Curing Kids' Cancer

Curing Kids' Cancer Founders on News/Talk 750 WSB Friday

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:42:23 -0400

Curing Kids' Cancer Takes to the Airwaves to Kick Kids' Cancer

Press Release

Curing Kids' Cancer founders to be featured on News/Talk 750 WSB Radio Care-a-Thon benefiting Aflac Cancer Center

Charity to sponsor matching hour 2pm-3pm on Friday

Atlanta - Aug. 21, 2008 - Tune your radios to News/Talk 750 WSB Radio on Friday Aug. 22nd between 2pm and 3pm EDT as Curing Kids' Cancer founders Grainne and Clay Owen team up with the Atlanta radio station to raise money for the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Service at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Curing Kids' Cancer will be contributing a matching donation of $20,000 during the 2pm hour, which will hosted by nationally syndicated radio host and consumer advocate Clark Howard. You can also listen online. It's the fourth consecutive appearance on the WSB Care-a-Thon for charity founders Clay and Grainne Owen. Coaches Curing Kids' Cancer was founded on the Care-a-Thon four years ago when Grainne told the story of how the Owen family lost their nine-year-old son Killian to leukemia, and their quest to find new cutting edge treatments for childhood cancers. Since that time, Curing Kids' Cancer has donated more than $500,000 to the Aflac Cancer Center. The charity has two main programs - Coaches Curing Kids' Cancer and Teachers Curing Kids' Cancer. Both programs use a simple concept: Instead of buying your coach or teacher a gift, donate the money to Curing Kids' Cancer. The money goes to childhood cancer research and in return, the coach or teacher receives an original gift, a certificate and the great feeling of helping kids kick cancer.
The 37-hour marathon broadcast - which began today - features stories of hope and inspiration from Aflac Cancer Center patients, families and staff. With the help of WSB special hosts Scott Slade, Neal Boortz and Clark Howard, the annual Care-a-Thons have raised more than $5.7 million for the Aflac Cancer Center at Children's.

About Curing Kids' Cancer Inc Inspired by nine-year-old Killian Owen's battle with leukemia, Curing Kids' Cancer Inc. is a unique, national grassroots movement which aims to raise both awareness and money to find cures for all types of childhood cancer. Our programs fund the development of cutting edge therapies which will revolutionize childhood cancer treatment by replacing traditional chemotherapy. Our objective is to turn this killer disease into a curable one in our lifetime. Details are available at www.curingkidscancer.org.

About the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Service Recognized as one of the top three pediatric cancer centers in the country by Child Magazine, the Aflac Cancer Center is one of the largest childhood cancer and hematology programs in the country, serving infants, children, adolescents and young adults with cancer and blood disorders. Staffed by a multidisciplinary team of pediatric cancer specialists, the Aflac Cancer Center provides advanced and innovative diagnostics, clinical care and research options as well as unique services such as the Cancer Survivor and Blood and Marrow Transplantation program.

The Aflac Cancer Center treats more than 300 new cancer patients each year, has over 22,000 visits to its outpatient facilities each year and follows nearly 1,500 children with sickle cell disease, hemophilia and other bleeding disorders. Directed by pediatric hematologists/oncologists, our multidisciplinary team is able to offer children and families the emotional, physical and spiritual support they need during their treatment journey. Through child-friendly equipment, programs and facilities, we care for children from infancy to young adulthood.

Curing Kids' Cancer Inc Clay Owen Co-Founder 404.538.0124clay@curingkidscancer.org

Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Brant Rawls Public Relations Manager 404-785-7577brant.rawls@choa.org

Aflac Donates $25,000 to Coaches Curing Kids' Cancer

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 08:00:12 -0400

Los Angeles, August. 9, 2008 - Coaches Curing Kids' Cancer founders Grainne and Clay Owen accepted a $25,000 donation from Aflac Friday at the Awards Dinner for the Aflac All-American High School Baseball Game. This is the third consecutive year that Coaches Curing Kids' Cancer has been the beneficiary of the Aflac All-American Selection Tour, which recognizes the top 38 high school baseball players in the United States.

Baseball Hall of Fame member Ozzie Smith, the honorary chairman of the event and Aflac VP for Marketing Services Al Johnson presented the check to the Owens, who founded the charity after losing their son Killian to leukemia in 2003.

