Sept. 16, 2014
ATLANTA – When Vanderbilt hits the field against South Carolina, its coaches and players will be highlighting September as National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
Working with Atlanta-based nonprofit Curing Kids Cancer, the Commodore players and coaches will kick off the charity’s second annual Blow the Whistle on Kids Cancer! campaign. Teams are wearing Coaches Curing Kids Cancer (CCKC) stickers on their helmets, coaches are wearing gold whistles and lanyards imprinted with the CCKC logo and both teams and coaches will wear Coaches/Players Curing Kids Cancer wristbands.
Building on the initial success of last year’s campaign, the number of teams participating this year more than doubles. Taking on pediatric cancer as well as their opponents will be:
- University of Georgia
- University of South Carolina
- Vanderbilt University
- University of Alabama
- Texas A&M University
- Mississippi State University
- University of Alabama at Birmingham
“As Chairman of Coaches Curing Kids Cancer, I’m very happy to see so many of these college football coaches and players stepping up to raise awareness about childhood cancer,” says ESPN GameDay commentator Lee Corso. “It’s fantastic that so many teams are supporting this great cause. We all want to tackle kids’ cancer and make it a thing of the past.”
“These teams and coaches are under a tremendous amount of pressure to perform at the highest levels as they kick-off the season,” says the charity spokesman for the campaign `Mr. College Football’ and SEC Network Commentator Tony Barnhart. Tony is also an important member of the Curing Kids Cancer Executive Advisory Board. “What a wonderful testament to their desire to help eradicate these horrible diseases that they would not only join the cause, but do so in ever-increasing numbers. It’s another example of how the college football community can be a formidable force for good.”
“It is so exciting that Coaches Curing Kids Cancer was given the blessing of the SEC to partner with their college football players, coaches and fans to help children with cancer,” says Grainne Owen, founder and executive director of Curing Kids Cancer. “The challenge to each fan is to support their teams’ efforts to raise awareness of the desperate need for funding for childhood cancer research by going to our website and buying the same helmet stickers, wristbands and whistles their team is wearing, or fans can just make a donation!”
In 2013, Curing Kids Cancer completed a $1.5 million endowment to establish the Killian Owen Curing Kids Cancer Clinical Research Office. This office has already conducted hundreds of clinical trials at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA) that would not have been possible previously. Curing Kids Cancer has provided almost $2 million to CHOA since 2005.
As part of its ongoing mission, Curing Kids Cancer helped to fund the development of a targeted therapy for childhood leukemia that has already saved many children’s lives since it became available in 2010.
Money raised during this campaign is targeted for hospitals in the states where the teams are located including: Children’s Hospital of Alabama, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital in Columbia, S.C., Monroe Carrell Jr. Children’s Hospital Cancer Center at Vanderbilt and Texas Children’s Hospital and UT Southwestern.
About Curing Kids Cancer
Curing Kids Cancer works to make childhood cancer curable in our lifetime. The nonprofit has raised more than $5 million for pediatric cancer research. It focuses on innovative, targeted treatments with fewer harmful side effects. Curing Kids Cancer raises funds through partnerships with sports teams at local and national levels, community involvement, corporate sponsorships and support from national sports figures including Lee Corso and Craig Kimbrel. It is also the official charity for the powerhouse Mecum Auctions. For more information, visit CuringKidsCancer.org.
