Charity Event Partners With Jacob’s Heart to Improve the Lives of Children With Cancer
The Santa Cruz-based non-profit Jordan & Kyra Memorial Foundation has announced that it is expanding its partnership with Jacob’s Heart Children’s Cancer Support Services, a non-profit dedicated to improving the quality of life for children from Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Benito and South Santa Clara Counties who have cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.
Building upon the partnership developed in 2013, the Jordan & Kyra Memorial Foundation will earmark a major portion of funds that will be raised through the 2016 Annual Jordan & Kyra Memorial Foundation Charity Golf Tournament to Jacob’s Heart.
Now celebrating its 23rd year raising funds for pediatric brain tumor research and family care, the tournament will be held on Friday, September 30, at Seascape Golf Club in Aptos and will include a shotgun start tournament with a variety of on-course contests, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction, and an awards dinner banquet. To enter, sponsor the tournament, or for more information, please visit www.jordanandkyra.org/tournament.
Established in 1993, the Jordan & Kyra Memorial Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created in memory of Jordan Stuart and Kyra Pillsbury, two Bay Area children who lost their battles with brain tumors at a very young age, but whose spirit and courage continue to inspire others.
The Foundation was created to provide comfort for the families of children with pediatric cancers by funding Family House, a non-profit residence for the families of children undergoing treatment at UCSF Medical Center in San Francisco; and hope, by funding cutting-edge research that is being conducted by world renowned cancer specialist Dr. Mark A. Israel, M.D. – first at UCSF Brain Tumor Research Center and currently at Dartmouth University’s Norris Cotton Cancer Center.
In recent years, funding has also been earmarked to support Jacob’s Heart. During the past 22 years, the Jordan & Kyra Memorial Foundation has raised more than $3.4 million for children’s cancer causes. For more information, please visit www.jordanandkyra.org.
“We are very appreciative for the outpouring of compassion and support during the past 22 years, which has helped us to make an important impact on the lives of children with life-threatening illnesses as well as fund the critical research currently being done that will hopefully one day find a cure for pediatric brain tumors and other forms of pediatric cancer,” said Jordan & Kyra Memorial Foundation Co-Founder Rob Stuart. “We truly admire the extraordinary work being done by Jacob’s Heart to provide support services for the families of children with cancer, and look forward to working closely with them to make this year’s Jordan & Kyra Memorial Charity Golf Tournament our most successful ever.”
Jacob’s Heart Founder and Executive Director Lori Butterworth echoed those sentiments, saying, “We are indebted to the Jordan & Kyra Memorial Foundation for its passion and support, which will enable us to reach significantly more families of children with cancer. When a child is ill, the effects on the entire family are devastating and long lasting. We look forward to continuing to provide family-centered care, financial assistance and a myriad of counseling, education and support services, which will be greatly enhanced by this unique collaboration.”
Established in 1998, Jacob’s Heart provides family-centered care that addresses the emotional, practical and financial struggles experienced by the families of children and teens during treatment, families with anticipatory grief, and those who are bereaved. It strives to inspire compassionate action within local communities to create a safety net of support for the unique needs of each child and family.
Since 1998, Jacob’s Heart has served more than 600 children with cancer and 2,500 of their family members. Just a few of the programs and services it provides include bilingual counseling and family support, including grief counseling for the entire family; Camp Heart + Hands, a family camp for the families of children with cancer; direct financial assistance for families facing financial hardships during treatment or for memorials and legacies; and a program that delivers nutritious meals and groceries to families during treatment. For more information, please visit www.jacobsheart.org.