Dear Team G Supporters and Childhood Cancer Advocates,
This past year you have been a part of "Team G"; 5 year old Gabriella Cosner's fight against cancer. Through the year, you gave support, encouragement, and inspiration to our family in some way. Adam and I were so humbled by the goodness of family, friends and strangers willing to support us during an incredibly difficult time. We saw the outpour of love and support for children fighting cancer and vowed to keep it going for other parents and children facing the same situation.
Through our journey, we started meeting more families and their children who were stricken with cancer including a local teenager named Tianna who was fighting the same cancer as Gabriella. We learned that the National Cancer Institute dedicates less than 4% to all 12 types of childhood cancer, we knew more needed to be done. We also learned that there were many life saving projects just sitting on the shelves and trials that couldn't take place because of lack of funding which pushed our motivation even further. Ideas started generating from making a difference with families on a personal level to researching on a national level. These continued on a path of meetings, paperwork, internet searches, website building, finding board members, talking to lawyers, fundraisers, more internet searches, etc. and everything started to come together to turn Team G into Team G Foundation. Our mission came to realization. The first part is to provide "starter packages" with the help of oncology social workers to newly diagnosed families at pediatric hospitals across the nation. The second part was to raise funds for clinical trials for pediatric cancer research. With the help of pediatric oncologists from the Children's Oncology Group, which provides treatment plans for more than 90% of children battling cancer, we will begin to fund research appropriately.
Team G Foundation is about all children fighting cancer and a community of nationwide support behind them. We have officially launched Team G Foundation; a childhood cancer foundation which will raise funds for researching new and less toxic treatments and support families fighting pediatric cancer. Together we will fight this insidious disease until no other parent hears the words...."your child has cancer". We will do whatever it takes to fund further cancer studies in children, find research studies for progressions in treatment, and ultimately find a cure. Until then, we will support families fighting their child's cancer with the resources on our website, with stories of children that have inspired us and with our "starter packages" for families newly diagnosed with pediatric cancer. We are in the process of obtaining our 501(c)3 nonprofit status, which we expect to be completed in a few months.
"FIGHT FOR GOLD"
With my husband and I being fit and athletic as well as our board members either being CrossFit trainers, marathon runners, cyclists or just all around darn good athletes, it made sense to have a workout regimen as the main component of our fundraising. We created the "Fight for Gold" challenge where individuals register their workout (100% of the proceeds are used directly for funding research and family support), obtain sponsors, and perform a 7 minute workout on the 7th of every month in honor of the 7 children who die of pediatric cancer every day. You can read about it here: http://teamgfoundation.
"FAMILY FESTIVAL FUNDRAISER"
Please save the date of July 7th, 2013 for Team G's "Family Festival Fundraiser" where we can introduce our foundation and our mission. The Festival will be held at Redwood Estates Pavilion at the following location from 12pm to 6pm.
21450 Madrone Dr. Los Gatos, Ca 95066
We will have live entertainment, food, drinks, bouncy houses, pony rides, face painting, and a fun atmosphere for families and kids to enjoy an afternoon of fun and learn about Team G Foundation. We will also have a silent auction for everyone to bid on some great items!
If you would like to be a part of helping plan this event, please send an email toTGteamgfoundation@gmail.com or krisycos1@gmail.com. We will happily take donations and help to plan an amazing fundraiser where we can start raising funds toward our mission! There will be more information to follow as well as many more fundraisers ahead including our CrossFit Obstacle Course, our Bake Sale for Cookies for Kids' Cancer, Adopt a Family with Jacob's Heart, and more.
"BORDER TO BORDER FOR CHILDHOOD CANCER!!!"
Please be on the lookout for our very own Bill Sylvester who plans to ride from the border of Canada to the border of Mexico in the month of September in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and to raise funds for Team G Foundation!!! We are ecstatic about Bill's ride and will be setting up a donation page, flyers, establish a route and much more to support Bill in his journey.
We can't do this alone....so please help us make a difference in the lives of these children by helping fund childhood cancer research.... and their parents who begin their journey with pediatric cancer.
Please visit our website at www.teamgfoundation.org and "Like" us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/
From all of us on the Team G Foundation Board, we thank you!
