Today's Helping Hero: Jill's Blankets
Jill’s Blankets is a local nonprofit created in memory of Jill Ward. Jill loved making blankets for cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy. Her friends are carrying on Jill’s legacy by making warm and comfy fleece blankets. We call on Jill’s Blankets when we need a supply of blankets for our childhood cancer heroes. It is always a treat when the crew from Jill’s Blankets shows up at our office with an armful of blankets. We are grateful for their volunteerism.
Emmett's iPad
Because of your donations, every childhood cancer hero (no matter what age!) will discover an iPad in their Heroes Bag and Backpack. Emmett is not even one year old. He was born in March 2020. Four months later, in July, he was diagnosed with a rare syndrome. This little fighter spent his first year in this world on the adult Bone Marrow Transplant Unit in treatment. Thankfully, he was not alone. Emmett and his mom stayed in touch with the family using the iPad in Emmett’s Connor’s Heroes backpack. Emmett used the iPad to stream his favorite programs, passing the long days in the hospital. He played peek-a-poo from his hospital bed with his older sister, Breyanna, who was at home. His other sister, Eden, was a hero too. She was the donor for her baby brother.
The Heroes Bag and Backpack was our first program when Connor’s Heroes started. Today, Emmett’s Heroes Bag and Backpack brought joy to him during a tough time. Follow our timeline from the first Heroes Bag and Backpack given to a child in the hospital to the array of support we offer families today.
Today's Helping Hero: ESE Masks
ESE Masks is a non-profit organization created by three high school students (Emily, Shraddha, and Estelle). These teen titans sewed face masks and sold them over the spring and summer. They took their profits and turned them into a very generous donation to support our childhood cancer heroes. Kids helping kids! ESE Masks is another reminder of how easy it is for YOU to be a hero to a local child with cancer.
We have many more Helping Heroes. Subscribe to our enewsletter, Heroes & Hope, to learn about our childhood cancer hero community and the families who are part of Connor’s Heroes.
September's Giving Moments
Thank you for making Childhood Cancer Awareness Month so special for all of our heroes — no matter where they are in their cancer journey.
Cancer hasn’t stopped during the pandemic and neither has Connor’s Heroes. Scroll down to see how you were hero for numerous families during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. There is still more to be done for the remainder of the year. You can make sure giving moments continue throughout the year. Donate to Connor’s Heroes. You can give a single gift or give every month.
Today's Helping Hero: Once Upon A Child
Once Upon A Child raised close to $3,000 — during September’s Childhood Cancer Awareness Month by donating a portion of their Friday sales to Connor’s Heroes. The store and their customers’ generosity will be a lifeline to families who rely on Connor’s Heroes for support. We can provide them with gift cards for groceries and gas and other surprises to get our childhood cancer heroes through another day of treatment.
Dinner From Burger Bach
Thanks to your generous donations, Connor’s Heroes treated 15 families to a delicious dinner from Burger Bach. Throughout the pandemic, Connor’s Heroes has been creative on how we bring moments of joy to our hero families. It might seem like a simple burger, but the time they spent eating dinner together is what makes us smile! Thanks for being a part of our community of heroes and allowing us to provide hope guidance and support to our childhood cancer families (in new and exciting ways!!)
During September Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, select Burger Bach locations will donate a dollar for every speciality burger ordered. Find out all the details, including ordering online, at www.connorsheroes.org/2020-giving-bach
Giving Bach at Burger Bach Locations
In honor of September Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, select Burger Bach locations will donate $1 for every Burger Of The Month ordered. The September Burger of the Month is the Pizza Chick- Organic chicken, basil pesto aioli, pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, tomato and garlic aioli. The fundraiser is at the Burger Bach locations:
Burger Bach – Midlothian: 101 Heaths Way Road Midlothian, VA 23114
Burger Bach – Short Pump: Old Brick Rd, Glen Allen, VA
Burger Bach – Charlottesville: 2050 Bond Street, Charlottesville, VA
Burger Bach – Durham: 737 9th St, Durham NC
Visit theburgerbach.com to place your order online.
Today's Helping Hero: Mike with Scelzo Real Estate Group LLC
I don’t want the lack of accessibility to be a reason for one of our kiddos to fall behind this year.
— Mike Scelzo, The Scelzo Real Estate Team, and Jaiden’s dad
As families face schooling during the pandemic, Mike wanted to make sure a child with cancer could connect with friends, teachers, and classmates. Mike knows first-hand the struggles of a family who has to juggle work, education, and a child’s cancer diagnosis. His son Jaiden was diagnosed with ALL in October 2016. The family was featured at our 2018 Heroes Art Ball. Jaiden is now in post-treatment and starting kindergarten. Mike donated 16 Google Chromebooks for us to give to the childhood cancer heroes who need a laptop. Mike’s donation came just in time for the first day of school. On behalf of our heroes, thank you Mike!
Exciting News About 2021
Celia Martin, Executive Director of Connor’s Heroes, with Elias Neujahr, CEO of Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU, tell you about a special partnership coming in 2021.
2020 Jr. Hero Squad
Congratulations to Graeme’s Warriors: Graeme, Connolly and Macklin.
These brothers raised the most money of all the Jr. Hero Squad members. They raised a total of $2,957. What makes this honor so special is Graeme is a childhood cancer hero himself. Graeme was diagnosed with Pre-B Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) in May 2016. We featured his family in the 2017 Heroes Art Ball.
Our 16-member Jr. Hero Squad raised $19,110 for children who are in treatment for cancer. Their team goal was $5,000 — 282% more than anticipated. The fact these kids and teens were thinking of other children during this difficult time speaks volumes of their kindness. Here are snapshots of the creative fundraisers put together by some of the members of the Jr. Hero Squad.
💛 9 have journeyed through childhood cancer themselves or in their families
💙 3 know Connor’s Heroes because their parents volunteer
💛 4 signed up because they want to help other kids!
Say “hello” to the amazing and caring kids who joined our FIRST-EVER Jr. Hero Squad. The Jr. Hero Squad is young people from schools and neighborhoods across Central Virginia. What brought them together was a desire to make sure no child or teen will face their cancer alone.
The Jr. Hero Squad will be the hero a child with cancer needs right now.
Track their progress and add your name to OUR COMMUNITY OF HEROES!
