Thank you for impacting the lives of kids and families facing cancer.
Thanks to your generosity this past year, Chan’s family found healing and support. Embraced by the Kids Cancer Care community, they discovered they were not alone. Chan got the physical, social and emotional support he needed through our camp and leadership programs to build his confidence and new skills. Now he wishes to pay it forward by working as a camp counsellor, and one day getting his name on the Camp Kindle donor wall!
This year, we completed our $8.9 million construction project and capital campaign to make Camp Kindle even more magical and accessible for young people like Chan through new indoor and outdoor spaces. By Spring 2026, we will complete our final phase, the Shane Homes Treehouse Village just in time for our spring and summer camps!
Thank you for believing in our mission — helping young people affected by cancer survive and thrive in body, mind and spirit.
With gratitude,
Tracey Martin Chief Executive Officer CEO
LIVES TOUCHED IN 2025-26
research BODY
Thanks to you, we’re helping kids survive and thrive physically, funding life-saving research and delivering life-changing programs to help kids improve strength, mobility, lifestyle behaviours, health and side effects.
You are helping advance research that will save kids' lives
With your support, in 2025-26, we invested $479,000 in research at the University of Calgary and the Alberta Children’s Hospital. This gift is part of our multi-year commitment to the OWN.Cancer initiative to advance research and clinical trials for children with the toughest cancers, including post-doctoral fellowships, research grants, equipment and training.
Meet the Kids Cancer Care research fellows
Dr. Yusheng Zhao, supervised by Dr. Aru Narendran
Little patients are losing patience: Developing a mechanismbased novel therapeutic clinical trial for infant leukemia.
Thanks to your support, Dr. Yusheng Zhao was awarded a two-year fellowship to develop safe and effective medications that can lead to new clinical trials for difficult-to-cure cancers in children. Combining his expertise in computational chemistry and rational drug design with cancer cell biology, Dr. Zhao is working towards the development of a new drug that will bind and block the activity of a key cancer-driving molecule in the cells of patients with infant leukemia.
Dr. Ismay de Beijer, supervised by Dr. Fiona Schulte
A Mobile Health Intervention Study for Childhood Cancer Survivors
Your support meant Dr. Ismay de Beijer could also receive a two-year fellowship to improve long-term health outcomes for childhood cancer survivors. Due to their cancer treatment, survivors face lifelong health risks that can reduce quality of life and even lead to early death. Despite the need for ongoing follow-up care, fewer than half attend long-term clinics, as they lack knowledge about late effects or confidence in managing their health. Current approaches to educate and engage survivors are ineffective.
Dr. de Beijer’s work explores mobile health (mHealth) interventions as a promising solution to deliver accessible education, symptom tracking, and self-management tools. By empowering childhood cancer survivors with knowledge and confidence, this research aims to enhance their well-being and reduce long-term complications.
Dr. Yusheng Zhao (L) and Dr. Ismay de Beijer
TOUCHED 2025-26
Our Mission
At Kids Cancer Care, we are passionately dedicated to helping young people affected by cancer and their families survive and thrive in body, mind and spirit Here’s how you are helping us fulfill our mission.
PEER exercise
♥ ONE HUNDRED KIDS benefitted from 547 hours of exercise therapy, helping to reduce the immediate and long-term effects of cancer and its treatments. In response to our PEER survey:
100% OF PARENTS is inclusive and adaptable for all abilities builds confidence is fun and social builds skills and abilities
Agree or strongly agree that PEER
“PEER gave me the chance to be active again, but in an environment that understands my unique situation. I get to do fun activities without worrying about pushing myself too far in a program that is flexible with my treatment plan.
– PEER participant
MIND SPIRIT
With your support, we’re empowering kids to survive and thrive mentally, preparing them for life’s challenges through academic success, career planning, emotional literacy and healthy coping skills.
education & scholarships
♥ 90 KIDS benefitted from 4,705 HOURS of tutoring and advocacy support, building confidence, academic skills and competency in kids affected by cancer
♥ 646 SCHOOL KIDS enhanced their knowledge of childhood cancer during 13 Cancer in the Classroom sessions, fostering compassion and understanding for kids facing cancer
♥ 19 TEENS gave 1,656 volunteer hours, building new skills, fundraising and completing a volunteer service trip abroad to help families in need
♥ 20 YOUNG PEOPLE received a Kids Cancer Care Derek Wandzura Memorial Scholarship for post-secondary studies in medicine, nursing, astrophysics, education, engineering, journalism, mechanics, AI, computer programming and more.
“Finding my tutor Sam was a HUGE blessing this semester!!! It’s seriously helped me out so much, so thank you for finding him!
