News Stories

Sofia Hirani was among the first Canadian kids to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine when the Alberta governement opened up the vaccine for youth ages 12 to15 with underlying health conditions. Sofia was diagnosed with a brain tumour at the age of five and today faces a range of cancer-related health issues that could predispose her to serious outcomes if she contracted COVID-19. Seeing Sofia receive the vaccine was a huge relief to the family.

Calgary realtor Brian van Vliet and nine other brave souls took fundraising and awareness to new heights on Thursday, September 17 with a tandem skydive jump from 13,000 feet at Alberta Skydive Central. Gold is the colour representing the fight against childhood cancer, so the ten skydivers wore gold face masks in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, which takes place each September. The team of skydivers will keep the Jump for a Cure fundraising page open until mid-October. Their goal is to raise $20,000 for Kids Cancer Care. Here's some of the media coverage from the event.

On Canada Day 2020, Ric McIver and Kris Perraton shaved off their decades-old mustaches to raise funds for Kids Cancer Care. During their fundraising campaign, the Simpson family and two anonymous donors stepped up to encourage more Calgarians to support the cause.

Coronavirus strikes the vulnerability of all people, especially those fighting cancer. Fourteen-year-old Mikah Dupuis is living with a weakened immune system because of aggressive chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. This makes her, like many others, extremely vulnerable during the COVID-19 outbreak.

On Thursday, September 26, 2019, Ryane Nethery, a cancer survivor and student at Foothills Academy spoke to fellow students at Foothills Academy about the lasting effect of cancer and how it affected her learning. Ryane’s anti-bullying message is part of the official launch of Cancer in the Classroom, a new program offered by Kids Cancer Care that was made possible with a generous grant from the Canada Post Community Foundation for Children.

Edmonton Oil Kings forward Jalen Luypen took centre ice with a Shave Your Lid for a Kid fundraising initative to raise money and awarness for children and their families affected by childhood cancer.

Each September, Kids Cancer Care partners with Canadian Bloo Services during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month to honour the many children with cancer who rely on blood products to survive. Young cancer survivors and patients spent the afternoon at the Eau Claire blood donor clinic thanking Canadians for their donation and encouraging more Albertans to donate blood and make an impact.

On Thursday, August 15, 2019, Calgary’s top chefs and brew masters came together to compete in the first annual Barley & Smoke 2019: Grillin’ for a Cure. Led by a group of sponsors from the Calgary restaurant, craft beer, home building, financial and legal industries, the BBQ grill-off and beer tasting challenge was a new fundraising event for Kids Cancer Care.

On Monday, February 11, 2019, 532 students at École Olds Elementary School had the exciting opportunity to host the Grey Cup. Ryan Sceviour, offensive lineman for the Calgary Stampeders, and Stampeder legends Jay McNeil and Stu Laird had the Grey Cup for a few hours and used their time to make a dream come true for one of their biggest fans, Carter Thompson, a 9-year-old student who is battling stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Aspen Crossing and Theatre Calgary honour the season of giving with heartfelt gifts to our families.

Calgary cancer charities are struggling as donations decline in tough economic enviornment.

CAR-T cell therapy is a treatment that re-engineers a patient’s cells in order to be able to recognize and attack cancer. Health Canada recently approved the CAR-T cell therapy in Canada. This year, Kids Cancer Care is proud to be a part of the group of people and organizations that helped make Ryken’s CD19 CAR T-cell therapy in Toronto a reality for his family.

Kindle Pursuit will help kids conquer cancer, one obstacle at a time. Inspired by the hundreds of children affected by childhood cancer who attend Camp Kindle every year, Kindle Pursuit allows adults to experience the magic of camp while competing in a variety of obstacles. Teams of four will compete to finish all the obstacles that challenge the body, mind and stomach. 

The new fundraising event takes place on Saturday, September 8 at Camp Kindle and features a series of physical, mental and taste challenges.

On Monday, July 23, children from the Kids Cancer Care community were treated to a private breakfast and visit with the pandas at The Calgary Zoo.

The exclusive visit for children with cancer was made possible by the Calgary Chinese Cultural Centre. Volunteers from the Calgary Chinese Cultural Centre held a gala fundraising dinner, A Taste of Bamboo, last May.

Staff at The Calgary Zoo and Kids Cancer Care went to great lengths beforehand to ensure the rooms were safe and hygienic for immune-compromised children.

