Childhood Cancer Awareness Walk this weekend

Bald Beauties Project, Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation of Southern Arizona, Courtney’s Courage and Lainy’s Light are teaming up to stage the inaugural event, which begins at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 15, at Brandi Fenton Memorial Park, 3482 E. River Road.

“All of us have been touched by childhood cancer in one way or another. It has had a significant impact on our lives and we want to make sure people are aware that cancer is the number one cause of death by disease for children in Arizona,” said Maya Luria, co-founder of the Bald Beauties Project.

Conceived by Maya’s daughter, Kelsey Taylor Luria, who succumbed to Acute Myeloid Leukemia in 2015, the organization provides photo shoots and professional portraits for children, teens and young adults undergoing cancer treatments and their families.

Maya said that promoting awareness about the far-reaching impact of pediatric cancer — and raising funds for much-needed support and wrap-around services — is the impetus for the event.

“Last year in Tucson alone, 10 children died of cancer and no one really knows that fact," said Beverley Tidwell, CEO of Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation of Southern Arizona. "If one child dies of measles or the flu in Pima County, it will be a major news item ... but cancer is very poorly represented in the childhood medical realm.

"We are coming together to fight for advocacy and make childhood cancer more visible. All of our programs are reliant on funding and we want to raise awareness and funding levels to make childhood cancer a more tangible, understood experience in the general population."

Candlelighters offers a range of financial assistance and resources (assistance with rent, utilities, car repairs and more) for families of children undergoing treatment at Banner Children’s at Diamond Children’s Medical Center. It also stages an annual prom and Gift Wish Holiday Party and other events for patients; Annual Family Camps; Youth and Sibling Support Programs, and various support groups for parents and families.

Tidwell and her family benefitted from Candlelighters’ advocacy and support during the seven years that her late son, William, battled cancer.

“It taught me a lot about insurance advocacy, physician advocacy and treatment advocacy,” said Tidwell, who is determined to expand awareness about the many resources and programs available to pediatric cancer patients and their families.

For more than 25 years, Courtney’s Courage has served as one of those resources.

Founded in memory of Courtney Zillman, the foundation has funneled more than $1 million into pediatric cancer research — including neuroblastoma — at the University of Arizona Steele Children’s Research Center. The funding has served as seed money to attain large grants for additional research from the National Institutes of Health and other institutions, according to Kathy Zillman-Ogden, Courtney’s mom and ambassador of Courtney’s Courage.

Courtney’s Courage also offers support and camaraderie for families through “Mom’s Dinners,” an annual “Southwest Hope & Healing Bereavement Retreat” and other events. Newly-diagnosed children and their siblings receive support through customized, themed “Courtney’s Paks” and “Courtney’s Sibling Paks.” A range of financial assistance and other resources are also available.

Zillman-Ogden is proud of the growing collaboration between Courtney’s Courage and like-minded nonprofits.

“We have some overlap, but we each have exclusive services that we provide," Zillman-Ogden said. "We are not competitive. We help each other and put our heads together, and the needs of families are covered pretty well between all of us. We can cover a lot more ground when organizations work together."

The Lainy’s Light Foundation further helps ease the pediatric cancer burden by providing comfort, compassion and connection.

The foundation was inspired by Alaina “Lainy” Sharpe, who lost her battle against mesenchymal chondrosarcoma last year at age 14.

“It was a dream of our daughter’s to have this foundation and we picked up where she left off ... she had it in her heart to help others in the same situation. She wanted to create comfort bags that contained things that she felt she couldn’t live without during her cancer journey,” said Angelica Sharpe, Lainy’s mother.

Items listed under ‘Notes’ in Lainy’s phone — essentials for nausea, antibacterial wipes, gift cards and more—are incorporated with personalized items identified for each child by their social worker into Duffel-sized comfort bags and smaller “car kits.” The bags are valued at $200 to $300 each and are convenient for children to take to the hospital or clinic or to carry when they are out.

The foundation also offers monthly financial sponsorship — including rent, utilities, groceries, or other basic needs — to a family in need.

“Lainy wanted to give a little happiness. She was a recipient of some bags and the ones she loved the most asked about specifically what she liked ... we are not all the same and we want kids to remember that you are still you. Cancer doesn’t define you,” said Angelica.

She encourages the public to support the upcoming fundraiser and come together for children in treatment and their families, who can expect a safe and comfortable day of fun.

“Tucson is a really tight-knit community, but before our daughter was diagnosed, I had no idea of everything happening here to support kids with cancer, and I wish I had known," said Angelica. "I am grateful to be part of it even though it was a tragedy in the end for us. It was an eye-opening experience and I would like there to be more opportunities for people to learn about what is going on in Tucson."