Coaches and players join Curing Kids Cancer to create pediatric cancer awareness for National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

NASHVILLE, TN, USA, September 16, 2015 /EINPresswire.com/ -- When the Vanderbilt Volunteers take the field against Austin Peay on September 19th, their coaches and players will kick off the Curing Kids Cancer annual awareness campaign.

This campaign supports National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September. Cancer is the leading cause of disease-related death for children killing more children each year than AIDS, Asthma, Cystic Fibrosis, Diabetes and Muscular Dystrophy combined. Gold is the official color for childhood cancer awareness.

Vanderbilt’s players will wear Curing Kids Cancer helmet stickers with a gold ribbon while their coaches wear gold whistles and Curing Kids Cancer lanyards. Players and coaches will both wear Curing Kids Cancer glow-in-the-dark wristbands. Fans can support their teams by wearing the same stickers, wristbands and whistles, which can be purchased at curingkidscancer.org/blowthewhistle.

In honor of the support from Vanderbilt, Curing Kids Cancer will make a donation to fund pediatric cancer research at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital Cancer Center at Vanderbilt.

Building on the initial success of the last two campaigns, the number of teams participating this year has grown significantly for the third year in a row. Eight SEC teams are participating this year. Taking on pediatric cancer as well as their opponents this weekend are:

• University of Georgia vs. the University of South Carolina (both teams are participating)
• Mississippi State University vs. Northwestern State
• Alabama vs. Ole Miss
• The University of Tennessee vs. Western Carolina


Texas A&M is participating in the awareness campaign when they face Arkansas on September 26. The University of South Carolina and Louisiana State University also both supported the Curing Kids Cancer awareness campaign at games earlier this month.

“As Chairman of 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,” said 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 kick it into the end zone, making it a thing of the past.”

"These teams and coaches are under a tremendous amount of pressure to perform at the highest levels,” said the charity spokesman for the campaign ‘Mr. College Football’ and SEC Network Commentator Tony Barnhart. Tony is also a 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 such a great example and a formidable force for good."

“It is so exciting that Curing Kids Cancer was given the blessing of the SEC and they encouraged the head coaches to partner with their players, coaches and fans to help children with cancer,” said Grainne Owen, founder and executive director of Curing Kids Cancer. “We hope the team’s efforts to raise awareness of the desperate need for funding childhood cancer will motivate their fans to support them. Fans can go to our website and buy the same stickers, wristbands and whistles their teams are wearing or simply make a donation. If they visit the College Football Hall of Fame during September, one dollar of their ticket cost will go to Curing Kids Cancer!”

In 2014 Curing Kids Cancer provided more than $1 million in funding for cutting-edge research projects that may eventually make traditional chemotherapy obsolete.
Over the past ten years, the organization has raised more than $7 million for pediatric cancer research.

About Curing Kids Cancer
Grainne and Clay Owen created Curing Kids Cancer after losing their son Killian to leukemia in 2003 at age nine. Curing Kids Cancer raises money and awareness to fund innovative research that provides cutting edge treatments to children with cancer. The non-profit has raised more than $7 million for pediatric cancer research since being founded in 2005. More information is available at curingkidscancer.org

Marcia Purday, APR
Curing Kids Cancer
803-318-3188
email us here