Curing Kids’ Cancer Teams Up with Levine Children’s Hospital To Fund Pediatric Cancer Research

Charlotte 49ers Head Coach Bobby Lutz Named Ambassador for Charlotte Region
 
ATLANTA and CHARLOTTE – SEPT 18, 2007 – Curing Kids’ Cancer Inc. today announced that it has joined forces with Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, N.C., to raise money for pediatric cancer research in the Charlotte region. To help the cause, Charlotte 49ers Head Basketball Coach Bobby Lutz has been named an ambassador for Curing Kids’ Cancer and will assist in fundraising efforts in the area.

Levine Children’s Hospital, set to open in October on the main campus of Carolinas Medical Center , will be promoting both of Curing Kids’ Cancer’s flagship programs: Coaches Curing Kids’ Cancer (CCKC) and Teachers Curing Kids’ Cancer.

Each program uses a simple concept – Youth sports teams and individual school classrooms are encouraged to donate the money they would usually raise for presenting their coach or teacher a gift at the end of the season or school year to help in the fight against pediatric cancer. Donations to Curing Kids’ Cancer fund much-needed pediatric cancer research, and, in return, the participating coach or teacher receives a commemorative certificate and a gift acknowledging their generosity. Details of the programs are available at www.curingkidscancer.org. 

 “We are thrilled to team up with Levine Children’s Hospital, which is setting the standard for pediatric cancer treatment in the Carolinas ,” said Grainne Owen, founder of Curing Kids’ Cancer. “By tapping into Charlotte ’s successful youth sports programs, we hope to help fund cutting edge cancer treatments at Levine Children’s Hospital.”

“We are fortunate to have one of the best pediatric teams in the country staffing a program that is affiliated with the national Children’s Oncology Group,” said Page Stroup, executive director of The Children’s Fund at Levine Children’s Hospital. “With generous support from the Curing Kids’ Cancer programs, we will continue to enhance our programs and accommodate the growing pediatric population in this region.”

Lutz, entering is ninth year as head coach of the 49ers, will serve as a spokesperson for CCKC in the Charlotte area to help spread awareness and assist in fundraising activities.  He joins a high-profile list of CCKC ambassadors, including national spokesperson Lee Corso, as well as major league pitcher Tom Glavine and well-known basketball commentator Clark Kellogg.

Last year, thanks to the generosity of young people around the nation, CCKC provided more than $300,000 in total funding to The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children’s Cancer Center , the Palmetto Health Cancer Center in Columbia, S.C. , and Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.

About Curing Kids’ Cancer
Inspired by nine year old Killian Owen’s battle with leukemia, Curing Kids’ Cancer Inc. is a unique, national grassroots movement which aims to raise both awareness and money to find cures for all types of childhood cancer. Our programs fund the development of cutting edge therapies which will revolutionize childhood cancer treatment by replacing traditional chemotherapy. Our objective is to turn this killer disease into a curable one in our lifetime. Details are available at www.curingkidscancer.org.

About Levine Children’s Hospital
Scheduled to open in October 2007, Levine Children’s Hospital will be one of the three largest children’s hospitals in the Southeast and the largest facility between Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, Georgia . It will offer the most advanced pediatric care available and several of the region’s “firsts,” such as  a day hospital, cardiac intensive care unit, and 24-hour pediatric emergency department. The new children’s hospital will also include patient rooms with extra beds for parents who wish to stay overnight with their children, a children’s diagnostic center, and a 13-bed rehabilitation pavilion.