Local Firefighters Fight Pediatric Cancer at 7th Annual Fire Up A Cure
Are you looking for a fun-filled afternoon that the whole family can enjoy, while giving back to others in the community? If so, look no further than The Cure It Foundation's 7th Annual Fire Up A Cure event on Saturday, July 21! This event will bring together nearly 20 teams of firefighters from across Illinois competing in fun challenges such as a fire truck pull, inflatable jousting, tug-of-war, dodgeball games and much more. To raise awareness and funds for pediatric cancer clinical research trials, several pediatric cancer patients and survivors serve as honorary coaches to the teams of firefighters. Competitors, coaches and community members will all come together to join in support and celebration of a very worthy cause!
The event is open to the public and scheduled from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Saint Xavier University's (SXU) Chicago campus, 3700 W. 103rd Street. Tickets can be purchased ahead of time by visiting The Cure It Foundation's website or at the door on July 21!
"As the parent of a pediatric cancer survivor, I know firsthand how much a diagnosis can flip your life upside-down," said Director of Fire Up A Cure, Erin Winkler. "It can be difficult to find normalcy and just be a kid. Through Fire Up A Cure, we want to bring a day of fun and happiness to some of the local patients and their families."
She continued to share, "In addition to that, Fire Up A Cure gets the surrounding communities involved by connecting the kids with teams of Chicago-area firefighters. There is a great deal of enthusiasm and mutual respect that happens between the teams of firefighters and the patients. It's truly a "heroes meeting heroes" kind of a thing. The event itself is always a fun and wonderful day, but it has also created lasting relationships between the kids and their teams. It's through relationships like these that we are hoping to create a broader awareness of how pediatric cancer is impacting our own local communities."
As yet another way of giving back, Fire Up A Cure will award two survivors of pediatric cancer with the Neil Spore First Responder Scholarship that aims to aid young adults as they pursue a career as a first responder. LifeSource and Be the Match will have stations set up at the event for those who wish to donate or learn more.
Centered on family-fun, the event will offer face painting, arts and crafts, inflatable slides, a kids' fire pole to slide down, real fire trucks to explore, a very special appearance from SXU's Champ, the Chicago White Sox's Southpaw, Dave Disano's Traveling World of Reptiles and so much more! There will even be several food trucks stationed at the event for your convenience.
For more information, please contact Amy Kazmierowicz at 773-954-8401 or amy@cureitfoundation.com.