On Thursday, April 12 Calgary mother Nancy Couldwell joined students at Menno Simons Christian School as they shaved their lids in an act of love and solidarity for Grace Couldwell, a grade-three student who is battling leukemia. Grace’s 10-year-old twin siblings Joshua and Emma Couldwell were among the 14 students who shaved or cut their hair to raise money for the Kids Cancer Care. Together, they have raised more than $12,000 to date.

On Friday, June 22 Evelyn, Ryan and Joshua Crowell of Airdrie served as honorary ride marshals for the Kinsmen Ride for a Lifetime in support of Kids Cancer Care. The motorcyclists rode in honour of the children’s brother Christian who passed away from childhood cancer in 2013 at the age of five.  

Donning do-rags, Evelyn, Ryan and Joshua helped kick-start the annual ride by sounding the megaphone and dropping the start flag. Their parents Megan and Chris Crowell were also there to share their family’s cancer journey and to thank the motorcyclists in their children’s honour.

On Wednesday, April 25 Foster Garrison and his big sister Kaidence Garrison showed moral support and solidarity for children with cancer when they lost their locks at a shave fundraising event at Altadore School. The brother-and-sister duo joined over 20 other students, staff, parents and grandparents from the Altadore School community, which to date has raised over $21,000 for the Kids Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta and Helping Families Handle Cancer.

For the first time in Canadian history, more than 30 pediatric cancer research and funding groups have joined forces through the Terry Fox PROFYLE initiative, a pan-Canadian project that will give young people, who have run out of conventional treatment options, a second chance at life. Thanks to your support, the Kids Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta is one of 30 partners collaborating in the national research effort.

Fashion Calgary Portrait Campaign features 25 of Calgary's top ambassadors who are shaping the cultural scene of our city, our province and our country. Funds raised at the Fashion Calgary Portrait Campaign Gala support Kids Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta.

Kids Cancer Care spokeskid Colette Benko took second prize with her childhood cancer research project at the 29th European Union Contest for Young Scientists in Estonia.

The CREB® Charitable Foundation, CREB®'s giving arm, donated $300,000 to three local charities through its Investing in HOPE program at its 30th anniversary celebration. Kids Cancer Care was honoured to receive $100,000 as one of the three chosen through a Realtor-directed selection process.

Kids Cancer Care was honoured to partner with Canadian Blood Services for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September 2017. Our team was also there for the Grand Opening of Canadian Blood Service's new Calgary permanent donor clinic. The new clinic is located at 200 Barclay Parade SW (2nd floor of Eau Claire Market). 

CureFest’s mission is to make childhood cancer research a national priority by uniting the childhood cancer community, the general public, the medical community and our elected leaders as one voice against childhood cancer. Kids Cancer Care was honoured to be part of CureFest for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September.

After almost two years of cancer treatments, numerous surgeries and a liver transplant, Greta is finally back at home in Calgary and healthy enough to go to summer camp. From July 17 through 21, Greta and her older brother Ben enjoyed the fun and activities of SunRise, a day camp in the city for children ages thee to seven who have been affected by childhood cancer. On Wednesday, July 19, Greta and Ben also joined 21 other SunRise campers for a day at Camp Kindle, where the big kids go to our SunMaker camp program.

Diagnosed with a rare liver cancer in September 2015, Greta endured six months of chemotherapy and a liver resection that removed 70 per cent of her liver. Initially, Greta seemed to be thriving, but the cancer returned in August 2016 and her family learned that her only hope was a liver transplant, a procedure that is not available in Canada. Greta’s liver transplant in Cincinnati, Ohio cost the family $600,000 (US), so the Marofke family set up a Go Fund Me page to help defray some of the costs. Although the liver transplant was successful and Greta has not experienced any rejection issues so far, her future remains uncertain. The cancer has since spread to Greta’s lungs and her parents continue to explore further treatment options with her doctors.

The 2017 Calgary Sporting Life 10K run on Saturday, June 17, 2017 begins at 8:00 am in the city’s southwest quadrant and will run downtown via Bow Trail and 9th Avenue before finishing at Olympic Plaza for the post-race festivities. The run features two streams: one for serious runners striving to break personal bests and a second stream for less ambitious runners and families. The $65 registration fee, which includes a $25 gift card to Sporting Life, goes up to $75 on May 1st.

The Sporting Life 10K national series has raised more than $15 million since 2003 to help children and their families with cancer. Funds raised through the 2017 Calgary Sporting Life 10K will go toward Kids Cancer Care’s programs and services for children and families battling childhood cancer.

For more information about The Sporting Life 10K, click here.

