About the Fun Walk

Join us for the 2022 Fun Walk benefiting Candlelighters. Candlelighters serves children with cancer and their families receiving treatment in the Texas Medical Center and provides all of its services and programs at NO COST to these families.  Monies raised from the Fun Walk help fund all of Candlelighters programs and services for childhood cancer families, including Candlelighters Camp CLIFF – our annual family camp for children with cancer as well as their siblings and parents - because one day, cancer will be gone, but families will be here forever.

Walk where you are on Saturday, September 10, 2022!

This year, we're challening you to take 4,435 steps on Walk Day (about 2 miles) - each step represents a Candlelighters family - a family who Candlelighters has provided support for during and after their child's cancer treatment; support for the child with cancer, the parents, and their siblings!

Join the VIRTUAL conversation! - Facebook Event link coming soon!

Partake in the ONLINE WALK RAFFLE! - Link coming soon!

Get your family, friends and company involved! Here are the ways YOU can participate: 

1. Candlelighters Family Team (family walking in honor of their child who has/had cancer)
2. Community Team (family or group other than one directly affected by childhood cancer walking in support of Candlelighters mission)
3. Corporate Team (office, company or large corporation walking together for Candlelighters mission)
4. Individual Walker (not on a team but still want to help fundraise)

TEAM CAPTAINS - when you start your team, we encourage you to recruit at least 10 friends or family members to register and walk with your team!  Remember, the more friends and family members you recruit, the more team members you have fundraising! Don't forget to set a goal for your team!

TALKING POINTS:

Who we are

Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Family Alliance provides emotional, educational and practical support to families of children with cancer.

Candlelighters began in 1989 with two parent support groups from the Texas Medical Center: one at Texas Children’s Cancer Center and one at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Children’s Cancer Hospital. The Texas Children’s Hospital group sought formal incorporation, and in 1992 Candlelighters was legally formed.  In the fall of 1992, they invited the MD Anderson Parent Group to join them and the two organizations merged into one.

Why get involved

In the United States, cancer is the number 1 killer of children by disease. On average, one in every four elementary schools has a child with cancer, and the average high school has two students who have or have had cancer.  Each day 43 children in the United States are diagnosed with cancer. Currently, one in every 330 Americans develops cancer during childhood or adolescence before the age of 20. Childhood cancer occurs randomly and spares no ethnic group, socioeconomic class or geographic region. Candlelighters helps those families who face the devastating diagnosis of childhood cancer.

What does my walk donation support

All of our programs and services are the direct result of the vision that our founding families shared – we have faced childhood cancer and we want to make the journey easier for those who come after us.  

The Fun Walk raises money for our services and programs which are offered FREE to children with cancer and their families. This has obviously changed quite a bit since COVID-19 hit, and I'm so proud of how we've adapted our processes to continue our mission throughout this trying time. 

Here's what Fun Walk donations will be used toward this year:

1. Hospital Parking Assistance - this remains Candlelighters #1 request from childhood cancer families as it costs them $15 per day to park at the Texas Medical Center for treatment
2. Emotional Support - childhood cancer families are still restricted when it comes to gatherings, hospital visitation guidelines, school attendace and more. Over the last year it's become even more apparent just how important Candlelighters peer-to-peer support efforts are. Their weekly support group meetings have grown, and Candlelighters Parent Consultants (staff who are also parents of childhood cancer survivors) are working around the clock to touch base and check-in with families and their needs.
3. Gas Cards & Grocery Cards - daily out-of-pocket costs continue to be a financial burden for childhood cancer families and Candlelighters is dedicated to making life easier by providing support to families in these ways.
4. Memorial Funds - cancer hasn't quit unfortunately. Children are still being diagnosed and gaining their angel wings. Candlelighters provides financial assistance for families to hold memorial services for their children.
5. Bell Ringing in a Box - Due to hospital restrictions, bell ringing celebrations (sygnifying the end of cancer treatment!) are not being allowed in the hospitals. Candlelighters is helping families celebrate their cancer survivor and this tremendous milestone with celebratory supplies for their bell ringing ceremony at home with their loved ones.
6. Camp CLIFF - Candlelighters has held their annual family camp, Camp CLIFF, virtually the past two years, providing a weekend full of fun for the whole family at home. They are still in discussion with our Board of Directors (including pediatric oncologists) over this year's camping decision. Stay tuned! But donations will allow Candlelighters to host whatever camp we can safely - whether in person or virtual camp is a lifechanging experience for our childhood cancer families.
   

When talking to a company or business that you’d like to work with, here is what they can do:

• Sponsor your walk team or make a donation
• Form a walk team of their own, or have their employees join yours
• Host a gift card drive for Candlelighters families (target, wal-mart, amazon, cvs, walgreens, kroger, HEB)
• Summer Jeans Days: employees donate $5 in order to wear jeans on Fridays - Candlelighters will provide Gold Ribbons for them to wear in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness 

Questions? Email kelseyt@candle.org or call (713) 270-4700 for help setting up a personal fundraising page, joining a team or managing your account.