Wilmington Donates $17,500.00

Strut for Kids is Wilmington’s only nonprofit solely dedicated to supporting local children in New Hanover, Pender and Brunswick counties on the pediatric cancer journey. Our mission is to provide financial assistance to our families. We want families to know they are not alone on this journey, so we partner with UNC Chapel Hill to give newly diagnosed or relapsed patients a care package and connect them to a network of over 60 other families who are in various stages of their own childhood cancer journey. We help pay for travel for life-saving treatment and step in to pay bills for families in financial crisis. If a child has a poor or uncertain prognosis, we celebrate hope in life through creation of a legacy charm craft. Every year, we plan The Purple Carpet event along with other organizations to give our families a magical day full of crafts, face painting, superheroes and princesses at no cost to them. Our kids are strong, resilient and courageous, and they are our heroes. Our vision is to provide hope, love and individualized support to every family touched by cancer in the greater Wilmington area and we won’t stop until there’s a cure.

Make-A-Wish® Eastern North Carolina has one purpose: to grant wishes to children with critical illnesses between the ages from 2 1/2 and 18. This one belief guides us in everything we do, inspires us to grant wishes that change the lives of the kids we serve, and drives us to make donated resources go as far as possible. Why a “wish?” It’s not just a nice thing to do. Wishes have proven physical/emotional benefits that often lead to a higher chance of survival, and impact everyone involved. When a wish is granted, a child replaces fear with confidence, sadness with joy, and anxiety with hope. As such, making a wish come true can give a child the courage to comply with medical treatments. Parents might finally feel like they can be optimistic. And still, others might realize all they have to offer the world through volunteer work or philanthropy. The Eastern North Carolina chapter has been granting wishes for more than 30 years, and grants around 200 wishes per year to children in our area. Our chapter covers the 49 counties in eastern North Carolina from the Alamance/Orange county line to the coast. Since our founding in 1986, we have granted more than 3,500 wishes and counting.

Lump to Laughter was created by two friends, Renee Ballard, and Connie Hill, who walked through the journey of breast cancer together. Early in the process, it was decided they were turning this trial into triumph. There was no mistake in the timing of this disease hitting each woman within 6 weeks of the other. That alone convinced them they had to do something with this experience. As the reason became clearer they knew they had to provide emotional and spiritual support to women diagnosed with breast cancer. To do this they would pour out their heart and souls and share their emotional stories about their own journey through breast cancer. Exposing the emotions of a woman undergoing breast cancer assisted women with their own diagnosis and other women began sharing their inspirational stories. A website and Share Your Story forum was established, support groups, hope packages were created to send inspirational and faith centered items for those newly diagnosed and finally the creation of the Angel Fund, to provide financial relief to those in active treatment who had a need. With each program added over the years, one common theme is present; Sharing Hope and God’s love to those diagnosed.