Capital Candlelighters' Logo
Capital Candlelighters Newsletter
. . . because kids can't fight cancer alone!
December 2008
In This Issue
Childhood Cancer Facts
November Family Support
Pediatric Cancer and the Family
Prescott Family Foundation Grant
Childhood Cancer Facts
Beautiful fairy
Each school day, 46 children are diagnosed with cancer.

One in 330 children will develop cancer by age 20.

Cancer remains the number one disease killer of America's children - more than Cystic Fibrosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Asthma and AIDS combined.

The average age of an adult diagnosed with cancer is 65.  The average age of a child diagnosed with cancer is 6.  Childhood cancer has a huge societal impact - 180,000 potential years of life are lost to it each year.

Childhood cancers tend to be more aggressive and discovered at later stages than adult cancers.

Childhood cancers are rare, and only specially-trained doctors have the knowledge and experience to properly treat them.  Adults with cancer can often be treated at their local community hospital, but children and teens must travel to regional pediatric oncology treatment centers.

Our Sponsors
First Weber Group Logo
Visit Our Sponsor
The First Weber Group Foundation provided a generous sponsorship to Suzy's Run/Walk.  Their gift supports emergency housing assistance for families of kids with cancer.
Important Links

2008 National Childhood Cancer Awareness Tree
We offer our profound thanks to these recent donors:

Lawrence and Debbie Kay Hoffman family, in memory of Elizabeth Hoffman

Madison Rotary Foundation awarded Capital Candlelighters a Lona Ehlers Community Grant to provide emergency assistance to Dane County kids with cancer 

Yellow Thunder Good Sam's Club


Green County Medical Society, for the purchase of educational materials

Prescott Family Foundation

Ethan Smith Benefit Golf Outing

Outpost Bar and Grill of Cottage Grove
Santa, Emily and Megan

Dear Friends of Capital Candlelighters:

Happy Holidays! 

We've had a busy year doing the rewarding, delightful, challenging and sometimes heart-breaking work of supporting families of kids with cancer in south-central Wisconsin and northern Illinois. 

In 2008, we've delivered thousands of Hero Beads, hundreds of books and nearly a hundred New Diagnosis Bags; we've shared our highs and lows, tips and tricks at monthly family support groups; and we've cheered at End of Chemo celebrations.  The Spring party, the Summer picnic and the Halloween bash were the largest family events we've ever hosted. 

We've linked lots of 'new' families up with 'experienced' families so they can support one another via phone or e-mail.   We've expanded our contacts with community organizations all over the region, doing presentations to raise awareness of the huge toll that childhood cancer takes and asking local groups to lend a hand in supporting the kids and families we serve.

We've worked hard to expand our fund raising in a tough economy this year, so we were able to substantially increase the number of gas and grocery cards we gave to families struggling to make ends meet while caring for a seriously ill child.   We nearly doubled the amount of direct assistance we provided to families in 2008 over 2007 levels, in our continuing quest to make sure that every family of a kid or teen on cancer treatment in our area can maintain safe and reliable transportation, keep their utilities working, and have a roof over their heads.

We offer our great thanks for the generosity of so many of you who have allowed us to share the burdens and make the lives of these wonderful families a little easier as they walk a very difficult path.   You have taken to heart the knowledge that "kids can't fight cancer alone" and we are blessed and honored to have your support.

Share, listen, play and have dinner:
Monthly Family Gathering  Wednesday, December 3rd
Join other families of children and teens with cancer at our monthly family support group! 

Vitense Golfland
Beltline Hwy at Whitney Way
6 pm
Dinner provided by the Green Tree Grill

Kids play, do activities, enjoy indoor mini-golf and arcade games with our great volunteers from the UW Occupational Therapy graduate program, while adults have time to share and talk.

No RSVP necessary
Monthly Family Gatherings funded by a grant from
The Evjue Foundation, charitable arm of The Capital Times 
National Cancer Institute - How Childhood Cancer Affects the Whole Family
Pediatric Supportive Care
Childhood cancer is known as a 'family disease' since it affects everyone in the household.  Family members experience unique challenges based on their position in the family and relationship to the child or teen with cancer.  This article linked here provides an overview of the current literature on what these effects are and how some of these burdens can be relieved or minimized.
Prescott Family Foundation Awards Grant to Capital Candlelighters
The Prescott Family Foundation of West Bend, WI has awarded Capital Candlelighters a General Operating Grant for 2009.  We are delighted and grateful to receive these funds which will help provide a strong infrastructure for our programs and services for kids with cancer and their families.  This community-minded family philanthropy supports a number of service organizations in Washington and Dane counties.

Wishing you and your family a happy, healthy holiday season and a new year filled with peace and joy!
 
Sincerely,
 
Anne Spurgeon
Executive Director
Capital Candlelighters
Faces We Miss 2008
Mom and girls
KatieLittle girl ElizabethAbby