Blog Archives - Cannonball Kids' cancer Foundation

DAF Day of Giving: Give smarter. Change lives.

October 7, 2026
Emma Wade

Your Gift Fuels Discovery October 8 is DAF Day of Giving! Your Donor Advised Fund can be a powerful tool for creating change. For more than a decade, Cannonball Kids’ cancer Foundation (CKc) has...

Pediatric Cancer Diagnosis: Why Parents Must Keep Asking

September 23, 2026
Emma Wade

When a child is diagnosed with cancer, the focus quickly turns to treatment. What is the diagnosis? What does the treatment look like? What comes next? But for Krista Keller, the questions do not...

From Experience to Impact: One Family’s Cancer Story

September 10, 2026
Emma Wade

In Episode 58 of Game Over: c*ncer, hosts Dana Nichols and Val Solomon talk with Sarah, Executive Director of Big Nova Foundation, about what her family’s experience taught her about pediatric...

Rethinking Quality of Life in Pediatric Cancer Care

August 20, 2026
Emma Wade

What if better treatment means more than treating the disease? For Dr. Justin Baker, it means helping children and families live as well as possible throughout the entire cancer journey. Palliative...

It’s Not What’s On The Giant Check. It’s Who’s Behind It.

August 20, 2026
Valerie Solomon

When you see a photo of a giant check being presented to a researcher, it probably looks like the main event. It’s not. A research visit is part celebration, part strategy session, part...

The Power of Imperfect Presence

August 11, 2026
Emma Wade

Could one small action change someone’s life? For Emily McDowell, it did. What started as a simple greeting card idea became a movement that transformed the way people communicate about grief,...

Building a Stronger Pediatric Cancer Community

July 27, 2026
Emma Wade

The pediatric cancer community is full of people with big ideas, powerful stories, and a shared desire to make a difference. Now, there is a new place for those people to come together. In this...

What Innovation Actually Looks Like

July 13, 2026
Cannonball Kids' cancer

When most people hear the word innovation, they imagine a breakthrough. A headline. A discovery. A moment when everything changes. But that’s not what innovation looks like in...

The Long Game of Pediatric Cancer Research

July 13, 2026
Emma Wade

Progress in pediatric cancer research rarely happens overnight. It is built through years of discovery, collaboration, and persistence as researchers continue learning from each study and finding...

Tenacity in Pediatric Cancer

June 25, 2026
Emma Wade

Every advancement in pediatric cancer research has the potential to change how children are diagnosed, treated, and cared for. While breakthroughs rarely happen overnight, each discovery builds on...

How Do Laws, Funding, and Advocacy Shape the Future of Childhood Cancer Research

June 15, 2026
Emma Wade

In pediatric cancer, progress is rarely fast. It is built through research, persistence, and the systems that help scientific discoveries reach children and families. In Episode 52 of Game Over:...

The Internship That Made Me Rethink My Career

June 3, 2026
Valerie Solomon

For many college students, internships are viewed as a stepping stone to gain experience and prepare for a future career. Sometimes, however, an internship can become something more. It becomes an...

The Human Side of Pediatric Cancer Research

June 1, 2026
Valerie Solomon

In pediatric brain cancer research, progress is driven by collaboration. In Episode 51 of the Game Over: c*ncer, hosts Dana Nichols and Val Solomon sit down with Dr. John Prensner, pediatric...

New Treatment Hope for Rare Childhood Leukemia

May 31, 2026
Valerie Solomon

In Episode 49 of the Game Over: c*ncer, hosts Dana Nichols and Val Solomon sit down with Dr. Elliot Stieglitz, an associate professor of pediatrics at the UCSF School of Medicine and a pediatric...

What Happens When Standard Treatment Stops Working?

May 26, 2026
Valerie Solomon

When you think about childhood cancer treatment, do you imagine a clear path? Diagnosis. Treatment. Recovery. It seems simple, that’s how it should be. But for many families, that is not the...

