Summer 2019
You Make a Difference! 
Lillie is one of our NC superheroes fighting a brave battle against cancer. When we went to visit her, we brought her a blanket chosen just for her. We found out that purple is actually her favorite color!
Lillie loves having her blanket to keep her warm in the cold hospital, and remind her that she has a team to support her.
If you'd like to help us make these special blankets for our children, please contact Kim by clicking here.
Note from the Chair of the Board
I am continually amazed by the resiliency of children. It is a trait that we, as adults, must celebrate and support. That is why I am drawn to the mission of Children's Cancer Partners of the Carolinas (CCP). This organization provides love and support and stands shoulder-to-shoulder with families in the midst of their toughest fight and darkest hours. Not every fight is won; and, although the defeats are devastating, we celebrate the courage, joy and verve with which our superheroes fight. Their spirit is beautiful, and I am humbled by the opportunity to support it.
 
Twenty-two months ago I was personally thrown into this fight. A little over a year after joining this Board, my oldest daughter, the one who made me lose the word "no", was diagnosed with Langerhan's Cellular Histiocytosis (LCH). Upon first hearing the word "tumor", we were knocked to our knees, if not the floor, or below it. Beyond the grief, we witnessed the practical, financial and logistical burdens imposed by chemotherapy. Who really has time to spend at least half a day in a doctor's office in a distant city once a week for a quarter of the year or longer, assuming you have the extra funds to get there? We've since won our fight, but in that darkness the goodness of this organization and its mission shown like a blazing light.  
 
Our experience demonstrated another truth, if we are truly to celebrate those who strive valiantly, we must pursue this mission with the same enthusiasm and urgency with which our superheroes fight!

Ryan
A Message from our Executive Director
Do yourself a favor! Click on the link below and spend just a few moments with some of the smiling faces and special moments from CAMP VICTORY 2019.
While it is only ONE of the many things we do for our families throughout the year, the magical time these family members spend together is a wonder to behold. Just a few days away from doctors and clinics, needles and procedures is so precious.
Thank you for helping us make CAMP VICTORY, and our year-round mission of access to treatment possible. It puts you right alongside these brave children on a lifesaving journey no child ever should endure.
I’ll end with just one question: This September, National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, will there be a Kidz in Lids® event at a school near you – giving healthy children the chance to appreciate their good fortune while helping others? Let us show you how easy it is to get one started.

Laura
Want to bring Kidz in Lids to your child's school? Click here for more information! We encourage schools to hold Kidz in Lids days year round. It's a simple fundraiser and a great way to teach students about local youth who are in a life or death struggle with cancer.

Contact Marisa Cecil

Promoted through a grant from the
J M Smith Foundation.
Hear how Children's Cancer Partners is impacting Julia's Family
18-year-old Julia was diagnosed with cancer at age 13. In 2017, she became one of the first children outside of Spartanburg County to enter our program. Today, she is cancer free and dealing with the after-effects of her treatment that showed up almost immediately. A native of the Myrtle Beach area, she’s the writer and director of a short film, “Rachel’s Pitch,” that has been picked up by film festivals across the country and has won 11 awards. Her mom, Judy, has become an advocate for childhood cancer survivors. We asked her what impact Children’s Cancer Partners had on Julia’s cancer journey.
Interview has been edited for clarity.

CCP: What was the impact of a childhood cancer diagnosis?
Judy: Julia is one of four children. The logistics of having to juggle trips back and forth from Charleston that took 2-3 hours two times a week were hard to work out. I had to learn to coordinate homeschooling for all my children, and give Julia’s siblings the attention they needed, all while helping Julia fight cancer.

