Every week, 38 children pass away from cancer. Thirty eight kids. That's hard to fathom. Hard to imagine. Hard to comprehend.
I was introduced to this unfathomable statistic 3 years ago while working with my client Children's Cancer Research Fund at my {now previous} job. CCRF supports the brightest doctors whose groundbreaking research is leading to better treatments and cures for childhood cancer. The company I worked for partnered with CCRF to provide video and event production services for their signature gala each year. I was lucky that through my work, I was able to be a tiny, tiny piece of that.
Now, it's easy to rally around a cause when you're personally affected. I am not. It's easy to rally around a cause when a member of your family or your friends have been affected. Mine have not. For me, my rallying comes from knowing the people inside the walls of CCRF who have dedicated their lives to raising awareness, raising funds and to finding a cure for childhood cancer. These people, who I now consider dear friends, have changed my life. The stories I've heard, the patients I've seen, & the very people who work day in and day out to change this statistic have changed my life.
As I was thinking about my birthday this year and have been approached by family and friends with questions of what I wanted and what I wanted to do to celebrate, nothing came to mind. {Partially because for those of you who know me, you know if I want something, I go and get it. I don't wait for birthday's or holidays to come around - why wait!} My normal response to this would be "let's go to dinner" or "let's grab coffee" but this year, I want to do something different.
So, I'm donating my birthday. How does it work?? Simple. For my friends, family {or hopefully even strangers who come across this post}: please take whatever you would give to me for my birthday whether that be dinner, coffee, a gift and put those dollars towards funding research to find a cure for childhood cancer. I'm tearing up as I write this post and remembering some of the chilling words from patient and family stories we told for CCRF - together, we really can make a difference. We CAN find a cure. So skip my birthday coffee. Skip my birthday gift - and help me in whatever capacity you're able to, to fund & find a cure.
With my birthday on June 18th, I'm starting this TODAY and giving us all a chance {and a big window} to donate. My goal is at least $500 --- let's blow that out of the water.
It feels good to do good, so let's all do some together today. My friends at CCRF, the patients, their families and I, THANK YOU.
XO,
Molly
Please donate directly on my FB post. The link is here
{Photos with my CCRF family from Dawn of a Dream, CCRF's signature gala, over the years below}
