dear friends, The Kids Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta celebrated its 10th anniversary of operations with yet another solid year in 2004/05. We stayed focused and kept doing what we do best – providing supportive programming to children with cancer and their families and investing in a brighter future for pediatric oncology care. The strength of our operations and our unique capacity to raise funds over the past 10 years speaks volumes about the hands that are at the heart of our organization – volunteer hands, medical hands, helping hands. The Foundation’s supporters have been there since the beginning and we’ve accomplished so much because they believe strongly in our vision – a cure for every child, care for every family. KCCFA evolved from a small committee of parents, nurses and volunteers that organized the first cancer camp for 36 kids in 1991. In 1994, we set up a charitable organization, began collecting donations and launched Kids Cancer Camps of Alberta. Three weeklong camps quickly grew into six, serving hundreds of childhood cancer patients and their siblings. In 1999, Kids Cancer Camps evolved into the Kids Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta and expanded its mandate to include funding for pediatric oncology research and clinical support. Today, KCCFA’s straightforward strategy depends largely on our ability to harmonize the objectives of Camp & Community Outreach, Clinical Support and Research. The kids need year-round, high quality programs; the medical practitioners need the best training and equipment; and the scientists need a nurturing environment, technology and talent to conduct collaborative research. This approach has brought about major progress and impressive results. In just over a decade, we have increased our revenues tenfold, broadened our services to include more than 20 programs for childhood cancer patients, long-term survivors and their families and invested $4.2 million towards finding a cure.
HANDS THAT COMFORT WE HONOUR OUR LONG-TERM SURVIVORS AND
The Foundation now has an 11-member board, 12 full-time staff members and some 275 volunteers. This talented and dedicated group has implemented numerous initiatives and projects to ensure KCCFA’s sustainable growth. Some of the accomplishments that we are most proud of include: • KCCFA’s $3 million commitment to the establishment of the $6 million Chair in Pediatric Oncology at the University of Calgary – This prestigious award will intensify research activities at an international level, leading to an exceptional clinical environment and unique training opportunities.
THEIR RESOLVE TO LIVE LIFE TO ITS FULLEST, AND EMBRACE THOSE FAMILIES WHOSE CHILDREN DO NOT SURVIVE.
• Our support of the Southern Alberta Children’s Cancer Program – Funding educational opportunities for medical practitioners translates into consistent, high quality treatment and care for the children. • The inclusion of siblings at the cancer camps since 1993 – When a family experiences the physical and emotional roller coaster of a child with cancer, siblings often suffer from feelings of separation, guilt, anxiety 3