Why Pediatric Cancer Research Is Different

May 20, 2026
Cannonball Kids' cancer

When most people hear the phrase “cancer research,” they assume all cancers are studied, funded, and treated equally. You need to know: They aren’t. Pediatric cancer research exists in an entirely...

The Hidden Work Behind Fundraising for Pediatric Cancer Research

April 24, 2026
Valerie Solomon

In Episode 48 of the Game Over: c*ncer, hosts Dana Nichols and Val Solomon sit down with Amy Robertson. CKc’s development assistant shares the nitty-gritty of the work behind raising funds for...

How Poverty Impacts Childhood Cancer

April 3, 2026
Valerie Solomon

In Episode 47 of the Game Over: c*ncer, hosts Dana Nichols and Val Solomon sit down with Dr. Kira Bona, a pediatric oncologist interested in social determinants of health for kids in cancer...

Research updates: Spring 2026

March 27, 2026
Valerie Solomon

Each year, CKc funds innovative research projects, committing to three years of support for every grant awarded. As part of this investment, researchers submit annual reports detailing the progress...

Diagnosed at 4, 13, and 18: Tayler’s Relentless Fight

March 25, 2026
Valerie Solomon

In Episode 46 of the Game Over: c*ncer, hosts Dana Nichols and Val Solomon sit down with Tayler Ellison. A three-time cancer survivor, Tayler shares her story of resilience and perseverance with...

Women Supporting Women Through Fitness & Philanthropy

March 9, 2026
Valerie Solomon

In Episode 45 of the Game Over: c*ncer, hosts Dana Nichols and Val Solomon sit down with Hannah Hunt. hosts Dana Nichols and Val Solomon sit down with Hannah Hunt, an Orlando entrepreneur and owner...

Treatment, Survivorship, and Family Part 2

February 20, 2026
Valerie Solomon

In Episode 44 of the Game Over: c*ncer, hosts Dana Nichols and Val Solomon sit down with Julie Feuerstein. Julie is an assistant professor in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders at...

PART 1: Treatment, Survivorship, and Family

February 9, 2026
Valerie Solomon

In Episode 43 of the Game Over: c*ncer, hosts Dana Nichols and Val Solomon sit down with Mara Feuerstein. Mara was diagnosed with B-cell ALL at age 6 and is now in middle school. This amazing young...

Upcoming Tax Law Changes Could Affect YOUR Charitable Giving

November 5, 2025
Valerie Solomon

Beginning in 2026, significant changes will impact itemized deductions for charitable contributions. These include a new 0.5% adjusted gross income (AGI) floor, meaning only donations exceeding...

Surrender, Strength, and Purpose: Lessons from Maria Ochoa of Mia’s Miracles

October 30, 2025
Valerie Solomon

In Episode 38 of the Game Over: c*ncer, hosts Dana Nichols and Val Solomon sit down with Maria Ochoa, co-founder and president of Mia’s Miracles Foundation, which she created with her husband,...

Defeating DIPG: A Conversation with ChadTough’s Co-founder Tammi Carr

October 15, 2025
Valerie Solomon

In Episode 37 of the Game Over: c*ncer, hosts Dana Nichols and Val Solomon sit down with Tammi Carr, co-founder of ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation. Tammi speaks about her son Chad, a bright and...

Survivorship is worth fighting for all year long

September 29, 2025
Valerie Solomon

Awareness months may spark important conversations, but kids and families face pediatric cancer every single day. That’s why even though September is ending, our work, and yours as a community of...

runDisney Crew: Why we run

August 29, 2025
Valerie Solomon

Every mile tells a story. For our runners, crossing the starting line isn’t just about fitness or fun. It’s about purpose. Each step is powered by the names, faces, and memories of children who...

Your Ripple Goes Beyond The Gold Ribbon

August 29, 2025
Valerie Solomon

Thank you for committing to taking action this pediatric cancer awareness month! 1. Contact your congressional members. Tell them that gutting the cancer research budget by 37% is unacceptable....

Going Beyond the Ribbon: 10 Truths to Know This Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month

August 21, 2025
Valerie Solomon

Pediatric cancer is the #1 disease killer of children in the United States. Yet only 4% of federal cancer research funding is allocated to pediatric cancers. That means most treatments for kids are...