"We are thrilled to accept this incredibly generous gift from Aflac," said Grainne. "We will use this money to fund cutting-edge research into childhood cancer treatments."
Coaches Curing Kids' Cancer featured on Fox Sports and at Dodger Stadium
Coaches Curing Kids' Cancer was featured nationally during the broadcast of the Aflac All-American High School Baseball Game when the charity's latest public service announcement was broadcast live on Fox Sports Net (FSN).

The PSA featured Coaches Curing Kids' Cancer Honorary Chairman Lee Corso, the renowned ESPN college football analyst. The PSA was also broadcast during the game in Dodger Stadium on DodgerVision.

The charity was also mentioned by the public address announcer throughout the ball game.

In addition, the 38 members of the Aflac All-American Baseball Team wore Coaches Curing Kids' Cancer wrist bands to show their support for childhood cancer research.

In a nail-biting ninth inning, the East team beat the West 4-2.

About Curing Kids' Cancer
Inspired by nine-year-old Killian Owen's battle with leukemia, Curing Kids' Cancer Inc. is a unique, national grassroots movement which aims to raise both awareness and money to find cures for all types of childhood cancer. Our programs fund the development of cutting edge therapies which will revolutionize childhood cancer treatment by replacing traditional chemotherapy. Our objective is to turn this killer disease into a curable one in our lifetime. Details are available at www.curingkidscancer.org

2008 Aflac All-American High School Baseball Game
The Aflac All-American High School Baseball Game is an annual all-star game showcasing the top 38 rising high school senior baseball players in the country. This East vs. West matchup is played the summer before the players' senior year in high school. Each year an MLB Hall of Famer is selected to serve as the Honorary Chairman. The Honorary Chairman works to raise awareness for the Game and its charitable cause towards the research and treatment of cancer. The Chairman also serves as a Role model to the selected Aflac All-Americans, sharing insight with the players about his MLB and life experiences.

The Game's alumni have experienced tremendous success in the June MLB draft, with 170 of 192 All-American players being drafted by MLB teams, 52 of which were drafted in the first round, and 2 first overall (Matt Bush in 2004, Justin Upton in 2005 and Tim Beckham in 2008).

More information is available at www.aflacallamerican2008.com.

Curing Kids Cancer Announces 2007 Pediatric Cancer Research Grants

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 13:14:57 -0500

Massachusetts, Georgia, North Carolina and California Research Programs Among Recipients

ATLANTA – Jan. 14, 2008 – A study into the causes of acute myeloid leukemia by Dr. David Sweetser of Massachusetts General Hospital was awarded the annual Killian Owen Research Grant from Curing Kids’ Cancer, the charity that raises money for leading edge pediatric cancer research through kids’ sports teams and school children.

Dr. Sweetser was awarded a $25,000 grant to help support his research into why blood cells grow out of control and cause leukemia. This research may lead to novel therapies for leukemia that are both more effective and have fewer side effects.

The grant was made possible by friends and family of Ashley Anderson, a nine-year-old girl from Alpharetta, Ga. who lost her battle with AML in 2006.

“Ashley’s courageous fight against AML and her family’s fund-raising efforts have been an inspiration to us,” said Grainne Owen, co-founder of Curing Kids’ Cancer. “We are grateful to the many people who have made generous donations in her name, and we are thrilled to provide funding to Dr. Sweetser’s promising research.”

“It’s always an honor to be selected for a grant, but this one is special,” said Dr. Sweetser. “Knowing that this money was raised in memory of a child who tragically lost her life to leukemia inspires all of us as we look for new cures for pediatric cancer.”

The Aflac Cancer Center & Blood Disorders Service of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta was awarded a $37,000 grant to fund pediatric clinical trials and research to get new drugs “from the bench to the bedside.” Earlier in 2007, Curing Kids’ Cancer donated $110,000 to Children’s Healthcare from the AT&T Curing Kids’ Cancer Golf Classic.

Curing Kids’ Cancer also awarded a $2,000 grant to Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, NC to fund pediatric clinical trials at this new hospital that opened in Oct. 2007.

Children’s Hospital and Research Center Oakland was given a $1,000 grant, raised through the “Restaurants Curing Kids’ Cancer” program in affiliation with Local Flavor. Details of the program are available at http://www.localflavor.com/curingkids.htm.

In all, Curing Kids’ Cancer provided $217,000 in research funding in 2007.

Curing Kids’ Cancer has two national grassroots programs – Coaches Curing Kids’ Cancer and Teachers Curing Kids’ Cancer. Both programs urge parents and children to donate money to pediatric cancer research in the name of their coach or teacher rather than buying gifts. Details of the programs are available at www.curingkidscancer.org.