The Kids Cancer Care Teen Leadership Program is for teens in grades 10 to 12 who have been affected by childhood cancer and certain hematological disorders. Patients, survivors, siblings and bereaved siblings get opportunities to develop as leaders through self-reflection, peer support, skill building, volunteerism and a service trip.

The Teen Leadership Program's Alberta Home Build took place in Lacombe, Alberta from Sunday, March 26 to Saturday, April 1, 2017.

It was a very special day at Crave Cookies and Cupcake's in Kensington when five Calgary kids and four adults gathered to launch a new community fundraising initiative for Kids Cancer Care on International Childhood Cancer Day. The new initiative, called Give More Birthdays, formalizes what is already a trend among some children to ask for charitable donations in lieu of birthday gifts.

Kids Cancer Care encourages people of all ages to support children with cancer by registering a birthday fundraiser online at kidscancercare.ab.ca. As a sponsor of the Give More Birthdays initiative, Crave Cookies and Cupcakes has generously offered to give a free cupcake to every individual who registers a birthday with Kids Cancer Care.

On Thursday, September 22, 2016 University of Calgary nursing professor and researcher Dr. Catherine Laing announced findings from a research study on digital storytelling, which revealed that all participants (16 cancer patients or survivors between the ages five to 32) who took part in the study experienced unexpected therapeutic value as a result of creating and narrating a digital story about their cancer experience. Eleven health care professionals, who later watched the digital stories, similarly reported that viewing the videos helped to deepen their understanding of the experience. The study also revealed that participants were struggling with mental health issues related to their cancer experience, many years later. The study could have major implications for long-term follow-up of pediatric cancer patients, calling for a stronger focus on mental health.

On Thursday, July 7, the Gracia family met the Texan stranger who saved their son Erik’s life. When Brent Lewelling was 20 years old he received the call to help a young boy, in Alberta battling acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Brent jumped at the chance and underwent surgery to have stem cells from his bone marrow harvested and donated to Erik. We’re thrilled these two families could finally connect and celebrate Brent’s incredible gift.

After losing her mother to cancer at age nine and her stepmother to cancer six years later, Gizelle had good reason to shave her head for Kids Cancer Care. But this brave young woman took it to a whole new level by shaving her head for the high school prom.

On Friday, June 3, students from Nellie McClung School came together in a show of solidarity and support for children with cancer at the school’s 11^th Shave Your Lid for a Kid event. The students shaved in honour of Joel Zukowski, a former spokeskid for Kids Cancer Care who passed away in October 2015 from a brain tumour at the age of 16. 

On Thursday, April 14, 2016 months of fundraising activity culminates in a massive shave-off at Harold Panabaker School  when 36 students, a principal and a father-and-son duo all went under the razor for kids with cancer. Twelve-year-old Ethan Rau was inspired to organize the school shave for Kids Cancer Care, when his grandpa Cliff passed away last June, after a 16-month battle with cancer. To support his son’s fundraising efforts, Andrew Rau agreed to grow a beard last July and refrain from cutting or trimming it until his son raised at least $3,000. The father-son team also agreed that Ethan could shave off his father’s hair and beard in front of the entire school if he met his fundraising goal. This amazing group raised more than $25,000!

After two months of fundraising efforts, on Monday, February 29, students and staff from St. Helena Junior High School stuck it to cancer in a big, bad way! They played hockey, shaved their lids and duct-taped teachers to the wall all in support of their friend Alex, who's currently battling cancer. 

Kids Cancer Care and Childhood Cancer International invite children across Alberta to raise their voices in support of children with cancer by visiting child4child.com.

The Northwest Calgary Athletic Association Midget AAA Flames are raising funds for Kids Cancer Care in honour of teammate Tyler Oakenfold’s best friend Joel Zukowski, who passed away from a brain cancer in October 2015 at the age of 16. Joel was an amazing young man who made an impact on everyone who knew him. He is missed by all of us. To honour Joel, the 20 players on the team have committed to raising $1,500 each for a total of $30,000—enough to send 20 children affected by cancer to camp. To help with their fundraising efforts, donate here.
 

Over 100 Alberta children dressed in pajamas gathered at Aspen Crossing Railway in Mossleigh, Alberta for the inaugural Alberta ride of THE POALR EXPRESS™ to the North Pole. Aspen Crossing held the inaugural ride for Kids Cancer Care in honour of Jace Hurum, a six-year-old boy from Carstairs, who is battling crangiopharyngioma, a brain tumour of the pituitary gland.