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During the month of November, Hope for Miracles, Inc. holds its Annual Gala. This year’s Gala, to be held on Nov. 4, will take place at the Whiteface Club & Resort in Lake Placid. The Gala will include a cocktail hour, dinner, live and silent auctions as well as a DJ and dancing. Tickets to the event can be purchased from the website, or by reaching out, and are $75 per person. Gala attendees are encouraged to wear gold, Hope for Miracles’ signature color. “It makes me feel good that my family and I can do these kinds of things, like the Gala, to help research a cure for those like me,” Hull said. For those interested in attending and are looking for a local hotel, or are looking for a nice weekend getaway while supporting a wonderful cause, the Mirror Lake Inn is offering a special rate promotion for those attending the Gala. “Our community is so widespread that it can be difficult to find a ‘perfect’ location for the Gala. It is comforting to know that we have such support from our local communities that offer us these discounts to ensure our followers can attend,” said Hull’s mother Holly LaBombard, Hope of Miracles Founder and CEO. Hope for Miracles was created in honor of Karson, who has battled neuroblastoma three times in his 13 years. Through the family’s quest for answers, they learned that only four percent (or less) of research funds are dedicated to childhood cancers, and rarer forms like neuroblastoma receive even less. Several sponsors have made this event possible and have been a part of this annual event since its inception. Mountain Valley Federal Credit Union, High Peaks Builders, and Adirondack Health have been supporters of the Gala from the beginning and continue to be an integral part of making the Gala into what it is. “They are like family. They have shown us that they believe in Hope for Miracles, our mission, and our ability to raise these much-needed funds to find a cure. Their continued support is like a warm blanket. When the fears set in, as they inevitably do, just the knowledge that we can count on their continued support is such needed reassurance,” said LaBombard. LaBombard says they welcome further sponsors and donations of items or services. “We are so incredibly thankful to our community members and businesses for their ongoing support and participation. The sponsors, donors, attendees and overall supporters are the superheroes, along with Karson, of course.” LaBombard wanted to give a special acknowledgement to the 2023 Gala Sponsors to date: Schluter Systems, Chauvin Insurance Agency, the Mckiege Family, Alexander Orthodontics, The UPS Store Lake Placid, and the three businesses mentioned above. Hope for Miracles raises much-needed funding for childhood cancer and ensures that a minimum of 96 percent of these funds go directly to research. Since its inception in December of 2018, 99 percent of funds raised have gone to Memorial Sloan Kettering for a clinical trial that has shown to be safe and effective in treating children with neuroblastoma. The actual vaccine being tested can be used to treat not only neuroblastoma, but all solid-type tumors in both children and adults. “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 four 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. 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 $66,000 of its current $100,000 goal. To purchase tickets, or for more information about Hope for Miracles, visit https://www.hopeformiracles.org. |
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 info@hopeformiracles.com 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. |
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11/14/2022
Hope for Miracles Hopes to raise $100,000 for childhood cancer research by the end of the year. |
11/16/2022
Make-A-Wish Northeast NY Holiday Campaign kicks off. |
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11/7/2022
Gala for childhood cancer research. |
10/31/2022
Hope for Miracles raises money for rare form of childhood cancer. 
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CELEBRATING POWERFUL WOMEN ZONTA CLUB HONORS 5 WOMEN WITH R.O.S.E. AWARDS
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Holly LaBombard-Hull, of Jay, is the founder and director of Hope for Miracles, a charity that supports funding research for life-saving trials and cures for neuroblastoma, a form of pediatric cancer. Her son Karson is a three-time neuroblastoma survivor, most recently in the fall.
“After the second time, we decided that we really needed to help,” LaBombard-Hull said. “What we learned through visiting Memorial Sloan Kettering (Cancer Center) and Dana-Farber (Cancer Institute) is that only 4% of funds raised for cancer research go to childhood cancer. .. It took me a while to grasp it. It doesn’t make sense.” So she took action. She created Hope for Miracles. “They didn’t know how best to help Karson, so it’s really scary as a mom and Cole, his dad, finding out that not only does your child have cancer, which is extremely scary, but there’s no real research. There’s nothing really set in stone as a way to treat it,” she said. Quinn remembers meeting LaBombard-Hull at a Hope for Miracles fundraiser. “We were just astounded by the fact that not only is she doing all this work to raise money and awareness, but she was doing it while her own child has cancer,” Quinn said. “That’s such an extraordinary thing to go through as a human, as a mom.” What message does the R.O.S.E. awards give to the next generation? “Whatever you set your mind to, if you have passion and you have a heart for it, you can accomplish it,” LaBombard-Hull said. “Just have that goal and keep moving forward.” |
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6/14/2019
Childhood Cancer Fundraiser |
3/14/2019
Big Change Roundup: Karson Hull Montage |
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10/5/2018
Fundraiser Helps Kids |
9/13/2018
North Country family hosts fundraiser for University of Vermont Children's Hospital. |