Beyond the Gold Ribbon: MAJOR CUTS to kids’ cancer research in 2026 Federal Budget

August 21, 2025
Valerie Solomon

When it comes to curing cancer, especially for children, progress doesn’t just depend on brilliant minds. It depends on steady, sustained funding. Unfortunately, the proposed 2026 federal budget...

Pediatric Cancer Isn’t Rare. But Research Funding Still Is.

August 21, 2025
Valerie Solomon

Every year, an estimated 400,000 children and adolescents worldwide are diagnosed with cancer.1 In the United States alone, an estimated 14,910 children and teens were diagnosed with cancer in 2024...

How to Become a Nonprofit Board Member: 7 Lessons from Clifton Scott

August 19, 2025
Valerie Solomon

In our latest Game Over: c*ncer episode, host Dana Nichols and Val Solomon sat down with Clifton Scott, Chief Operating Officer at AdventHealth Flagler and St. John’s Market, dedicated community...

Saying Yes, No Matter What: Leadership, Philanthropy, and the Ripple Effect at CKC

July 22, 2025
Valerie Solomon

In the heart of every impactful movement lies a deceptively simple decision: to say yes—even when you’re unsure of the outcome. In Episode 31 of the Game Over: c*ncer, hosts Dana Nichols and Val...

Be a future-maker for kids like Grace

July 14, 2025
Valerie Solomon

At the end of last year, we introduced CKc donors to Grace—a bright, determined teen and pediatric cancer survivor—whose story inspired so many during our year-end campaign. Today, we’re thrilled...

CKc eCards

June 18, 2025
Meghan Hedrick

Send your free ECard Support a friend in treatment At Cannonball Kids’ cancer Foundation, we believe no child—and no family—should face cancer alone. Our free e-cards are a simple, heartfelt way...

Grace’s Next Chapter: From Fighter to Future Healer

June 18, 2025
Valerie Solomon

At the end of last year, we introduced you to Grace—a bright, determined teen and pediatric cancer survivor—whose story inspired so many during our year-end campaign. Today, we’re thrilled to...

CKc Funding in the West

May 1, 2025
Valerie Solomon

When most people think of Orlando, Florida, they think of sunshine, theme parks, and vacation dreams. But nestled in this vibrant city is the headquarters of a nonprofit that’s working...

CKc’s Funding in the North

May 1, 2025
Valerie Solomon

When most people think of Orlando, Florida, they think of sunshine, theme parks, and vacation dreams. But nestled in this vibrant city is the headquarters of a nonprofit that’s working...

CKc’s Funding in the South

May 1, 2025
Valerie Solomon

When most people think of Orlando, Florida, they think of sunshine, theme parks, and vacation dreams. But nestled in this vibrant city is the headquarters of a nonprofit that’s working...

Press Release: Cannonball Kids’ cancer Foundation Awards $650,000 in Grants to Fuel Pediatric Cancer Research

January 31, 2025
Valerie Solomon

Cannonball Kids’ cancer Foundation Awards $650,000 in Grants to Fuel Pediatric Cancer Research ORLANDO, Fla. (Jan. 31, 2025) – Cannonball Kids’ cancer (CKc), a nonprofit dedicated to funding...

Making a difference for kids fighting cancer this holiday season

October 20, 2023
Valerie Solomon

The holiday season stirs the spirit of generosity in people’s hearts. It’s a time when we’re reminded that the greatest gifts we can give are found in the acts of kindness,...

Preparing a grant application for submission

May 8, 2023
Dana Nichols

Grant writing is a daunting and often tedious task. We’ve pulled together some guidance to submitting a relevant, fundable, and innovative research proposal. Review funding priorities. Making sure...

Tribute Gifts

May 8, 2023
Cannonball Kids' cancer

What is a tribute gift? Broadly speaking, a tribute gift is a commemorative donation to a nonprofit organization made in memory, in honor, or in support of someone or something. More...