PHILADELPHIA, PA/FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – September 15, 2020 -- The fight against childhood cancer is about to get even stronger.  Philadelphia-based “Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation” (ALSF) and Fort Lauderdale-based “I Care I Cure Childhood Cancer Foundation” (ICIC) have joined forces to strengthen the battle against childhood cancer.

According to ICIC co-founders Beth and Brad Besner, both organizations, which were founded by parents who have suffered the loss of a child to cancer, have a deep understanding of the needs for better treatments and cures.  The two entities have partnered in the past to fund 24 cutting edge research projects.

“ALSF is a top-notch charity which has enabled us to make better medical grant decisions over the years,” said Beth Besner.  “By aligning forces, we can expand the synergies to raise even more funds to find gentler cures and increase awareness of this dreadful disease.”

ALSF will assume ICIC’s assets and will manage operations of the newly combined entity.  The founders and board members of ICIC will establish an advisory board to continue their annual fundraising events and young professional programming.  Future monies raised will go toward grants within ICIC’s mission, through ALSF.

"We are honored to join with I Care I Cure to continue our collective efforts to fight childhood cancer,” said Liz Scott, Founder of ALSF.  “We are deeply committed to funding research into safer, less toxic treatments and the combined strength of our two foundations will help us make a more powerful impact.”

Over the next few months, ALSF will work with ICIC to welcome its supporters to Team Alex and move forward with their shared mission.  Funds donated from the new advisory board’s efforts will continue to support less toxic therapies for children with cancer through the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation grant giving program.

About I Care I Cure
The I Care I Cure Childhood Cancer Foundation (ICIC) was founded by Beth and Brad Besner in honor of their son, Ian, who died in May, 2006 at 11 years of age from complications related to his leukemia treatments. The Besners knew they needed to devote their efforts to educating the public about and finding gentler, more humane cures for childhood cancer. They created the Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) charity, that supports research focused on discovering drugs that target cancer cells only, while leaving healthy cells intact. With targeted treatments, patients should have fewer painful side effects and fewer long-term health problems.  For more information, visit icareicure.org.

About Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation
Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) emerged from the front yard lemonade stand of 4-year-old Alexandra “Alex” Scott, who was fighting cancer and wanted to raise money to find cures for all children with cancer. Her spirit and determination inspired others to support her cause, and when she passed away at the age of 8, she had raised $1 million. Since then, the Foundation bearing her name has evolved into a national fundraising movement. Today, ALSF is one of the leading funders of pediatric cancer research in the U.S. and Canada raising more than $200 million so far, funding over 1,000 research projects and providing programs to families affected by childhood cancer. For more information, visit AlexsLemonade.org.

About Childhood Cancer
Childhood cancer is a general term used to describe cancer in children occurring regularly, randomly and sparing no ethnic group, socioeconomic class, or geographic region. Childhood cancer extends to over a dozen types of cancers and a countless number of subtypes. Just a few of these cancer types include Ewing's sarcoma, glioma, leukemia, lymphoma, medulloblastoma, neuroblastoma, osteosarcoma, retinoblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma and Wilm's tumor.  In the United States, childhood cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in children under the age of 15. Every day, approximately 250 kids around the world die from cancer, accounting for 91,250 losing their lives to the disease every year.