TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation recently appointed Carolyn Alvey as president of its Board of Directors. Alvey has served on the Board since its inception in 2008. As president, Alvey will lead the Board in reaching the organization’s long-term mission to build awareness and fund research to develop better treatments for childhood cancers and ultimately finding a cure.
“Watching Connor Cruse fight neuroblastoma and hearing about the incredibly painful treatments he endured led me to want to help,” said Alvey, vice president of Aardvark Communications, a Dallas-based pubic relations and marketing firm. “Connor beat neuroblastoma into remission, but he developed a secondary sheath tumor as a result of the radiation treatments he received. The treatments children receive while fighting cancer are toxic and can cause as many problems as the cancer itself. The only way to develop better treatments and save our children is to engage more researchers, but that takes hard dollars. We need communities around the country to rally to help save thousands of kids.”
TeamConnor has provided more than $1.7 million in grants to the top research hospitals in the United States conducting cutting edge research of childhood cancers. The organization has also funded art activity boxes for cancer patients at Children’s Health – Children’s Medical Center Dallas.
“Carolyn has helped establish TeamConnor as one of the preeminent childhood cancer organizations in North Texas,” said Joy Cruse, founder of Dallas-based TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation. “With more awareness and additional funding, better treatment protocols and eventually cures will be be found, but it will take significant private and corporate support to fund the brightest researchers across the country. We are pleased Carolyn will be leading our Board in this vitally important battle.”
Every year, more than 12,500 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer in the United States. Childhood cancer is the number one disease killer of children, yet the budget of the National Cancer Institute allocates less than four percent of its funds to pediatric cancer research. TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation is dedicated to raising awareness and funding research and treatment programs to find a cure for all childhood cancers.
TeamConnor hosts several events throughout the year to raise funds for childhood cancer research, including the III Forks Golf Classic and Auction Dinner in May, Splash Out Childhood Cancer in July, National Childhood Cancer Awareness Concert (September) and the Northwestern Mutual Clay Shoot in November. In addition, TeamConnor’s national Coins for Kids with Cancer® program raises funds in schools, churches, offices and organizations across the country to help fund childhood cancer research. More information on this program can be found at www.coinsforkidswithcancer.org.
For more information on how to impact the lives of those affected by childhood cancer, visit teamconnor.org or Facebook.com/TeamConnor.