RAISING FUNDS & AWARENESS ALONG THE GULF COAST

Rally Gulf Coast was established organically with Rally’s signature question: “what can I do to help?” Director, Cindi Bonner, started her Rally journey when her 4-year-old neighbor was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma. She knew she needed help!

Cindi’s neighbors were getting bombarded with questions, texts and phone calls. She knew they needed a resource to answer all the kind concerns, allowing them more time to focus on their daughter. Cindi jumped right in to support the family! She built a website and Facebook page to keep their family and friends informed.

During this process, she educated herself on the terrifying statistics of childhood cancer. From learning about the sever funding gap to making connections with other childhood cancer families around the country, Cindi knew that more could be done to help others in the communities along the Gulf Coast.

After meeting Rally’s leadership team and learning more about the organization, Cindi knew she wanted to raise funds and awareness that support Rally’s mission, from her hometown of Pensacola, Florida. In 2015, Rally Pensacola was born. Since then, Rally Pensacola has rebranded to Rally Gulf Coast and raised over $3.2 million, developed strong community partnerships, and provided resources for pediatric oncology families along the Florida panhandle and South Alabama regions.

Today, Rally Gulf Coast is located inside Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Ascension Sacred Heart, which serves families across the Florida panhandle, southern Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Rally Gulf Coast works to raise awareness and funds for childhood cancer research, through donors, community partners, special events and partnerships with public and private schools. Rally Gulf Coast supports families with kids fighting cancer, by providing funding through the Rally Gulf Coast Family Emergency Fund, inpatient meals with the Rally Good Meal program, and hosting additional family events that help introduce families to other childhood cancer families along the Gulf Coast.