Hello and Happy New Year from Kate’s Cause! I sat down to write this post and became overwhelmed at just how BIG 2019 really was in our little corner of the world, and I just couldn’t wait to share it with you all. (I also realize how very behind I am on blogging it all!)
We had a tremendously successful birthday toy drive again this year and celebrated what would have been Kate’s 8th birthday by delivering the toys you so generously donated directly to the clinic.
Immediately after, we packed our car up and headed to Philadelphia with a $50,000 check to deliver to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for the two grants we would co-fund later in the year. While there, we were able to visit with our very first grant recipient, Dr. Christian Hurtz, PhD, and got to tour his lab, ask questions and learn how the dollars YOU spent is helping in the battle with childhood cancer. In the coming days, you’ll hear all about the two new research teams we’ve chosen!
Perhaps one of the most rewarding moments of the year was being able to dedicate Kate’s Book Nook to the clinic with over 500 brand new books thanks to YOUR donations! We decorated the space fit for any dinosaur loving love bug and presented a $10,000 check to Inova Children’s Hospital.
After the busy summer, we entered into September and worked really hard to ready ourselves to entertain 500 of our closest friends with Kegs & Corks for Kids Cancer! Even more special this year, was that the creator of the event and Kate’s nurse, traveled across the world to be there for the event as well as the weekend following in Wisconsin. The two events totally blew us away by raising a combined $43,101.24 for us to continue our research grant work well into 2020.
We launched a brand new merch line! We raised our voices at CureFest once again this year and we hosted the clinic’s Halloween party for patients, families and staff! We had a fantastic event at Kendra Scott for Giving Tuesday! And we wrapped up the year giving our 2019 Kate’s Kindness Award to a very deserving candidate.
All of this because of YOU.
As we settle into our season of deepest grief as the fourth anniversary of Kate’s departure for Heaven, it is so important that we pause and extend our truly heartfelt appreciation for you. Without you, there would be no us. Because of you, we get to keep our promise. Because of you, we get to do for them.
We are humbled and oh so very grateful and we hope you’ll join us for another amazing ride in 2020. It’s the year for vision. Clarity. Let’s find that cure together! Until Childhood Cancer is Extinct!