The Summer's way Foundation is striving to make a real difference in the lives of children and families impacted by childhood cancer. With your donation we will get ever closer to making childhood cancer survivable, while empowering our youth to embrace life and live it fully.
Want to do more for your favorite charity? We’ve made it easy for you to raise money by creating a personalized fundraising page.
Start a fundraiser Current fundraisers for this charity (0)Health Care
Adolescents/Youth (13-19 years)
People/Families of People with Cancer
A pilot study initiated at Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children. program will be afforded to the oncology unit and the bone marrow transplant unit. It will support patients and families whose children are undergoing therapy and are required to spend months isolated in the hospital to manage their disease and side effects. It is anticipated that this program will provide significant emotional and mental health support during their hospitalizations.
This is a pilot study and has only recently been initiated for year 2020.
Human Services
People/Families of People with Cancer
Summer's way Foundation is the sole sponsor of this one day program offered to parents and their children who have lost a child/sibling to cancer. It is facilitated by trained Social Workers through Children's Hospital and is held at a local equestrian center.
This program will continue to be sponsored in June 2020.
This was our first year to sponsor this program and as an attendee I found it extremely impactful. The day directed to both parents and their living children, providing a safe place for grief expression. All attendees felt immense gratitude for it.
General Code
Adolescents/Youth (13-19 years)
Females
Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, Transgender
We provide wigs for teens undergoing cancer therapy through a local wig establishment Hana's Wigs. The program is being piloted through Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children. Summer's Way will finance the wigs for any young teen in need. This past year we have expanded to Children's Hospital in Aurora, CO.
There have been 3 wigs distributed to date. All recipients have been extremely appreciative. One of the mother's recently wrote "I cant believe the difference it makes in my daughter's whole emotional state. It brings back a precious glimpse of normal life. THANK YOU!
Medical Research
Adolescents/Youth (13-19 years)
Children (4-12 years)
People/Families of People with Cancer
Summer's Way Foundation in conjunction with Friends of TJ Foundation, awarding a $50,000 grant in July 2019 for clinical and /or laboratory research to Katie Hebron PhD NCI/NIH in the area Rhabdomyosarcoma.
Her work is extremely promising and was deemed the best in highly competitive pool of researchers.
We have just established our scientific advisory board comprised of the leading experts in Rhabdomyosarcoma. Applications for the grant will be accepted in early 2019 with subsequent announcement of the recipient by mid 2019.
Mutual, Membership Benefit
Adults
Females
This is a support group that meets each month. It is open to all mothers who have lost a child to cancer or medical illness. The meetings are facilitated by a certified social workers from Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children. Several techniques have been incorporated to assist in the bereavement process which include journaling, mental exercises that train one to center their thoughts, relaxation exercises scrap booking and Zentangle. These monthly meetings have proven extremely valuable in the grieving and healing process that accompanies the loss of a child.
The group has continued to grow, which in many ways is unfortunate when one sees such loss, but there have been a few who have "graduated".Though this type of grief never leaves a mother, it seems that having early support from a group such as ours has been extremely valuable in the healing process.
Medical Research
Adolescents/Youth (13-19 years)
Children (4-12 years)
People/Families of People with Cancer
The first workshop was held May 11 and 12 2018 at Rose Medical center. In the two day workshop the world's leading experts on this childhood cancer which included scientist, and clinical researchers were brought together to share their most cutting edge research. In addition. Foundations with a primary emphasis on Rhabdomyosarcoma, families and some children who have been impacted by this cancer also participated. Their was a great deal of collaboration that stemmed from this successful event among a multitude of nationally recognized institutions. A coalition of all participants was formed with several initiatives established that will hopefully get us closer to having Rhabdomyosarcoma prove far more survivable. This program will continue every 2 years. Our next workshop is scheduled for August 2020.
From this first international workshop there were several initiatives that were produced. 1)Develop a pan organization to help financial support collaborative research grants.
2) Develop a collaborative phase II clinical trial.
3) Develop an advocacy coalition to speak on behalf of families and patient that encourage NCI/COG to approve more grants for Rhabdomyosarcoma. Were successful in advocating for multi-institutional Biden moonshot initiative grant for 2019-2020.
4)Develop a relationship with Pharmaceutical to encourage use of medications that would prove beneficial for childhood cancer.
General Code
Adolescents/Youth (13-19 years)
A scholarship program for graduating seniors who have excelled in spite of their adversity.
Through our scholarship program we are recognizing excellence in the face of adversity while providing financial support to the graduating recipients. The Summer's Way Foundation has thus far awarded 4 scholarships.
