Momentum Takes Hold

In 2007, something powerful happened — momentum took hold.

What began just a few years earlier as a prayer circle and a question was quickly growing into something bigger than we could have imagined.

We hired our very first employee — Nicole, a brand-new Auburn graduate who poured her heart into Rally from day one. She set the tone for who we are: passionate, mission-driven purpose, and willing to do whatever it takes for kids fighting cancer.

That same year, at Rally’s request, Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue issued a proclamation at the State Capitol declaring September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in Georgia. It was a historic moment of recognition for kids fighting cancer — and every governor since has honored our request continuing this tradition, helping raise awareness year after year.

We also established our first Medical Advisory Board — nine experts committed to guiding our funding with integrity and scientific rigor through a dual peer-reviewed process. Today, the board has grown in size and stature, with seven of those original members still serving, their dedication unwavering nearly two decades later.

That year Rally also funded Dr. Nai-Kong Cheung at Memorial Sloan Kettering in honor of Alexa, our second Rally Kid, who was treated by Dr. Cheung. His neuroblastoma research helped pave the way for Danyelza, a life-saving FDA-approved drug in 2020. What started as early-stage seed funding became a breakthrough for kids fighting one of the toughest childhood cancers.

But that year we also did something unprecedented. We reached out — to Hope Street Kids — and offered to co-fund research. Instead of duplicating effort, we chose to collaborate. Why make researchers spend precious hours navigating multiple applications and deadlines when we could make it easier? That one decision sparked the creation of A Collaborative Pediatric Cancer Research Awards Program, hosted on ProposalCentral, and it’s now streamlined the process for over 20 nonprofit partners, reviewers and researchers.

So many firsts. So much momentum.
And the beginning of something unstoppable.

This is the power of people.
This is the power of purpose.
This is Rally.