,400 for ACCO in honor of her friend. 

Every year, schools across the country partner with ACCO to raise awareness and funds for our nation’s littlest cancer patients. With each event, students are proving that they can impact their community when they work together. We are so incredibly proud of every school that participated in our programs this year. 

In Texas, Tom Wilson Elementary raised more than $3,400, mostly with small donations of less than $5. We were awestruck to see what an impact they made, and we are proud and thankful for the students and community at Tom Wilson Elementary. 

Brookside Place School has hosted PJammin® events with us before, and we were happy to welcome them back this year. They raised more than $3,700 in memory of their friend Will, a forever osteosarcoma hero.

Germantown, MD brings yet another amazing story of generosity. Sixth grader Vishagan Aranganathan had a special idea for how to celebrate his birthday: he asked friends and family to donate to a gofundme page, in support of children with cancer. He successfully raised $500! 

ACCO is honored and thankful for each of our hosts who work so hard to make their events successful. We look forward to expanding our program throughout the year. If you are interested in hosting a GO GOLD® or PJammin® event, please contact Blair at bscroggs@acco.org. We’d love to work with you! 

The American Childhood Cancer Organization is working to bring more accessible ways to fundraise to our community and has recently started working with CardFunder, a new fundraising platform. CardFunder, allows nonprofits to turn unwanted gift cards into fundraising dollars. Recently, CardFunder launched its online giving platform and Mobile App, which makes fundraising even easier—and donating even more convenient. Donors can give new or partially used gift cards directly through the American Childhood Cancer Organization online campaign page or via Mobile APP powered by CardFunder. 

This free tool allows donors to contribute from anywhere in the U.S., making it a game-changer for nonprofit fundraising. “We’re always looking for a new and innovative way to fundraise for our community,” said Blair Scroggs, Public Relations Coordinator at ACCO. Organizations can easily hold a virtual or hybrid fundraiser that solicits gift card donations from supporters across the nation. 

“We are honored to support ACCO’s mission to be the voice of childhood and adolescent cancer,” said Russ Howard, CEO at CardFunder”. By giving nonprofits an innovative new avenue for fundraising, CardFunder allows them to tap into the billions of unused gift card dollars. Americans have $21 billion in unused gift card funds, averaging $175 per person. Much of that amount will go to waste unless we pursue innovative ways of tapping into those funds. Many people forget to spend their gift card money or didn’t want it to begin with.

Why let these unwanted funds go to waste? With the help of CardFunder, ACCO can set up a fundraiser in minutes. Then, they share their link on their social networks, posting it on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. They also receive a QR code to and URL-sharing link. Donors scan their gift cards and enter the numbers, following a few simple prompts. 

“We’re really excited to see where this collaboration will take us,” said Scroggs. 

Interested in getting involved with ACCO and Cardfunder? Click here. 

About ACCO

The American Childhood Cancer Organization was founded in 1970 by parents of children diagnosed with cancer. It is dedicated to making childhood cancer a national health priority through shaping policy, expanding research, raising awareness, and providing educational resources and innovative comfort programs to children with cancer and their families. Please visit www.acco.org/donate

About CardFunder

CardFunder powers fundraising efforts by enabling organizations to accept unwanted gift cards and monetizing the cards into cash donations. Serving schools, churches, nonprofits, and other groups, CardFunder provides all the tools needed to easily run a gift card campaign. Through these efforts, CardFunder helps local groups and large nonprofits tap into the more than $20B in unspent gift cards.

Contact Info

CardFunder:

Russ Howard

Founder / CEO

russ@cardfunder.com

ACCO:

Blair L. Scroggs

Public Relations Coordinator

bscroggs@acco.org

18 October 2022 – Today, WHO is launching the first global survey to better understand and address the needs of all those affected by cancer. The survey is part of a broader campaign, designed with and intended to amplify the voices of those affected by cancer – survivors, caregivers and the bereaved – as part of WHO’s Framework for Meaningful Engagement of People Living with Noncommunicable diseases (PLWNCDs). This Framework is a commitment to respectfully and meaningfully engage PLWNCDs in co-designing policies, programs, and solutions. The survey results will feed into the design of policies and programs to offer better well-being in the context of a cancer diagnosis and co-create solutions for the future.

