Posts Tagged ‘cancer research’

by Sonja Chevere

Do you support a nonprofit organization? If not, then maybe it's time to get involved. But how far are you willing to go? A dear friend of mine, Wendy Sipple, went through great lengths to support her favorite charities–she went bald! On Saturday, March 13th Wendy had her head shaved at the annual St. Baldrick's event. The St. Baldrick's Foundation raises funds to provide grants for childhood cancer research. Wendy also grew her hair long for two years prior to the event so that she could donate her hair to Locks of Love. A local news station in Sacramento, CA covered the event and interviewed Wendy. Here's the link to see her going bald for charity! http://www.kcra.com/video/22839439/index.html

NPC: Tell us a little bit about your organization, Alex’s Lemonade Stand. Why was it started?

Liz and Jay Scott: Alex’s Lemonade Stand
Foundation began through our daughter Alexandra “Alex” Scott and her dream to help find a cure for all kids with cancer. Alex herself was diagnosed with a form of childhood cancer prior to her first birthday, and by the time she was four, had been battling the disease for more than half of her life. It was at that time, after receiving a treatment, that Alex voiced a simple wish – she wanted to hold a lemonade stand to raise money to help doctors find a cure for all childhood cancers. Her very first lemonade stand would raise over $2,000, only strengthening Alex’s determination to make a difference. Over the course of the next four years, Alex would hold lemonade stands and events, and raise over $1 million for childhood cancer research. Though she would ultimately lose her life to the disease in 2004, the foundation has continued her legacy of hope. We now have thousands of volunteers across the country and around the world who hold lemonade stands, sending in the proceeds to Alex’s cause. Thus far, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation has raised more than $30 million, funding over 125 projects, and truly making a difference for children and their families touched by the disease.

NPC: Who does it serve?

Liz and Jay Scott: Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation works to serve childhood cancer patients and their families, as well as everyone touched by childhood cancer, both directly and indirectly. The foundation funds research to find better treatments and cures for childhood cancer, utilizes funds to help families get to the treatments that they so desperately need, and works to become a resource to help everyone touched by childhood cancer to better understand the disease, it’s treatments, etc. 

 

NPC: How long have you been in operation?

Liz and Jay Scott: We are calling 2010 our 10^th anniversary year, as it marks 10 years since Alex held her very first front yard lemonade stand. However, the foundation itself didn’t officially come into existence until 2005.

 

NPC: How many people did you serve your first year? And, this year?

Liz and Jay Scott: The amount of people that we serve is hard to measure. We could measure it in the amount of grants we have given out, over 125; or the amount of lemonade stands that are held each year, thousands; or by the number of families we have been in touch with directly, hundreds. However, if we measure this by how many children are diagnosed with cancer every year, we would serve over 12,000 children in the United States alone each year. I like to think we are serving all the children and their families who have been touched by childhood cancer in their lifetimes, which would take us into the millions.

 

NPC: What is your most difficult challenge as a nonprofit?

Liz and Jay Scott: I think the most difficult challenge for our particular nonprofit is seeing children touched by childhood cancer go through treatments and sometimes lose their lives. However, this also only reminds us of why we are here – so that someday children will no longer have to face this life-threatening disease. The current survival rate children diagnosed with cancer is approximately 80%, but that is nowhere near good enough. We need to get the survival rate to 100%, so our brothers, sisters, daughters, and sons never have to face such a fate.

 

NPC: What was your most difficult challenge starting out?

Liz and Jay Scott: There are many challenges in getting any organization off the ground, and I think something that has continued to be a challenge is that the foundation is always going to be a work in progress. Our daughter Alex was determined to make a difference in the world of childhood cancer, and we were lucky enough to be able to continue that through the foundation  bearing her name. However, running the foundation and creating the right environment is something we are constantly working on. We are so honored to be here and to have experienced such immense success, and we know as time goes on, we will only grow to be stronger.

 

NPC: What advice would you give to someone who wants to start a nonprofit?

Liz and Jay Scott: Have a plan, and surround yourself with people who are equally dedicated to your mission. We were fortunate to have gained many friends throughout Alex’s initial stands who were well-versed in the nonprofit world, so they helped us get off the ground initially. Some of these friends even became some of our very first official staff members!

 

NPC: How can people get involved?

Liz and Jay Scott: There are so many different ways that people can get involved with Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. Of course the original idea was to hold a lemonade stand, and nearly half of the foundation’s funds still originate from stands. Many kids host stands, but so do people of all ages – stands have been held in office buildings, banks, grocery stores, retirement homes and more. In addition to stands, there are various other events that can be held throughout the year, and of course raising awareness for the foundation and childhood cancer are equally important. We have
recently been utilizing social media to spread the message, so become a fan of Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation on facebook, or follow us on twitter for more ways to get involved!

 

NPC: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

Liz and Jay Scott: Only that childhood cancer remains the number one disease killer of children under the age of 15 in the United States. This fact is shocking and largely unknown. Children and their families touched by the disease need our help to fund research leading to better treatments and ultimately cures. So until the day when those cures become a reality, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation will be working on behalf of these children and their families.

*Liz and Jay Scott are Alex's Parents, Vice President of Outreach and  Communications and Executive Director. For more information and to make a donation to Alex's Lemonade Stand, please visit the website at www.alexslemonade.org.