Sponsors needed for Clips for Cancer during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September

Sponsors are needed for the 7^th Annual Clips for Cancer event presented by Florida Radiology Consultants, which will anchor Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month in September. Clips for Cancer will be held Saturday, September 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Bell Tower Shops.

This year’s event theme is “Go Gold for Golisano” in recognition of the gold ribbon, an awareness symbol for childhood cancer. The entire community is invited to Go Gold and Fight Like a Kid, from sponsoring the annual Clips for Cancer event to braving the shave and fundraising or donating in support of Barbara’s Friends – Golisano Children’s Hospital’s cancer fund.

“The growth of this grassroots event is phenomenal. We have gone from raising $33,000 to help kids with cancer to almost $400,000 last year,” said Amy Frith, senior director of Barbara’s Friends. “We can’t do this without our sponsors. This year sponsors have the opportunity to be featured in marketing at Bell Tower all month long! Show your support for our 90 kids in treatment at Golisano and let’s all Go Gold together and fight pediatric cancer.”

Clips for Cancer features childhood cancer survivors and patients shaving the heads of community leaders helped to raise money and awareness, demonstrating that being bald is not a sign of weakness, but rather strength in the long fight through chemotherapy treatment. This year, the main event moves center stage at Bell Tower on Saturday, Sept. 21, with all the shaving happening at 10 a.m. inside Dave & Buster’s. The day will continue with free family friendly activities, including games, animal encounters, first responder meet-and-greet with a touch-a-truck and tours of the Golisano Ambulance for the whole community. Sponsors can be featured on a Bell Tower “Go Gold” Shopping & Dining Discount Card, which will be available for purchase with proceeds benefiting Barbara’s Friends.

How to get involved:

• Become a sponsor: Various sponsorship levels are available for individuals and businesses to show support, with additional visibility at the Bell Tower event.
• Become a shavee: Sign up to have a pediatric cancer survivor/patient shave your head. Register for $25, set a personal fundraising goal and create a fundraising page to support the cause.
• Donate and fundraise: Contribute to the cause by donating or fundraising to help children and families battling cancer and come out to cheer on the shavees at Bell Tower.

Each year, community support raised during the month of September helps families with children receiving cancer treatment, such as providing gas cards to make sure kids can get to and from Golisano for daily treatments, paying for medications when insurance will not cover at-home chemo or pain relief drugs, or purchasing meals so parents can stay by their children during treatment. Barbara’s Friends also offers college scholarships, so that survivors can apply for college funds.

Donations also help fund medical advances in technology and care, including the addition of pediatric neurosurgical services at Golisano and the first-ever total immersion chemotherapy room at the Golisano Children’s Hospital Naples pediatric hematology and oncology clinic.

For information on this year’s event and sponsorship opportunities, visit BarbarasFriends.org/ClipsForCancer or email Amy.Frith@LeeHealth.org.