Tony's Ride for a Child 2020

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Since 2017, I have been raising funds and awareness for Candlelighters For Children With Cancer, a local 501(c)(3) non-profit organization supporting children battling cancer and their families by riding my bike in honor of a child who has benefited from this organization’s work.

2020 is a difficult year for many organizations, including Candlelighters, because their traditional fundraising events have been impacted by COVID-19 lockdowns and the economic impact of the quarantine. In addition, our national attention is, rightfully, focused on the Black Lives Matter movement and ending police brutality and fundraising for other causes is impacted by that too.

Children and adolescents from BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) families have disparate outcomes from cancer. Because of historic and systemic inequities and racism, BIPOC families are also likely to have a more difficult time managing the economic impacts of fighting a childhood cancer.

Because of this, and the fact that cancer doesn’t stop for COVID-19, I have remained on the committee for Ride for a Child and helped to develop a new fundraiser for 2020.

This summer I am riding at least 1000 miles in honor of Sol.  You can support me by pledging per mile and you can following my progress on the Ride For A Child 2020 Leaderboard.

If you are a cyclist yourself, JOIN ME in this fundraiser!

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Your Support Provides:

• $25 - Provides a special snack to 100 kids in the hospital from the Candlelighters Snack Cart.

• $100 - Provides bereavement support to families who come together for a celebration of life events.

• $250 - Provides families with an opportunity to connect monthly to lessen isolation and better cope with childhood cancer.

• $500 - Provides emergency financial assistance to a family battling childhood cancer to help monthly expenses.

• $1,000 - Sends a family of four to Candlelighters Family Camp. Each year we take 300+ family members to camp for a weekend of family support and activities

For those who wish to donate by check, mail checks to: Candlelighters For Children With Cancer 6600 SW 92nd Ave, Suite 160 Portland, OR 97223

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The impacts of childhood cancer across Oregon and SW Washington are staggering:

• Over 200 local children are diagnosed with cancer each year

• Over 1,000 local children are in treatment at any given time

• 75.7% of families with a child battling cancer have at least one parent who needs to cut back on work or stop working all together.

• The average # of years for pediatric cancer treatment is 3

Since 1977, Candlelighters has supported more than 85,000 family members and is still the only local organization that provides for the ENTIRE family throughout the life long journey of childhood cancer. Families depend on Candlelighters to provide comfort in the hospitals through catered family meals, a 24/7 food pantry, and a weekly snack cart. Others rely on Candlelighters for monthly family experiences, emergency financial funding, Candlelighters Family Camp and bereavement support. And, they never charge families a dime—ever!