The Killian Owen Research Grant is awarded annually to fund promising research for childhood cancer, in particular to help make such studies available throughout a network of hospitals with programs in pediatric cancer. Killian, who died from leukemia in 2003 at age nine, inspired his parents – Clay and Grainne Owen – to found the charity Curing Kids’ Cancer.

The grant was based on the advice and recommendations of the charity’s Medical Advisory Board, consisting of 14 top pediatric oncologists and researchers from the United States and Canada. Members of the board who applied for a grant did not review the grant applications or vote for the awards.

About Curing Kids’ Cancer
Inspired by nine-year-old Killian Owen’s battle with leukemia, Curing Kids’ Cancer Inc. is a unique, national grassroots movement which aims to raise both awareness and money to find cures for all types of childhood cancer. Our programs fund the development of cutting edge therapies which will revolutionize childhood cancer treatment by replacing traditional chemotherapy. Our objective is to turn this killer disease into a curable one in our lifetime. Details are available at www.curingkidscancer.org.

Coaches Curing Kids Cancer teams up with USC Baseball Coach Ray Tanner to present $42,000 to Palmetto Health

Tue, 6 Nov 2007 10:13:32 -0500

Donation to help fund pediatric research nurse

COLUMBIA, SC, Nov. 5, 2007 – USC baseball coach Ray Tanner joined forces with Coaches Curing Kids’ Cancer today in presenting a $42,000 check to Palmetto Health Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders to fund cutting-edge cancer research.

The money was raised from the 3^rd Annual Killian Owen Memorial Golf Tournament held in Orangeburg on June 30, and by the donations of hundreds of young baseball, soccer, football and basketball players in South Carolina who made donations to Coaches Curing Kids’ Cancer. The Coaches Curing Kids’ Cancer program urges children’s sports teams to make a donation in honor of their coaches instead of buying their coaches a traditional end-of-season gift. In return for the donation CCKC sends the team a Coaches Curing Kids' Cancer gift and a personalized certificate to present to their coach and their donations are used to fund pediatric cancer research. Details are available at www.curingkidscancer.org.

“It’s important that South Carolina’s young cancer patients have access to the most advanced treatments available,” said Coach Tanner. “This donation to Palmetto Health will go a long way in making that a reality.” Coach Tanner made a personal gift to Coaches Curing Kids' Cancer when he heard about the program. Coaches Curing Kids' Cancer was inspired by the life of nine-year-old Killian Owen, who lost his battle with leukemia in July 2003. Killian's parents, Clay and Grainne Owen founded Curing Kids' Cancer in Killian’s memory to raise money for cutting edge pediatric cancer research.

“We’re thrilled to once again be able to fund cutting edge cancer research at Palmetto Health,” said Grainne Owen. “By simply redirecting money that would have been spent on a gift for your child’s coach you can help us reach our goal to find a cure for all childhood cancers in our lifetime and your coach is still honored with a meaningful gift!”

Today’s donation means that Coaches Curing Kids’ Cancer has donated more than $57,000 to Palmetto Health since 2004. The hospital plans on using the money to help pay for a pediatric oncology research nurse.

“All of here at Palmetto Health Richland who care for children with cancer are thrilled with the generous donation from the Owen family and Coaches Curing Kids’ Cancer, and grateful to Coach Ray Tanner for all of his efforts,” said Dr. Kevin McRedmond, pediatric oncologist at Palmetto Health. “The key to the cure is research – and the hard work of this wonderful organization will allow us to pursue cutting edge research right here in the Midlands. Children unfortunately affected by cancer can receive state of the art cancer therapy without having to travel to other institutions. Our hats go off to the Owen family, and all of the many volunteers involved in Coaches Curing Kids’ Cancer, for their tireless efforts and dedication to the cause of children with cancer.”

Coach Tanner is one of several high profile coaches to become associated with the program. Lee Corso, the acclaimed college football analyst and former head football coach is the charity’s honorary chairman. And Bobby Lutz, head basketball coach of the University of North Carolina Charlotte 49er’s heads up fundraising efforts in Charlotte, N.C.

About Curing Kids’ Cancer
Inspired by nine year old Killian Owen’s battle with leukemia, Curing Kids’ Cancer Inc. is a unique, national grassroots movement which aims to raise both awareness and money to find cures for all types of childhood cancer. Our programs fund the development of cutting edge therapies which will revolutionize childhood cancer treatment by replacing traditional chemotherapy. Our objective is to turn this killer disease into a curable one in our lifetime. Details are available at www.curingkidscancer.org.

