For the second year, Vionic, a division of Caleres,has partnered with St. Jude Research Hospital and the PNOC Foundation to raise awareness and fund critical research for pediatric cancers during Childhood Cancer Awareness month. Vionic will engage consumers to help the lives of children and families battling cancer by donating at check-out during September. One hundred percent of donations will be shared equally amongst both organizations to help cure childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
“The need for funding for pediatric cancer research has never been more imperative, with the potential of progress from research institutions being at an all time high in terms of opportunity for key learnings to make our way towards a cure,” says Bruce Cambpell, co-founder of Vionic. “At Vionic, it is a heartfelt endeavor to raise funds for research and champion these children to work towards finding a cure.”
According to the American Cancer Society, about 10,500 children in the United States under the age of 15 will be diagnosed with cancer this year. Childhood cancer rates have been rising slightly for the past few decades. On average, 84 percent of children with cancer now survive five years or more, a significant increase since themid-1970s, when the five-year survival rate was 58 percent. However, there are still some cancer types that have not seen improvements. These statistics underscore the need for further fundraising for childhood cancers, and also highlight the measurable impact those research dollars can have on improving outcomes for children with cancer.
Brain cancer is the leading and deadliest childhood cancer, and yet still remains vastly underfunded. Campbell and his wife Allyn established the PNOC Foundation after their son George was diagnosed with a brain tumor 11 years ago. The family now dedicates their time to making a difference in the lives of the children and the families affected by brain tumors by raising awareness, bringing together families and connecting them to leading research institutions for treatment and raising funds for research and clinical trials through PNOC.
As one of the nearly two dozen corporate partners, Vionic is proud to sponsor St. Jude’s Childhood Cancer Awareness month. Jennifer Aniston, Marlo Thomas, Sofia Vergara, Ellen Degeneres and other St. Jude Celebrity ambassadors will unite for the #30DaysforStJude social media campaign to help raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
