Wednesday, December 21, 2016

MSKCC’s Kids Walk for Kids with Cancer Event - How it All Began




Alan Kratenstein practices general, family, and cosmetic dentistry at A Caring Dentist, his dental clinic located in Staten Island, New York. A supporter of several nonprofit organizations, Alan Kratenstein regularly donates to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC).

The world’s oldest private cancer center, MSKCC has dedicated its services to patient care, cancer research, and education for over 130 years. It is one of 45 National Cancer Institute-designed Comprehensive Cancer Centers, recognized for its advances in clinical studies and cancer treatment. To fund its initiatives and increase cancer awareness, the center organizes a number of fundraising events, including Kids Walk for Kids with Cancer. 

Kids Walk for Kids with Cancer is a walkathon and a fundraising activity, donating every single dollar from the proceeds to the pediatric cancer research of MSKCC. This event began in 2001, when a young woman named Sophie and her classmates from Packer Collegiate decided to organize a walkathon for her brother, Simon, who was a patient at MSKCC. The first Kids Walk raised over $35,000. Encouraged by the success of the walkathon, Sophie and classmates continued the event in the succeeding years, until it grew into a major event that has raised a total of $4 million.