Some times great change comes in the form of the simplest of ideas.

What started as a simple idea from our thirteen year old daughter, Alexa, to honor the memory of her young friend, Michael Mancuso, has blossomed into a wonderful community event raising funds and awareness for Neuroblastoma.  We had no idea when this adventure started six years ago that our lives would be touched time and time again by this rare and aggressive form of pediatric cancer through neighbors, co-workers, classmates, and friends.  The courage of these children and their families inspire us every day to keep our dream of finding a cure for Neuroblastoma alive.

Through the community’s generous gifts and participation over the last five years this event has raised a staggering total of over $400,000!  We will always be appreciative to everyone who has played a part in making this event so successful and ultimately helping Cook Children’s Medical Center with Neuroblastoma program development and clinical research.

The Cook Children's Neuroblastoma Program leads the way in cutting edge research.

As in previous years, our 2012 proceeds will go directly to Cook Children’s.  In 2008, Cook Children’s was selected to join the New Approaches to Neuroblastoma Therapy (NANT) consortium, an organization comprised of just 15 hospitals throughout the United States specializing in neuroblastoma research.  Through the collaboration with NANT, Cook Children’s is currently enrolling patients in new clinical trials offering the leading edge of care for neuroblastoma.

In addition Cook Children’s is delighted to announce the construction of a lead-lined room for MIBG therapy (treatment for refractory or relapsed neuroblastoma using liquid radiation to target neuroblastoma cells), scheduled to open in 2012.  At this time Cook Children’s will be the only cancer center in Texas and the Southwest to have such a facility.  Our goal is to continue to boost program development and clinical research with concentration on the MIBG program development with the proceeds from this year’s event.