– learner
With you at our side, we’re nurturing resilience in kids to help them survive and thrive in spirit, fostering a sense of belonging and social connection, personal growth and development and developing a sense of meaning and purpose.
camp & outreach
♥ 1,752 PARTICIPANTS enjoyed over 20 yearround camp and outreach programs
♥ 692 KIDS AND PARENTS benefitted from our year-round camp programs
♥ 10 COUNSELLING SESSIONS helped kids and families navigate the emotional side of cancer.
“Camp is phenomenal. Everyone is so happy to be there, and everyone just expresses themselves without being judged.
– Camper
The Derek Wandzura Memorial Scholarship is an endowed fund administered by the Calgary Foundation. Our Education Support Program is presented in honour of Steven Fowler, who loved learning and school. Special thanks to the Fowler family for giving kids affected by cancer a solid foundation for life.
camp & outreach
You are shaping tomorrow's leaders
“I would rather have cancer again than lose everything I’ve gained through Kids Cancer Care.” — Chan Choi
At 17, Chan possesses wisdom well beyond his years. Despite the trauma of a cancer diagnosis at age 10, he views his journey as a blessing. Thanks to your incredible support, Chan transformed his cancer experience into an opportunity for growth.
“It was a very scary experience, but I feel fortunate,” says Chan. “Everything I’ve gained through Kids Cancer Care — the experiences and opportunities — far outweighs my treatment.”
Chan’s cancer ordeal started with excruciating back pain that eventually led to a diagnosis of Burkitt’s lymphoma — a fast-growing, aggressive cancer. After six months of intense chemotherapy, Chan entered remission in June 2019.
That summer, Chan went to Camp Kindle: “I was in Embers boys, and I did not want to be there. I was a pretty shy kid, super introverted, and this counsellor Chilli drew me out of my shell and showed me the magic of camp. I want to do that for someone else.”
Today, Chan deals with primary immunodeficiency—a side effect of his treatment—requiring regular injections and monitoring.
“His immune system has still not recovered from the chemo,” his mother Hyeok Jung explains. “He has zero immunity and needs regular injections to boost it. They don’t know why it’s happening.”
“I loved the out trips, making our own food, struggling to set up our tents, but having fun,” says Chan. “It almost felt like a blessing when we didn’t have to do dishes. I had a really good group of friends and laughed a lot.”
“It was the best luck among bad luck.
– Hyeok
True to form, Chan remains ever grateful and optimistic: “It’s scary because you could die, but so much good has come to me through this experience.”
Chan cherishes the memories and friendships he made at Camp Kindle—especially those from camp SunSeeker, where he experienced more independence and a deeper connection with friends and nature.
Looking ahead to summer, Chan hopes to return to Camp Kindle as a counsellor to pay the magic forward. Afterward, he plans to study computer science and AI at the University of Alberta, supported by a Kids Cancer Care Derek Wandzura Memorial Scholarship. Chan also imagines a day when his name will appear on the donor wall at Camp Kindle. Whether as camp counsellor, donor or AI scientist, Chan plans to share his gifts with the next generation.
Reflecting on their family’s cancer journey, it’s clear Hyeok shares her son’s resilient spirit: “It was the best luck among bad luck.”
Chan after winning the Inspirit Kindie Award for fostering a positive, inclusive and caring space at camp by inspiring and lifting others up.
Chan at Camp (top left)
how to help
ways you can help
DONATE
Your one-time gift will help ensure we’re here to help kids affected by cancer in these uncertain times.
GIVE MONTHLY
You can be a superhero in the life of a child with cancer. Your monthly gifts will ensure that kids can count on you for their entire cancer journey, from diagnosis through treatment and beyond.
FUNDRAISE
You can raise funds for children with cancer by organizing your own Can Do for Kids community fundraiser. Run. Cycle. Swim. Bake. Dance. Turn what you love into a fundraising opportunity for the kids today.
ROCK YOUR LOCKS
Show moral support for children who lose their hair during chemo and cut, colour or shave your lid to raise funds for our programs for kids.
CYCLE
Join us for the Ride of Courage, July 10 to 12. Choose between 3-day, 2-day or 1-day rides or cycle on your own. Tour the Foothills by day and relax around the campfire by night.
COMMUNITY
♥ 190 DONORS AND VOLUNTEERS helped us raise $8.9 M in the Camp Kindle Expansion and Accessibility Project, building capacity and making Camp Kindle even more magical and accessible for kids. Highlights include an outdoor music playground, Christine’s Conservatory, supported by Morrison Homes, and the Shane Homes Treehouse Village.
VOLUNTEERS
♥ 300 VOLUNTEERS gave 18,722 hours, providing the equivalent of 10.2 FTEs and saving the foundation $704,000 to invest in programs for kids and families.
“I want to express my deep gratitude to the Kids Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta for all the support they provide to children and their families. It makes a meaningful difference in our lives. – parent
