Kids Curing Cancer raises over $48k in final year
- Ron Giofu
- 24 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Kids Curing Cancer (KCC) has gone out with a bang.
In what was KCC’s 13th and final year, this year’s campaign raised $48,452.30 with cheque presentations taking place late last Friday afternoon at Sprucewood Shores Estate Winery. The money will be split between the Erie Shores Health Foundation (ESHF) and the Windsor Cancer Centre Foundation (WCCF), with representatives from each organizations receiving $24,226.15.
“Sitting down to write this speech felt a little different because we knew this was Kids Curing Cancer’s final presentation and the closing of a most incredible journey,” said Lauren Baillargeon.
Lauren and siblings Ty and Kierstyn were the “kids” behind “Kids Curing Cancer” with Lauren starting it when she was nine-years-old with the support of her parents Jodi and Gary. It was in memory of the Baillargeon children’s grandfather Dan Gerard, Jodi’s father.
The main component of the annual KCC campaign is the pasta and music night, with this year’s event being Feb. 21 at Sprucewood Shores. The Mitchell family owns the winery with Steve Mitchell being on hand for the April 17 cheque presentation. Lauren thanked the family as well as Chef Don from 3-D Catering for their efforts that night.
Lauren said the pasta and music night is the “grand finale” of the annual KCC campaign.
The pasta and music night raised $15,341 of the overall $48,452.30 figure. Other businesses, sports teams and organizations, dance studios, schools, community groups and individuals helped contribute the rest through their own fundraising for KCC.
Kierstyn said they usually make the cheque presentation closer to their grandfather’s March 8 birthday. She said donations continued to come in after the pasta and music night and since there won’t be a KCC campaign next year to put the funding towards, they held off on the cheque presentations in order to make sure everything was donated this year.
“I think we all have mixed emotions about this,” added Ty. “This fundraiser has taken on a life of its own and become so incredibly big its getting difficult for us to run and manage.”
Ty added they have made so many partnerships and collaborated with so many groups and they are appreciative of the businesses, schools and groups that have supported them. Lauren called it “an amazing problem to have” and that they wanted to get more people, especially youth, involved.
“Our hope is that we’ve inspired enough kids in the past 13 years to keep the Kids Curing Cancer momentum going,” said Lauren.Kierstyn added they hope that they’ve touched enough students and leadership clubs in schools to find what is important to them and to fundraise for it. Ty said they hope sports teams were inspired to do the same, and give back to their communities.
“We hope we’ve shown kids across Windsor-Essex that all it takes is a little idea and some motivation and the most amazing things can happen,” said Lauren.
“Because of Lauren’s idea to raise $50 (13 years ago), much needed medical equipment has been purchased and upgraded in two of our local hospitals,” Kierstyn said. “Medical imaging and cancer care has been brought closer to home, wait times have been reduced, hospice suites have been upgraded and staffed, families have been able to stay closer to their children through the Ronald McDonald House and supports have been given to children through the Fight Like Mason Foundation.
The 13-year total was revealed to be $262,430.60.
The Baillargeons explained that over $15,000 went to the Ronald McDonald House, about $35,000 to the Fight Like Mason Foundation, $27,000 to the Windsor Cancer Centre Foundation and over $135,000 to Eries Shores Hospice and Erie Shores Health Care in Leamington.
“Those are all things Kids Curing Cancer has done for our community, but there is more that Kids Curing Cancer has done for us,” said Lauren. “In the beginning, KCC was something positive to focus on through a really sad time. It brought family and friends together at pasta and music nights.”
Leadership, public speaking, organization and mentorship skills were also acquired, Kierstyn added.
Ty said they were able to cross paths with “incredible people” over the 13 years and gave them a sense of pride to do something for others in honour of their grandfather. Lauren gave thanks to charitable organizations for allowing them to present to them, to those who donated door prizes for events and family and friends for helping out.
Kierstyn said they have “the most amazing people supporting us,” and pointed out “we don’t work alone.”
“We are so honoured to be able to say that together, we kept every penny local, supporting local patients and families in Windsor-Essex,” said Lauren.
Penny Bellhouse, CEO with the Erie Shores Health Foundation, said she has worked with the Baillargeon family for three of the 13 years.
“As a career fundraiser, I have never met and worked with a more impressive group of individuals,” said Bellhouse.
This year, the ESHC will devote their share of the funding towards the oncology department. She said there are pieces of equipment that need to be upgraded and KCC will help with that.
Houida Kassem, executive director of the WCCF, said it was a bittersweet moment for her. She recalled meeting Lauren when she was nine-years-old and wanting to raise $50 for her grandfather. The first year saw KCC raise $3,800 and they were off and running.
The Baillargeon family raised great children, she added.
“What they’ve done in 13 years is incredible,” said Kassem.
The WCCF funding will go to the patient assistant fund, which can help with items such as mortgage payment, travel expenses and other emergency expenses families and patients may encounter.
Kids Curing Cancer raises over $48k in final year
By Ron Giofu