Mecum Summer Madness

Dana Mecum and Reece McPhail at a Mecum Auction

Curing Kids Cancer attended two Mecum Auctions in June and raised over $20,000! The first auction was a motorcycle auction in Chicago followed by an auto auction in Portland. Both auctions are new to the Mecum schedule this year. It is exciting to see these auctions generate funds for pediatric cancer research.
The month of July has two auctions. On July 8-9 the auto auction will be held in Denver. The second auction will be in Harrisburg, PA on July 21-23. 

If you are interested in becoming involved with Curing Kids Cancer by donating cars or memorabilia at a Mecum Auction, please contact Mikaela at [email protected].
CKC in the News

Click the links below to read about Curing Kids Cancer in Simply Buckhead and watch Grainne speak at the Women's Football Clinic in Cartersville, G.A.



Medical Buzz
Dr. Maloney from Children's Hospital Colorado sent  Curing Kids Cancer her six month update on her research on relap sed leukemia: 

"Dr. Maloney is using the gift in her work to look at relapsed leukemia. Children who relapse are resistant to chemotherapy; chemo simply does not work as well for this population. Dr. Maloney and her team want to address these patients' treatment using precision medicine. An emerging approach in precision medicine involves looking at genes that might have a targeted agent available and obtaining a genetic profile to match the child with an open drug trial, either at Children's Colorado or, if the patient is an older teen, in an open Phase I trial at the University of Colorado Hospital. Dr. Maloney and her colleagues hope that this approach will offer additional treatment approaches/options for patients with relapsed leukemia, potentially leading to remission and the ability to proceed to bone marrow transplant." 
Meet Sara Duncan



On Sept. 3, 2014 a young girl began her battle with stage 4 Neuroblastoma. She was just four years old. Almost three years later, Sara Duncan is 7 years old and will enter 2nd grade in the fall. For a little girl, she is resilient and did not allow her battle with cancer to change her life.

The youngest of three children, Sara enjoys spending time with her siblings, being the "little tiny sister" as her brother affectionately calls her. She loves horses and is a member of the 4H Rough Riders in Blythewood, S.C. When not participating in seasonal sports such as basketball, swimming and softball, Sara enjoys playing the violin.

"From our perspective, she is the child that has always been more independent and strong willed, probably the most stubborn one we have. Attributes that have been a struggle to parent have been her strengths during treatment," said Sara's parents David and Michelle. 
 
Sara is a fighter and will not stop chasing her dreams.  She said that when she grows up she wants to be a paleontologist. This was after career changes from a rock star princess to a cowgirl and now a paleontologist. When asked why, she replied that is what her brother wants to be and she wants to be like him. Her mother Michelle shared that Sara could be anything she wanted be.
 
"She is very smart, quick witted and reads others very well," said Michelle. 
 
Sara has a bright future ahead as she continues her battle with Neuroblastoma. Sara recently received clear results back on her scans and we look forward to seeing her progress continue.
 

Investiture Ceremony and Dr. Jason Fangusaro

Dr. Fangusaro
Jason Fang usaro, MD, is Section Head of Neuro-Oncology at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children' s Hospi tal of Chicago and an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Northwestern
University Feinberg School of Medicine. Curing Kids Cancer funds Dr. Fan gusaro's  research on brain tumors.
 
On June 9, Dr. Fangusaro was recognized at Lurie Children's Hospital's Investiture Ceremony. Curing Kids Cancer staffers, Mikaela Hopkins, account manager and Abigail Pait, public relations manager, attended the ceremony. The event was educational in two ways; learning about the research Dr. Fangusaro is performing and learning about who Dr. Fangusaro is.
 
This doctor wo rks diligently on different research projects to find cures for his patients. Dr. Fangusaro's speech shared how he is devoted to his patients and invests in forming a relationship with his patients and their families. He also shared his sense of humor, stating how his prior aspirations were to be an actor. His fun, intelligent demeanor is one that his patients must enjoy.
 
"The best part of my job is getting to know my patients and their families. I hope in some way I have made a small difference in their lives. I truly feel privileged to be a part of their journey. Having these relationships serves as an added motivation
Dr. Fangusaro with CKC staff members 
when I am conducting my research," said Dr. Fangusaro.
 
Dr. Fangusaro received his medical degree from Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine, and finished his residency in pediatric at Lutheran General Hospital. He completed fellowships in pediatric hematology/oncology at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Ohio, and pediatric neuro-oncology at Children's Hospital Los Angeles.
 
We look forward to hearing more about Dr. Fangusaro's work in the future. 
Meet Charles Bloom 

Charles Bloom
This month Curing Kids Cancer welcomes Charles Bloom to the Executive Advisory board. He is the Se nior Associate Athletics Director for External Affairs at the University of South Carolina . A 1985 graduate of the University of South Carolina, Charles served as an undergraduate and graduate assistant in the Gamecock Sports Information Director's office.

Before  returning to his alma mater , he spent 17 years as director of the Southeastern Conference office's media and public relations efforts, and the last 10 years as Associate Com missioner. He supervised the media and public relations operations for the SEC's 21 sports, directly overseeing football, was the chief spokesperson for the conference office and oversaw the communication strategies for the office.

Curing Kids Cancer welcomes Charles to the Executive Advisory board. He is and has been a tremendous supporter of our September Awareness campaign for three years. We are excited to have his expertise on the board and his passion for ending the battle against childhood cancers.  
    Upcoming Events
Mecum, Denver 
July 8-9

Mecum, Harrisburg
July 21-23

We are excited to have two Mecum Auctions to attend in July! This schedule allows fans all over the U.S. to attend events during the month of July.  If you are interested in learning more about this auction, click here  mecum.com .

If you are interested in donating a car or other auction item, please contact  Account Manager at Curing Kids Cancer, Mikaela Hopkins at [email protected]

Disney's The Little Mermaid at Town Theatre, Columbia, SC 
July 15-31

Looking for a fun family event this summer? Go to Town Theatre to see Disney's The Little Mermaid. Stop by the fundraiser table to purchase goodies or to send one of the char acters under the sea well wishes from the shore! Proceeds will benefit Curing Kids Cancer. 

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