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.

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.

• 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

HANDS THAT COMFORT

WE HONOUR OUR LONG-TERM SURVIVORS AND THEIR RESOLVE TO LIVE LIFE TO ITS FULLEST, AND EMBRACE THOSE FAMILIES WHOSE CHILDREN DO NOT SURVIVE.

Jack Perraton, KCCFA Chair of the Board, and Christine Wandzura, Chief Executive Officer. and even jealousy. KCCFA reaches out at this critical point and gives brothers and sisters the tools to cope with their feelings and experiences.

• Our ability to remain responsive to the ever-changing needs of our families – This commitment is at the very core of the Foundation. KCCFA continues to identify new program requirements and address them in the most effective and unique ways. Retreat weekends for newly diagnosed and bereaved families are two of the latest examples of our flexibility and readiness to respond.

These and countless other efforts have turned KCCFA into a solid and efficient non-profit organization. We are constantly amazed and humbled by the generous response to our community fundraising events, and we are delighted to share this fundraising know-how with other fledgling cancer organizations in developing countries.

Our good standing has been bolstered by the challenge of creating a centre of excellence for pediatric oncology right here in Calgary. KCCFA funds a number of research establishment awards, educational opportunities and the newest equipment and laboratory infrastructure to attract leading researchers and clinicians. We anticipate that they will achieve distinction and international recognition in children’s oncology research and experimental therapeutics.

To firmly establish this promising new direction over the next three years, the Foundation has completed a comprehensive strategic plan. This plan provides a concrete business framework for the future delivery of programs and services and the implementation of fund development activities.

We are proud of our employees’ response to this ambitious plan. They are committed to excellence; they have eagerly accepted our new goals and are enthusiastically moving forward.

KCCFA’s board of directors and staff would like to extend our sincere appreciation and heartfelt thanks to all the generous donors and volunteers, past and present, who have supported KCCFA throughout our 10 years. Your generous donations of time and resources have made our work possible. All you have to do is look through the pages of this report to see where your dollars are going and how even the smallest donation has a huge impact on the lives of children with cancer.

And let us not forget the children with cancer and their families. We are always astounded at each child’s determination to tackle his or her disease. You can read about some of our long-term survivors and their resolve to live life to its fullest in the “Handbook” insert. This report also honours and embraces the families whose children do not survive. Nigel Scott battled neuroblastoma for six years, and our deepest sympathies go out to his family and friends on his recent passing. We'd also like to thank Carter's family for sharing his story with us on the inside front cover. We promise that KCCFA will continue its work because we’re determined that every child with cancer will be cured …that is what drives us.

Sincerely,