Ahead of September's Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month National Pediatric Cancer Foundation (NPCF) Launches the "Sunshine Club" Fundraising Program as Part of its Year-long "43 Challenge" Campaign in Support of the 43 Children Diagnosed with Cancer Each Day in the U.S.

TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 9, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Ahead of September's National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation (NPCF) has launched the Sunshine Club fundraising program as part of its "43 Challenge" virtual campaign, to raise national awareness and funds critical for pediatric cancer research. The announcement was made by David Frazer, CEO of the leading national nonprofit organization, whose groundbreaking research in childhood cancer is affecting treatment protocols nationwide.

"Childhood cancer is the number one cause of death by disease in children and yet only four percent of the billions of dollars annually spent on cancer research is directed towards treating childhood cancer. Moreover, fewer than 10 drugs have been developed for use in children with cancer since 1980. These are staggering statistics that we, as a society, can't ignore. Our mission at NPCF is to change that by focusing on fast-tracking less toxic, more targeted treatments. The Sunshine Club is an opportunity for members of our community to participate in funding critical lifesaving research and treatment of childhood cancer," adds Mr. Frazer.

The Sunshine Club is named after NPCF's Sunshine Project, a business model unlike any other in the field of pediatric cancer research. Consisting of a consortium of over 20 leading pediatric hospitals nationwide, the Sunshine Project was founded with the goal of leveraging collaboration, both scientific and philanthropic, to identify promising, less toxic, novel therapies to treat and eliminate childhood cancer. Through these partnerships, top pediatric cancer specialists are able to collaborate, resulting in the fast-tracking of new treatment options into clinical trials. Through the Sunshine Project, the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation has launched several clinical trials and many new combinations of drugs and therapies have been, and continue to be, tested. The treatment options being discovered through the Sunshine Project are bringing great promise for children who have not experienced positive results under the standard treatment protocol.

"In the last several months, we've seen so many aspects of everyday life come to halt as a result of the pandemic," says entrepreneur/philanthropist Kathy Ireland, who serves as NPCF's International Youth Chair. "Cancer doesn't care if there is a pandemic or not, and so 43 precious young children continue to be diagnosed each day with pediatric cancer. Please join us in supporting these young heroes and their families, who each day are bravely fighting a war against this evil scourge. Awareness and contributions are literal lifelines for pediatric cancer research and treatment, and together we can and will destroy it," adds Ms. Ireland, who is among the top ten women's health advocates in America, as listed by UCLA. 

"We recognize that many people are struggling during this very difficult time," said NPCF Co-Founder and Emeritus Director Melissa Dunkel. "Research must continue and the 43 children who are diagnosed with cancer every day cannot be forgotten, so we are asking our communities for support."

NPCF has supported more than $25 million to pediatric cancer research since its inception in 1991. The National Pediatric Cancer Foundation has received a perfect 100% score for financial health and transparency and is the top-rated childhood cancer charity in the United States by Charity Navigator. 

"Our research model has a track record of funding both our consortium's best scientists and the rapidly developed trials based on their promising results. These trials improve the options for treating children with cancer now." said Dr. Damon Reed, Lead Investigator / Director of NPCF Sunshine Research Project.

To join the Sunshine Club and help save lives, individuals can log onto https://nationalpcf.org/sunshine-club/.

About National Pediatric Cancer Foundation
The National Pediatric Cancer Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding research to eliminate childhood cancer through the Sunshine Project, the Foundation's collaborative research initiative. By partnering with doctors and researchers from the country's top institutions, the Sunshine Project is fast-tracking the development of new drugs and therapies that will ultimately lead to the cure of childhood cancers. The NPCF has received a perfect 100% score for financial health and transparency and is recognized as the top-rated cancer charity in the U.S. by Charity Navigator. For more information, visit www.NationalPCF.org or connect via Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

SOURCE National Pediatric Cancer Foundation

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https://nationalpcf.org