CCP: What were some of the financial burdens?
Judy: It’s like you’re suddenly in survival mode, but it just doesn’t end. I was aware that there would be unexpected expenses like extra gas and food costs, but other expenses were not on my radar. Julia had nausea throughout treatment so extreme that her doctors struggled to help her control it. The smell of scented soap, hospital paper towels, and Kleenex were enough to set her off, so I had to buy Julia her own sets of those items to take to the hospital. We discovered that - of all things - potatoes helped Julia’s nausea, so Zaxby’s fries became another cost to factor in, plus the cost of gas to get to the only nearby location that was miles away. Julia’s treatment caused fluctuation in her weight and suddenly we were having to buy new clothes we hadn’t budgeted.

CCP: When did Children’s Cancer Partners step in?
Judy: Julia finished treatment in 2016, before CCP expanded into our area. Though she was done with treatment, she still had her port, meaning every illness became a trip to the emergency room. Julia also had extensive bone damage from treatment, so we were thrilled when CCP became available to us, and was willing to help with after-effects. CCP helped with our frequent ER trips, and especially around Julia’s hip replacement and other bone surgeries, involving numerous extended trips to the Mayo Clinic with travel, hotel and food costs. One of the things that touched me the most was when our CCP Family Advocate came to visit with a bag full of gift-in-kind items. It was stocked with paper towels, toiletries, trash bags - every day necessities that I just didn’t have time to worry about.

CCP: Is there anything special about CCP?
Judy: More than financial support, CCP was able to encourage, pray for, and cheer for Julia and me, for our entire family, throughout our journey. CCP really looks at the big picture. Julia loves Camp Victory, and the annual CCP Christmas parties, but recently I got the special treat of a “Mom’s Pamper Day” from some spectacular CCP volunteers in the Myrtle Beach area. It was beyond anything I’ve ever experienced! I got a full day of pampering including the best massage I’ve ever had. More than that, the organizers prayed over all of us, and the Moms got to meet and encourage each other.

CCP: What would you tell our donors?
Judy: I’d tell them that when you invest in CCP, you can know that your investment will be multiplied. CCP is not just the money you contribute – it’s the passion of volunteers and staff who translate your gift into so many ways to alleviate the burden our kids with cancer face – every day.
Camp Victory 2019
May 31-June 2 was our 12th Camp Victory. We partnered with Camp YMCA Greenville for the second year to host our families in Cleveland, SC. We had families come from nearby and families from as far as Greenville, NC to experience camp with us. They got to forget their cancer diagnosis for a weekend and just be kids. As our founder, Tom, always says, "all children should run, jump, skip and sing...not be in a hospital bed."
"My favorite thing is going swimming in the water!"
-Naomi
"The best part of camp is making crafts!"
-Alexis





"I like fishing and shooting BB guns! I hit all the targets!"
-Colt
Click here to watch a video with more pictures from our camp weekend!
Docs Who Rock Spartanburg
Presented by:
Don't be fooled, these docs really rock!
Guests had a great time dancing to the music.

Dr. Joe Boscia works the crowd during Missing Monday's performance.
There were plenty of doctors in the house on March 9 at the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium at Wofford College in Spartanburg when we rocked the night away! Thanks to our many sponsors and donors, over $150,000 was raised for our superheroes!
The dancefloor was packed all night.
Guests and CCP board members pose
before the show.
Dr. Octavia Amaechi dances during her performance with Rock and Roll Reunion
Board members and guests gather before the show.

