The Kids’ Cancer Project.
Together we can cure kids’ cancer for good.
thekidscancerproject.org.au
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Join our journey: From giving care to finding a cure. In 1993 Col Reynolds had a dream of helping all kids with cancer and started the Oncology Children’s Foundation, now known as The Kids’ Cancer Project. Col’s personal mission was to find ways to give children with cancer the gift of life. It has been an incredible journey, helping and saving many young lives along the way. But he can’t do it all by himself. The Kids’ Cancer Project needs the help of businesses and individuals to complete Col’s dream - to find a cure for all kids cancer.
For almost ten years Col operated, funded and sourced sponsorship himself. Now he could use some help. “25 years ago I started running outings for children in the Camperdown hospital’s child cancer ward. Back then there weren’t as many cures and many of the kids on my outings passed away. I knew we had to do more to find a cure so I raised money to invest in research and I’m proud to say many more kids now survive cancer. But the fight isn’t over. We need to keep investing in the best childhood cancer researchers so every child with cancer will have the opportunity to grow up and live their dreams free from this terrible disease. And you can help.”
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Survival rates for childhood cancers such as brain tumours and neuroblastoma remain at just 50%.
Support our goal of funding vital research. Since 1993, hundreds of thousands of Australians have contributed over $11million to the research programs supported by The Kids’ Cancer Project. The funds raised by The Kids’ Cancer Project serve a very specific purpose. We support and enable research programs aimed at finding cures for the most dangerous childhood cancers brain tumours and neuroblastoma - which have survival rates as low as 50%. We have identified some of Australia’s best childhood cancer researchers and we provide them with the surety of funding required to do their best work. Col Reynolds always believed cures for childhood cancers were within our grasp. Now we know they are.
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Some people talk about making a difference. Others actually do. The Kids’ Cancer Project takes a unique approach to funding medical research.
Rather than put all our eggs in one basket in one research centre, we support the brightest minds and the most accomplished researchers from the best research centres. The research programs we support concentrate on translating advances in the laboratory into new clinical treatment options. Two of these programs are now moving towards clinical trials.
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Drug Discovery Program The Kids’ Cancer Project annual funding: $800,000 The Drug Discovery Program at the University of New South Wales focuses on developing drugs capable of disabling the skeleton of cancer cells. Any drug which does this is likely to become a front line therapy for a wide range of childhood cancers - including neuroblastoma and brain tumours. The problem is disabling the cancer cell skeleton without affecting key body functions including the heart muscles. The Kids’ Cancer Project funded researchers are the first to overcome this problem, by developing an entirely new class of drugs which kill neuroblastoma cells effectively without damaging the heart. The great news is their drug has also proved to be just as effective against the adult cancer melanoma. However years more development and optimisation work is needed before these drugs are ready for clinical use. We currently have funding arrangements to cover the cost of the neuroblastoma drug development work. However, we do not have adequate reserves to fund the development of the melanoma drug over the next two years, which is estimated at a cost of $250,000 per annum. Your donation can and will make real difference.
Success in tackling childhood neuroblastoma has also helped with adult melenoma. But more funding is needed to make this treatment ready for clinical use.
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Childhood Cancer Cytoskeleton Consortium (C4) The Kids’ Cancer Project annual funding: $900,000 The Kids’ Cancer Project-C4 is the only project of its kind in the world. It is an initiative that brings together experts in the structure of cancer cells from across Australia and the USA. The focus is on earlier diagnosis, better treatments and fewer side effects from treatments of the more difficult childhood cancers. We are facilitating a collaboration on sharing research findings and to fast-track cures.
MGMT Cancer Gene Therapy Trial The Kids’ Cancer Project annual funding: $500,000 The Gene Therapy Program has developed a therapeutic MGMT gene which will protect a child’s bone marrow from chemotherapy. By protecting the bone marrow, this gene therapy technology will reduce the side effects of chemotherapy so that higher doses can be given to treat aggressive brain tumours and improve survival rates amongst children with brain tumours.
Tumour Bank The Kids’ Cancer Project annual funding: $250,000 The Tumour Bank sits at the heart of much of childhood cancer research. It stores thousands of tumour samples allowing researchers to study the behaviour of cancer cells in the actual cancer cells themselves and is vital to solving the cancer puzzle.
MGMT Muscle Stem Cell Project The Kids’ Cancer Project annual funding: $100,000 This project applies regenerative technology to help prevent muscle wasting during chemotherapy treatment. This is an exciting new breakthrough and has applications for long-term sufferers of muscle wasting, particularly as a result of cancer and muscular dystrophy.