Curing Kids' Cancer Teams Up With Levine Children's Hospital to Fund Pediatric Cancer Research

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 09:08:43 -0400

Curing Kids' Cancer Teams Up With Levine Children's Hospital to Fund Pediatric Cancer Research

Charlotte 49ers Head Coach Bobby Lutz Named Ambassador for Charlotte Region

CHARLOTTE, NC - Sep 18, 2007 -- Curing Kids' Cancer Inc. today announced that it has joined forces with Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte, N.C., to raise money for pediatric cancer research in the Charlotte region. To help the cause, Charlotte 49ers Head Basketball Coach Bobby Lutz has been named an ambassador for Curing Kids' Cancer and will assist in fundraising efforts in the area.

Levine Children's Hospital, set to open in October on the main campus of Carolinas Medical Center, will be promoting both of Curing Kids' Cancer's flagship programs: Coaches Curing Kids' Cancer (CCKC) and Teachers Curing Kids' Cancer.

Each program uses a simple concept -- Youth sports teams and individual school classrooms are encouraged to donate the money they would usually raise for presenting their coach or teacher with a gift at the end of the season or school year to help in the fight against pediatric cancer. Donations to Curing Kids' Cancer fund much-needed pediatric cancer research, and, in return, the participating coach or teacher receives a commemorative certificate and a gift acknowledging their generosity. Details of the programs are available at www.curingkidscancer.org.

"We are thrilled to team up with Levine Children's Hospital, which is setting the standard for pediatric cancer treatment in the Carolinas," said Grainne Owen, founder of Curing Kids' Cancer. "By tapping into Charlotte's successful youth sports programs, we hope to help fund cutting-edge cancer treatments at Levine Children's Hospital."

"We are fortunate to have one of the best pediatric teams in the country staffing a program that is affiliated with the national Children's Oncology Group," said Page Stroup, executive director of The Children's Fund at Levine Children's Hospital. "With generous support from the Curing Kids' Cancer programs, we will continue to enhance our programs and accommodate the growing pediatric population in this region."

"What a great concept," said Lutz, who has also served as the Honorary Chair of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's 2007 Man & Woman of the Year Campaign. "Through Coaches Curing Kids' Cancer, young athletes will be assisting pediatric cancer research in honor of their coaches. I am thrilled to be involved with such wonderful organizations and am confident that the greater Charlotte region will adopt this program in a huge way and help out Levine Children's Hospital."

Lutz, entering is 10th year as head coach of the 49ers, will serve as a spokesperson for CCKC in the Charlotte area to help spread awareness and assist in fundraising activities. He joins a high-profile list of CCKC ambassadors, including national spokesperson Lee Corso, as well as major league pitcher Tom Glavine and well-known basketball commentator Clark Kellogg.

Last year, thanks to the generosity of young people around the nation, CCKC provided more than $300,000 in total funding to The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children's Cancer Center, the Palmetto Health Cancer Center in Columbia, S.C., and Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.

About Curing Kids' Cancer
Inspired by nine-year-old Killian Owen's battle with leukemia, Curing Kids' Cancer Inc. is a unique, national grassroots movement which aims to raise both awareness and money to find cures for all types of childhood cancer. Our programs fund the development of cutting edge therapies which will revolutionize childhood cancer treatment by replacing traditional chemotherapy. Our objective is to turn this killer disease into a curable one in our lifetime. Details are available at www.curingkidscancer.org.

About Levine Children's Hospital
Scheduled to open in October 2007, Levine Children's Hospital will be one of the three largest children's hospitals in the Southeast and the largest facility between Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, Georgia. It will offer the most advanced pediatric care available and several of the region's "firsts," such as a day hospital, cardiac intensive care unit, and 24-hour pediatric emergency department. The new children's hospital will also include patient rooms with extra beds for parents who wish to stay overnight with their children, a children's diagnostic center, and a 13-bed rehabilitation pavilion.

New Gifts from Coaches Curing Kids' Cancer

Fri, 14 Sep 2007 11:07:55 -0400

Coaches Curing Kids' Cancer is pleased to offer two new gifts for your coaches. By making a donation of $50 or more in your coach's name, you can choose a t-shirt, a baseball cap or a whistle and lanyard. And of course, your donation goes to help fund childhood cancer research.

Baseball Cap Whistle and Lanyard 100% Cotton T-Shirt

Get all of the details on how to order at www.curingkidscancer.org