Stop & Shop Fights Pediatric Cancer with Kick Off of ‘Help Cure Childhood Cancer’ Campaign

QUINCY, Mass., Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Stop & Shop today announced the start of its annual ‘Help Cure Childhood Cancer’ campaign to support two of the nation’s leading cancer care centers’ pediatric initiatives:

• Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and its Jimmy Fund Clinic in Massachusetts, and
• MSK Kids, the Pediatric Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York

Since the campaign’s inception decades ago, Stop & Shop and its customers have contributed over $110 million to these two hospitals, allowing them to make significant advancements in pediatric cancer research and care.

Stop & Shop’s ‘Help Cure Childhood Cancer’ campaign will run in all stores from March 1 through March 31. Shoppers can donate at checkout by rounding up their total to the nearest dollar or by donating $1, $3, or $5. 100% of proceeds will benefit the two hospitals to assist in their pioneering pediatric cancer treatment and care.

“Our responsibility to our communities goes beyond our aisles, and we are immensely proud to nourish health and hope by supporting the fight against pediatric cancer and the life-changing work at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center,” said Stop & Shop President, Gordon Reid. “We are grateful for all that our customers and associates do to support this important cause, and to help these hospital partners give children the chance to thrive.”

One of the most recognizable aspects of the campaign is the in-store signage that highlights patient ambassadors - local children ages three to fifteen who are being or have been treated at MSK Kids or Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s Jimmy Fund Clinic and have benefited from donations from companies like Stop & Shop and its customers.

Ben C. –

Ben’s cancer journey began in September of 2022, at five years old, after a visit to the pediatrician for a cough turned into concerns for leukemia. After trusting her instincts to visit the children’s hospital, Ben’s mom learned that the first set of lab work showed something was wrong. Ben was diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and spent the next month in the hospital. Today, Ben and his family are navigating treatments at Dana-Farber, which are scheduled to end in October. He is beginning to get back to a sense of normality, attending school and playing with friends.

Cora B. –

In May of 2021, Cora’s parents noticed that her walking looked different than normal and noticed red spots on her skin and bruising shortly after. Her mom, who is a nurse, knew something was not right. She took Cora to the children’s hospital emergency department where they ran bloodwork and ultimately diagnosed her with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Cora was admitted right away and was in inpatient care for 39 days Her outpatient treatment continued for the next two years, and she completed treatment in July 2023. Today, Cora is a happy five-year-old, who sees her care team for follow-up appointments monthly and enjoys spending time with her family and attending kindergarten with her friends.

Joshy F. –

In April of 2020, when Joshy was five months old and during the height of COVID-19, his parents noticed Joshy’s belly felt hard. They went to the pediatrician the next morning where they conducted a sonogram and found a mass on Joshy’s kidney. Joshy was diagnosed with a Wilms tumor, which is a rare type of kidney cancer that mainly affects children. They removed both the mass on the left kidney and the left kidney itself. In a follow up scan, it became evident that Joshy had relapsed, almost exactly one year after his original diagnosis. Joshy then came to Memorial Sloan Kettering where Joshy was given a treatment plan. Joshy has two more years of checkups left and he will then be considered in survivorship.

Zoe L. –

Zoe was diagnosed with cancer in May of 2020 at six years old. Her parents knew that Zoe had the genetic disposition for cancer because her mom had breast cancer. Zoe had a bump in her right mouth and her cheek looked swollen, so she was immediately taken to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The hospital took imaging and identified cancer, rhabdomyosarcoma, which is cancer of the skeletal muscle. She had surgery within two weeks, two days before her birthday, to remove the bump in her mouth. After the surgery she received chemotherapy and radiation. Zoe is currently in survivorship and had her last MRI in December of 2023 where everything looked good. She will now have a follow-up appointment annually.

All funds raised by stores in New York, New Jersey, and Fairfield and New Haven counties in Connecticut will support MSK Kids. MSK Kids is dedicated to all children, young adults, and families facing childhood cancer. With specialized expertise and care focused on the individual child, more families turn to MSK Kids for cancer care than any other hospital in the United States. MSK Kids also brings the latest treatments closer to home for patients and families, expanding care to MSK’s Regional Care Network with locations in Westchester County, Long Island, and New Jersey. As pioneers in research, MSK’s physicians and scientists are working to develop and deliver more effective strategies to prevent, treat and cure childhood cancer.

“Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and MSK Kids remain grateful for Stop & Shop’s steadfast commitment to pediatric cancer research and care,” said Andrew Kung, MD, PhD, Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. “Every year, the Stop & Shop community goes above and beyond to raise the funds needed for MSK physicians and scientists to continue our work to find new, less toxic treatments for our patients. We are proud to be a beneficiary and partner in this effort.”

Stop & Shop stores north of New Haven in Connecticut, plus all Massachusetts and Rhode Island stores will support pediatric cancer research and care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The Stop & Shop Pediatric Brain Tumor Clinic at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a world-renowned destination for children with malignant and non-malignant brain tumors. Several initiatives, including the Stop & Shop Family Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Outcomes Clinic (also known as EmPOWER) and the Adolescent and Young Adult Brain Tumor Clinic, encourage and enable patients and their families to lead the healthiest, most fulfilling lives following brain tumor treatment.

“Stop & Shop’s dedication and generous support of pediatric cancer continues to help fund critical research and care,” said Scott Armstrong, MD, PhD, chair of the Department of Pediatric Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. “We are thankful for Stop & Shop and its customers for their generosity, which motivates us to make groundbreaking discoveries that benefit our patients and their families.”

For more information about these leading centers of cancer research and treatment, visit https://www.mskcc.org/kids and https://www.dana-farber.org/.

About Stop & Shop: A neighborhood grocer for more than 100 years, Stop & Shop offers a wide assortment with a focus on fresh, healthy options at a great value. Stop & Shop's GO Rewards loyalty program delivers personalized offers and allows customers to earn points that can be redeemed for gas or groceries every time they shop. Stop & Shop customers can choose how and where they want to shop - whether in-store or online for delivery or same day pickup. The company is committed to making an impact in its communities by fighting hunger, supporting our troops, and investing in pediatric cancer research to help find a cure. The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company LLC is an Ahold Delhaize USA Company and employs 58,000 associates and operates nearly 400 stores throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey. To learn more about Stop & Shop, visit www.stopandshop.com

About Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK): The people of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center are united by a singular purpose: to find a cure for cancer. Our specialized care teams provide personalized, compassionate, expert care to patients of all ages. Informed by basic research done at our Sloan Kettering Institute, scientists across MSK collaborate to conduct innovative translational and clinical research that is driving a revolution in our understanding of cancer as a disease and improving the ability to prevent, diagnose, and treat it. MSK is dedicated to training the next generation of scientists and clinicians, who go on to pursue our mission at MSK and around the globe. One of the world’s most respected comprehensive centers devoted exclusively to cancer, we have been recognized as one of the top two cancer hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report for more than 30 years. www.mskcc.org 

About Dana-Farber Cancer Institute: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is one of the world’s leading centers of cancer research and treatment. Dana-Farber’s mission is to reduce the burden of cancer through scientific inquiry, clinical care, education, community engagement, and advocacy. Dana-Farber is a federally designated Comprehensive Cancer Center and a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School.

We provide the latest treatments in cancer for adults through Dana Farber Brigham Cancer Center and for children through Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. Dana-Farber is the only hospital nationwide with a top 5 U.S. News & World Report Best Cancer Hospital ranking in both adult and pediatric care.

As a global leader in oncology, Dana-Farber is dedicated to a unique and equal balance between cancer research and care, translating the results of discovery into new treatments for patients locally and around the world, offering more than 1,100 clinical trials.

About the Jimmy Fund: The Jimmy Fund, established in Boston in 1948, is comprised of community-based fundraising events and other programs that, solely and directly, benefit Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s lifesaving mission to provide compassionate patient care and groundbreaking cancer research for children and adults. The Jimmy Fund is an official charity of the Boston Red Sox, the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, the Pan-Mass Challenge, and the Variety Children's Charity of New England. Since 1948, the generosity of millions of people has helped the Jimmy Fund save countless lives and reduce the burden of cancer for patients and families worldwide. Follow the Jimmy Fund on Facebook, X, and Instagram: @TheJimmyFund.

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