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Royal Australian College of Physicians - Research Entry Scholarship The Kids’ Cancer Project annual funding: $30,000
A three year annual grant of $30,000 provided by The Kids’ Cancer Project will help fund Australian and New Zealand physicians and scientists who want to specialise in children’s cancer. The aim is to develop ideas from the research laboratory bench and take them into the cancer ward and help cure kids’ cancer for good.
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Please join us. There are many ways you can help. Volunteer opportunities For The Kids’ Cancer Project, volunteers are a vital resource. There are many different ways to assist us, whether it’s with a fundraising event or helping in our Sydney office.
Volunteer at events Fundraising events for The Kids’ Cancer Project are held Australia-wide and range from weekend walk-a-thons and fun runs to weekday golf games. The main role of a volunteer is to assist where needed on the day, with tasks such as selling raffle tickets, serving refreshments or collecting donations. Event volunteers receive a t-shirt and cap (if appropriate) to wear during the event.
Volunteer with our fundraising team Join our Sydney-based fundraising team. Tasks vary in level and all relevant training is provided, though you will need to have a working knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel, plus know how to use the internet and email.
Packing bears Help The Kids’ Cancer Project pack and despatch our gorgeous fundraising teddy bears to send to kids in hospitals across Australia.
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Workplace giving
Goods and services
For The Kids’ Cancer Project, workplace giving provides long-term, stable and continued funding.
If you’d like to make a donation to The Kids’ Cancer Project, a cash transfer is the best and most effective method as it allows us to put this directly into our research as quickly as possible.
The generous support of workplace giving means that The Kids’ Cancer Project can support some of the most talented childhood cancer researchers. Workplace giving plays a vital part in our fundraising work and it’s a great way to make a significant contribution to our research. Many companies support and facilitate regular employee donations to charity. The Kids’ Cancer Project can help you organise your workplace to make regular donations either through the payroll or through fun events that will help raise the team spirit. Workplace giving is a tax efficient way for employees to give to charity through their payroll. It’s an excellent way for employees to support charitable organisations using pre-tax dollars via a very simple mechanism. Many employers also match the funds given by employees, further boosting charitable giving and staff engagement. We can also arrange for a researcher or staff member from The Kids’ Cancer Project to present our objectives and outcomes at a function if appropriate.
However, if a cash donation isn’t feasible, your company could always provide their goods or services instead. We can talk through the options regarding your generous offer of help.
Acknowledgements In return for your significant contribution, The Kids’ Cancer Project proposes to acknowledge your business in the following ways: · Acknowledgement in The Kids’ Cancer Project Annual Report, on our website, newsletter and other forums as deemed appropriate. · Group tours of laboratories by our funded researchers. For example at UNSW, the Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Peter MacCallum Institute, University of Queensland, Children’s Cancer Institute Australia and St Vincent Institute of Medical Research. · Access to The Kids’ Cancer Project researchers and staff members to speak at corporate functions. · Exposure to The Kids’ Cancer Project database of approximately 800,000 people and monthly eDM database of 100,000 recipients. · Selected media opportunities.
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How you can help us raise funds. Individuals can help raise money or make donations to The Kids’ Cancer Project in all sorts of ways. See our website for all details.
Join our raffles
Teddy bears
We run raffles all year round and there are great prizes to be won. Why not buy some tickets and help us raise more funds for vital research.
We have six gorgeous teddy bears to choose from; each individually gift boxed. Or donate your bear to a sick child in hospital and put a smile on their face.
Personal donations
Leave a bequest
Donations to The Kids’ Cancer Project help guarantee more funding for world-class research. Currently your donation will help us target neuroblastoma and brain tumours, two of the most deadly childhood cancers.
Make a specific bequest to The Kids’ Cancer Project in your will or make a residual bequest so the remainder of your estate, after all other bequests, goes to help kids with cancer.
Any donation over $2 is tax deductible.
Fundraising events Regular donations Why not arrange to make a regular monthly donation? A little every month makes a big difference and donations over $2 are tax deductible. Ask your employer to give the option of regular pre-tax donations direct from your salary.
The Kids’ Cancer Project is part of a large variety of community fundraising events. Join in and help our supporters raise as much as possible for vital research. If you have an event you want people to get involved with please let us know and we’ll add it to our events list. Events include; the Bondi to Bronte ocean swim, Audax Alpine Classic bike race and the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.
We’d really value your support. By partnering with The Kids’ Cancer Project you will help fund our vital work. Looking forward to hearing from you. Best Regards, Col Reynolds Founder
Workplace giving, donations, regular giving, raffles and bequests Karen Elliff – Head of Fundraising
1800 651 158 Buy a bear Dee Schouten – Merchandise Manager
1800 651 158 Volunteering and community events Robert Wynn – Marketing Manager
1800 651 158
T > +61 2 8394 7777 F > +61 2 9662 1644 W > www.thekidscancerproject.org.au ABN 13 061 138 181