Sponsored in part by:
Panny and Skipper Brawley | BMW Performance Center
BMW Plant Spartanburg | Bob's Carwash | Drs. Susan and Joseph Boscia
Budweiser | Gurganus Insurance and Financial Services
Dr. and Mrs. Richard Orr | J M Smith Corporation | The Johnson Group
Merrill Lynch/Bank of America | RJ Rockers Brewing Company
Bonnie & Darwin Simpson | Tri-State Medical Company
Burger Cook-Off 2019
Presented by:
The Juiciest Throwdown in the Upstate happened on April 13. The judge's selection was Steamin' Cow Patties and Ike's Korner Grille won the People's Choice Award. Thank you to all of the teams that participated! We generated over $85,000, making this the biggest Burger Cook-Off yet!
Be sure to save the date for Burger Cook-Off 2020!
April 18, 2020
Ike's Korner Grille, winner of the People's Choice Award,
prepares their burgers.
Carlos, a child served by CCP, has fun on the bouncy castle.
Nacho Taco and Green Papaya Salon pose with their Superhero, Colt.
Our children joined us onstage to accept the Burger Cook-Off check!
Sponsored in part by:
AFL | BB&T | Budweiser of Spartanburg | J M Smith Foundation
The Johnson Group | Pepsi of Spartanburg | Southeastern Printing
Sugah Cakes | White's Pine Street Exxon
Events Held for CCP
Thank you to our partners who have hosted fundraisers for us!
If your business, club, or church group would lke to stage an event to help our children, contact Marisa.
Coffee and Conversation with Kristy Woodson Harvey
We had a lovely time in Charleston discussing Kristy's new book and sharing the lifesaving mission of CCP.
Terrapin Outfitters
Our friends at Terrapin Outfitters in Columbia kayaked all the way to Charleston over seven days to raise money for our children.
Miss Marion's School of Dance
The students at Miss Marion's performed their dances in front of a packed audience and held an auction to benefit CCP.
The Scuba Shop
The Scuba Shop held an underwater checkers tournament and door prize drawing to help our Carolina children.
Chili Cook-Off
The Ladies of Harley Spartanburg HOG chapter held a chili cook-off on March 9 to benefit our children. It was a heated competition all for a great cause!
Celebrate Freedom Foundation
Thanks to Major General John Lenti, US Army Ret., Stefanie & Kevin Poyck for this incredible time spent with special forces, touring military aircraft and vehicles and featuring a special forces parachute drop.
Yard Sale for Childhood Cancer
Many thanks to the tireless volunteers who held a yard sale for CCP’s benefit in May in Conway, SC. Look for their next one and other events being in the coming months.
Want to learn more about how this Optimist Club is dedicated to helping CCP families or to get involved? Contact CCOC president, Roger Sullivan, here.
Recent Grants
Click here to learn about our recent grants from Greenville Women Giving and Women Giving for Spartanburg!
Congratulations!
Our Director of Development, Marisa Cecil, is Spartanburg's Young Professional of the year! We're so proud of her for this incredible accomplishment! It's well-deserved.
Volunteer Opportunities
Office Volunteers:
We regularly need volunteers on hand to help with a variety of projects. Email kim@childrenscancerpartners.org if you would like to hear our needs and give some time to help our children.

Gift in Kind shoppers:
We are always in search of monthly volunteers to help us "shop" the United Way Gift in Kind center. If you're interested, contact kim@childrenscancerpartners.org
If you'd like to donate in-kind items, please see our wish list here!

Christmas Volunteers
Raleigh: December 7 and Spartanburg: December 8
Volunteers needed from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Looking for a few hours of joy during the holidays? Help create a magical experience for our children, their siblings and parents. We need volunteers to help with face painting, crafts (materials provided), shepherding families, carriage rides, family photos, Santa visits, a photographer and more...
Email Kim here to sign up.

Need a Speaker?
Need a speaker for your church, civic, or community group? We'd love to share our CCP story with you! Contact annlouise@childrenscancerpartners.org to learn more.
We love our volunteers and ambassadors in Spartanburg, Durham and beyond!
Our lifesaving mission is spread thanks to you, our partners!
2019 Board of Directors
Ryan Gaylord Board Chair
Sheila Breitweiser, Ed. D | Karla Butler | Brian Carey | Ruth Cate | Ki Chung, MD
Landon Cohen | Sky Foster | Nene Gunn | Bet Hamilton | Martin Huff | Sheila Ingle
Stone Kelley-McLeod | Marsha Moore | Melinda Moretz, MD | Jill Van Pelt | Cal Wicker