St. Baldrick's Foundation Awards $76,260 Grant to Children's Center for Cancer & Blood Diseases of Las Vegas

Local grant is part of more than $12 million awarded for pediatric oncology research in 2009 LAS VEGAS, NV– St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising money for childhood cancer research, awarded a fall infrastructure grant of $76,260 to Children’s Center for Cancer & Blood Diseases of Las Vegas of Las Vegas, NV. These grants provide institutions with resources to make more research possible and treat more kids on clinical trials, their best hope for a cure. St. Baldrick’s Foundation began as a challenge between friends and quickly grew into the world’s largest volunteer-driven fundraising program for childhood cancer research. St. Baldrick’s donors and volunteers made possible over $12 million in funding for childhood cancer research in 2009; Children’s Center for Cancer & Blood Diseases of Las Vegas is one of 12 institutions to receive funding as part of St. Baldrick’s 2009 fall grant cycle which totaled over $650,000. With only three percent of all federal cancer research funding dedicated to pediatric cancer research, St. Baldrick’s grant funds are critical to continue the battle against this devastating disease. Worldwide, 160,000 children are diagnosed with cancer each year and cancer is the leading cause of death by disease among children in the United States. With this funding, the Children’s Center for Cancer & Blood Diseases of Las Vegas will be able to expand their clinical team and better serve more children in the area. This expansion is essential for maintaining the important research efforts at the clinic. It is also necessary to effectively meet the needs of the increasing population of children requiring access to quality care through the charity care plan at the clinic, due to the increasing number of uninsured children in Nevada. “Children are unique individuals with their own specialized needs. Never is this more evident than when a child is diagnosed with cancer” Say Dr. Jonathan Bernstein, Medical Director for Children’s Center for Cancer- They need extra time, extra monitoring, specialized medications, and caregivers with special skills and compassion in understanding the needs of children with complex medical conditions. St. Baldrick’s Foundation and their generous support have allowed us to provide care for the most vulnerable of pediatric cancer patients… the ones without medical coverage.” Grant applications were reviewed based on the need of the institution and the anticipated results of the grant. Institutions were also considered based on the level of participation of the local community in St. Baldrick’s events. St. Baldrick’s volunteer event organizers led the way to raising over $16.4 million in 2009 alone and more than $69 million since 2000; making the funding of institutions like Children’s Center for Cancer & Blood Diseases of Las Vegas possible. “Childhood cancer patients and their families need a cure, as well as a better quality of life during and after treatment,” says Kathleen Ruddy, Executive Director for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. “We are indebted to our volunteers and donors, whose dedication makes life-saving grants like this one possible.” In 2009, there were four St. Baldrick’s events held in Nevada, including one in Las Vegas at McMullan’s Irish Pub. These events; in cities like Henderson, Las Vegas, and Reno had more than 630 people brave a shave to help Conquer Kids’ Cancer. In total these events raised more than $390,000 for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. McMullan’s Irish Pub is scheduled to host Las Vegas’ 4th Annual St. Baldrick’s event on Saturday, March 6, 2010. Everyone can do their part to support St. Baldrick’s. To locate or organize an event in your community, sign-up to shave, donate or volunteer, visit www.StBaldricks.org. You can also become a fan on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and visit the St. Baldrick’s YouTube channel. About the Children’s Center for Cancer & Blood Diseases The mission of Children’s Center for Cancer & Blood Diseases is to advance cures and means of prevention for pediatric cancer through research and treatment; while providing access to quality medical care for the uninsured, underinsured, and medically indigent children of Nevada, through a charity care plan, support, education, and advocacy. Consistent with the vision of our founder Dr. Jonathan Bernstein, that no child be denied care based on a family’s inability to pay for services. About The St. Baldrick’s Foundation The St. Baldrick’s Foundation makes grants to research institutions to find new cures for childhood cancer, and to find treatments to ensure a better quality of life for patients and survivors. The Foundation funds research projects conducted by established pediatric cancer experts, as well as younger professionals who will be the experts of tomorrow. Funds also enable hundreds of local institutions to participate in national pediatric cancer clinical trials, offering the best available care for every child. The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is grateful to its many volunteers (bald or not!), donors and sponsors, including Allied World, elope and PartnerRe. For more information about St. Baldrick’s, please call 1-888-899-BALD or visit www.StBaldricks.org. Contact: Sara McCarthy Phone: (626) 792-8247, ext. 47 Email: Sara@stbaldricks.org