Nearly every family globally is affected by cancer, either directly – 1 in 5 people are diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime – or as caregivers or family-members. A cancer diagnosis triggers a broad and profound effect on the health and well-being of all those involved. “For too long, the focus in cancer control has been on clinical care and not on the broader needs of people affected by cancer,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization. “Global cancer policies must be shaped by more than data and scientific research, to include the voices and insight of people impacted by the disease.”

Recent studies have shown that nearly half of people diagnosed with cancer experience anxiety and loss of faith and may be abandoned by their intimate partners. In low- and middle-income countries, financial hardship and loss of assets can be experienced by 70% or more of those affected. “When my daughter was diagnosed with cancer, our lives changed drastically and in ways that we did not expect. The effects of cancer last a lifetime,” said Ruth Hoffman, President of the American Childhood Cancer Organization.

Understanding and amplifying the lived experiences of people affected by cancer can create more effective and supportive systems. Yet, the needs and preferences of people with cancer and their caregivers remain unknown to many providers and policy-makers. “We are making a long-term commitment to place people affected by cancer properly at the center of the agenda, to co-create better solutions” explained Dr Bente Mikkelsen, Director of the Department of Noncommunicable Diseases at WHO. “This campaign will include four phases: releasing the global survey, hosting national consultations, presenting best practices and implementing community-led initiatives. We are ready to open a new chapter and improve the well-being of people affected by cancer.”

The ambition of the global survey is to reach more than 100 000 responders from 100 countries, a majority of whom live in low- and middle-income countries. The survey results are expected in early 2023 and, thereafter, used to shape policies, programs and services for people affected by cancer globally.

Take the global survey here.  

Learn more

Advocacy is at the heart of ACCO’s mission and ACCO’s Regional Advocacy Ambassador’s, Amy and Hannah embrace that fully. Thank you for using your talents to make a difference. We are pleased to recognize you and grateful to have you on our What About Kids team!

Meet Regional Advocacy Ambassador, Amy

Since 2017, we are proud and honored to have worked with state legislatures across the country to secure $66 million dollars in funding with the goal of overcoming the national disparity between adult and childhood cancer research. Many times this effort begins with state cancer action plans. Currently only 11 states include substantive language specific to childhood cancer. We believe each state should have specific objectives related to childhood cancer! It takes a team to make meaningful policy change and we are so thankful to have such talented individuals committed to this cause.

One of those is Amy Kindstedt, a ACCO Regional Advocacy Ambassador. As a high school sophomore and two-time childhood cancer survivor, Amy works tirelessly to conduct outreach to new volunteers, reach out to legislators and partners, gather data about any existing childhood cancer work, and create systems to organize data so we can efficiently move forward. Recently, Amy reached out to all 50 states to develop partnerships and share information to create change for this important initiative.

Meet Regional Advocacy Ambassador, Hannah

At the American Childhood Cancer Organization we are proud that ALL of our advocacy team are childhood cancer survivors or parents of children diagnosed with cancer. We know that those directly impacted are the most powerful advocates as we share personal stories with elected officials and key leaders. We invite you to meet Hannah Adams, a 12 year survivor of Stage 3 Nephroblastoma. 

Hannah Adams, of Alabama, is a critical member of this team serving as a Regional Advocacy Ambassador. After enduring surgery, radiation, and chemo she is on fire for the cause to help other children, adolescents and young adults impacted by this horrible disease. In this role Hannah has provided key assistance in state-level advocacy for childhood cancer research appropriations as well as inclusion of specific childhood cancer content in state cancer action plans communicating with all 50 states. Hannah’s leadership in grassroots advocacy has resulted in impactful progress in California, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, Arkansas and Tennessee – and she is just getting started!