The Childhood Cancer Blog

Festive FUNdraising: Winter is a Great Time to Help Cure Childhood Cancer

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For those of us in the northern United States, it feels like days of sipping lemonade are far behind us during these long winter months. But, every day is a great day to support Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation! Leave the icy cold lemonade behind and instead, embrace the winter season!  

Curing Childhood Cancer, One Gingerbread House At a Time
One of our supporters, the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC, is helping cure childhood cancer, one gingerbread house at a time!  The Hyatt hosts a Gingerbread Challenge each year as a fun event for clients in the DC Metro. This year the employees turned the event into a fun, winter fundraiser for ALSF.

Hero mom and Hyatt employee Michelle Crabtree suggested that the event benefit ALSF. Her son Tyler was diagnosed with Pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia (low risk)  when he was 2 1/2. Tyler completed 3 years of treatment and  is now seven years old. The Crabtree family supports ALSF as hero ambassadors and lemonade stand hosts.  

This fun and creative event was a great way for the Hyatt to engage their clients and to help raise awareness and funds for childhood cancer research. At the event, the Hyatt set up an onsite lemonade stand, while teams worked to assemble creative, holiday gingerbread houses. Entries were posted online for public voting and the winning team (with 131 likes!) won a 2-hour reception for up to 25 guests at the Hyatt. That winning team, the Expedia Team, donated their winnings back to ALSF!  

Warming Up With Hot Cocoa
ALSF hero Matthew McDonnell decided to give his Alex’s Lemonade Stand a winter twist! The six-year-old, who has been battling Wilms’ tumor since he was three-years-old, decided to switch up the usual lemonade with hot cocoa. Matthew’s Miraculous Hot Cocoa Stand was held outside a local park in his hometown! Friends and neighbors came out and warmed up with a cup of hot cocoa while making donations to support ALSF!

Have you hosted a winter fundraiser for ALSF? Tell us about it on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram!  And don't delay, now is the perfect time to register your winter lemonade (or hot cocoa) stand!