Rally Good Meals: Feeding Childhood Cancer Families on Their Journey to the Bell
Rally not only impacts the lives of children with cancer, but the lives of their whole families. I know this because I am the sister of a Rally Kid. My name is Catherine Barr. My sister, Sarah, was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma—a type of bone cancer—in 2009 at the age of 12. I was 11 at the time. Sarah fought bravely for seven and a half years. She passed away in 2016. Sarah was so gentle and kind, all while being the biggest nerd. She excelled in school and wanted to pursue a career in the medical field. Her family and her faith were the most important things to her. Despite the hardships she endured, Sarah remained joyful and selfless. She is my hero and inspiration. I am currently in my last semester at Georgia College & State University. When I found out I could select a nonprofit to work with for my senior capstone project, I knew it had to be Rally! I was thrilled to have...
$2 Million in Grants!
Can you believe it? Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research just awarded $2 million in childhood cancer research grants. If you had asked us one year ago today, this is not what we would have predicted. It is because of you that we were able to do this. Thank you! Thank you to our supporters and Rally Challenge Teams who made each of these grants possible by adjusting the way funds were raised. Thank you to our Rally Medical Advisory Board who offered guidance when so much was unknown. Thank you to our partners in the Collaborative Pediatric Cancer Research Awards Program: The Truth 365, Infinite Love for Kids Fighting Cancer, Open Hands Overflowing Hearts, Luke Tatsu Johnson Foundation, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, CureSearch for Children’s Cancer, National Pediatric Cancer Foundation and the Osteosarcoma Institute; like-minded foundations working together to co-fund projects...
“See You On Monday”
A year ago Friday I looked at the Rally staff and said, “See you on Monday.” On Saturday, I spent the day doing research on COVID-19. By Saturday night I was looking up best practices for working from home. On Sunday, I called the leadership team together. Within two hours we had three Zoom accounts and a meeting scheduled with the whole team. I told the Rally team we would be sheltering in place and meeting by Zoom each morning and afternoon. I broke the news that we would not have any of our three scheduled Rally On the Runway events and that the advocacy team would not be going to Washington, D.C. the next week as planned. I shared that we were going to take our inspiration from our Rally families, who adjust and readjust almost on a daily basis without seemingly missing a beat. One team member said, “Childhood cancer isn’t going to take a break because of this pandemic, and neither...
Two Girls. Three Cancers. One Goal.
When Rally Kid Peyton was 15, her life was going as planned. She filled her time with rigorous academics, cross country and lacrosse. Nearing the winter of her sophomore year, Peyton’s quick feet began holding out and persistent headaches became unbearable. To Peyton's “utter disappointment” she was diagnosed with two types of leukemia. Peyton soon began a five-month treatment plan, receiving chemotherapy, full-body radiation and a bone marrow transplant. Sadly, she relapsed almost immediately. Peyton had to start treatment again, including a clinical trial and another bone marrow transplant. Her chances of survival were slim. But Peyton—being the strong and relentless fighter she is—persevered through her second battle against leukemia. A year and a half following her initial diagnosis, Peyton was finally cancer-free! I too was a normal kid before cancer. I spent my days dancing at my...
Adjust, Readjust and Hope
By: Dean Crowe, Founder & CEO Last year, when COVID-19 hit, I thought about our Rally families and how they handle everything that is thrown at them—which is a lot. Over and over, I have watched them adjust and readjust. Trying to learn from the best, I drew inspiration from these brave people in 2020. "Adjust and readjust” became my personal mantra and Rally’s theme for the year. Adjust and readjust we did. I have to be honest; it is a good game plan. It served Rally exceptionally well, as I shared in my year-end letter. Personally, the mantra served me well, too—especially on Christmas Eve. For as long as I can remember, Reid and I have hosted a large Christmas Eve dinner at our home. It is a tradition that our family and friends look forward to each year. We typically kick off the festivities when the Rohrbachs—whose daughter, Alexa, was the second Rally Kid—stop by for a glass...
A Letter from Dean – December 2020
Thank you for opening this letter. And for caring about kids fighting cancer. What a year. We can all agree that 2020 is not a year we will soon forget. When the pandemic struck, I thought about the Rally Kids and their families. Their “normal” is living with an immunocompromised child, yet I have always been inspired and in awe of their ability to adjust and readjust. So personally, and at Rally, I took my cue from them. Our theme became adjust and readjust. And that is what we did. Like many businesses and non-profits, when 2020 started, we were projected to have a record-breaking year. In March, when we sheltered in place to flatten the COVID-19 curve, Rally had to cancel four major fundraising events that were projected to raise $1.5 million. In spite of all that was going on, the Rally Board of Directors stayed committed to our mission and voted to award $3.3 million to 59...
Rally Good Meals: Feeding Childhood Cancer Families on Their Journey to the Bell
Rally not only impacts the lives of children with cancer, but the lives of their whole families. I know this because I am the sister of a Rally Kid. My name is Catherine Barr. My sister, Sarah, was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma—a type of bone cancer—in 2009 at the age of 12. I was 11 at the time. Sarah fought bravely for seven and a half years. She passed away in 2016. Sarah was so gentle and kind, all while being the biggest nerd. She excelled in school and wanted to pursue a career in the...
$2 Million in Grants!
Can you believe it? Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research just awarded $2 million in childhood cancer research grants. If you had asked us one year ago today, this is not what we would have predicted. It is because of you that we were able to do this. Thank you! Thank you to our supporters and Rally Challenge Teams who made each of these grants possible by adjusting the way funds were raised. Thank you to our Rally Medical Advisory Board who offered guidance when so much was unknown....
“See You On Monday”
A year ago Friday I looked at the Rally staff and said, “See you on Monday.” On Saturday, I spent the day doing research on COVID-19. By Saturday night I was looking up best practices for working from home. On Sunday, I called the leadership team together. Within two hours we had three Zoom accounts and a meeting scheduled with the whole team. I told the Rally team we would be sheltering in place and meeting by Zoom each morning and afternoon. I broke the news that we would not have any of our...
Two Girls. Three Cancers. One Goal.
When Rally Kid Peyton was 15, her life was going as planned. She filled her time with rigorous academics, cross country and lacrosse. Nearing the winter of her sophomore year, Peyton’s quick feet began holding out and persistent headaches became unbearable. To Peyton's “utter disappointment” she was diagnosed with two types of leukemia. Peyton soon began a five-month treatment plan, receiving chemotherapy, full-body radiation and a bone marrow transplant. Sadly, she relapsed almost...
Adjust, Readjust and Hope
By: Dean Crowe, Founder & CEO Last year, when COVID-19 hit, I thought about our Rally families and how they handle everything that is thrown at them—which is a lot. Over and over, I have watched them adjust and readjust. Trying to learn from the best, I drew inspiration from these brave people in 2020. "Adjust and readjust” became my personal mantra and Rally’s theme for the year. Adjust and readjust we did. I have to be honest; it is a good game plan. It served Rally exceptionally well,...
A Letter from Dean – December 2020
Thank you for opening this letter. And for caring about kids fighting cancer. What a year. We can all agree that 2020 is not a year we will soon forget. When the pandemic struck, I thought about the Rally Kids and their families. Their “normal” is living with an immunocompromised child, yet I have always been inspired and in awe of their ability to adjust and readjust. So personally, and at Rally, I took my cue from them. Our theme became adjust and readjust. And that is what we did. Like many...