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Thankful to the Sun Community News & Printing for this article on our mission for this September ~ Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. 🙏🎗️💛
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Sun Community News Article

​JAY | Karson Hull and his family hope that people will join them in raising funds for research during this Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

During the month of September, Hope for Miracles, Inc., a nonprofit charity based in Jay, is holding a Virtual 5k Run/Walk. People can participate by signing up online at the charity’s website or through their Facebook Page Event (Run to Cure Childhood Cancer).

“I’m excited to do something new this year for my birthday fundraiser. Since my birthday is in September and September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, we wanted to do something special. My family and I plan to run the 5K just before my birthday celebration.”

The virtual fundraiser is set up so individuals can participate on their own schedule and at their own pace. Participants are asked to make a donation of at least $10. The first 25 individuals to sign up will receive a special 5k Hope for Miracles T-shirt. Those taking part are asked to post pictures to social media platforms and tag Hope for Miracles to spread awareness of childhood cancer. Donations are also gratefully accepted.

 "The month of September is always a difficult one for our family, filled with conflicting emotions. Karson has been diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a childhood cancer, three times in his 12 short years. Two of those diagnoses and treatments were given in late August/early September. While it always brings back those hard memories, it also brings back the hope we felt then and the hope we still feel,” said Karson’s mother, Holly LaBombard, Hope of Miracles Founder and CEO.

Neuroblastoma is a rare childhood cancer and accounts for 7 to 10 percent of childhood cancers. However, it is the most common type of cancer in infants; almost 50 percent of all cancer in infants are neuroblastomas. There are about 800 children diagnosed with neuroblastoma in the United States each year, and most are diagnosed before the age of 5.

There are many types of childhood cancers, and each requires different research and experimentation for treatment. Only 4 percent of research funds are dedicated to childhood cancers, and rarer forms like neuroblastoma receive little funding.

“It is very important to me to give help and hope to others who are dealing with a childhood cancer diagnosis. I want to inspire others to get involved in the fight against childhood cancer. Strength is in numbers and together we can change the 4 percent and help fund the research that will change the lives of these children and families,” said LaBombard.

She emphasized that devoting funds to research is the only way to find a cure for neuroblastoma and other childhood cancers.

“Spreading awareness, raising funding through this virtual 5k and celebrating Karson being healthy and his birthday are great ways to fill this Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and is instrumental in helping us pay it forward for other families,” said LaBombard.

LaBombard added that this is also a chance for local youth to get involved by supporting their peers while participating in a health-promoting activity. Karson’s family and Kira Witherwax Team of Remax North Country are sponsoring 55 slots for youth runners. Interested youth and their families can reach out to [email protected] or 518-572-0695 for more information.

Along with the virtual fun run, Hope for Miracles is selling tickets for its 4th Annual Gala for Miracles. The Gala is scheduled for Nov. 4 at the Whiteface Club & Resort in Lake Placid. Individual ticket prices for this year’s Gala are $75 for adults and $35 for children 12 and under. Rooms at the Mirror Lake Inn will be available at a discounted rate. 

Hope for Miracles, Inc., is a 501(c)3 public charity and previously donated $100,000 to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for Childhood Cancer research, and is currently working to raise another $100,000. The charity has raised $64,022.97 of its current $100,000 goal.

For more information, or to sign up for either the virtual 5K or Gala, visit https://www.hopeformiracles.org.