Champion Families

Families that have experienced a childhood cancer diagnosis know all too well the need for gentler, more effective treatments.

That's what we work for every day at CancerFree KIDS, and we'd love for you to join our community of Champions.

Join our Champion family community

We are proud to be the leading funder of early-stage pediatric cancer research at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and Nationwide Children's Hospital, fueling early-stage research to find gentler, more effective treatments for kids with cancer.

Everything that we do is for families like yours.

To sign up and learn more about how to get involved as a CancerFree KIDS Champion Family, fill out the short form below.

Questions? Contact Director of Family Engagement Julie Daubenmire, julie.daubenmire@cancerfreekids.org

Sign up

Our Champion Programs

Signature Events
Champion families are invited to participate in and be honored at our signature events in Cincinnati and Columbus.

Butterfly Walk
Cincinnati

Our annual spring family engagement event at the Cincinnati Zoo where we honor all childhood cancer champions and raise funds in support of our mission.

May 16, 2026

This year is our first Celebration of Courage Columbus! Entertainment, dinner, auctions, raffles and more celebrating with Champion families and CancerFree KIDS supporters.

May 27, 2026

During Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, individuals and teams take the challenge of completing 100 miles of activity and raising $100 to help kids with cancer.

Full month of September

Annual dinner and auction spent celebrating with Champion families and CancerFree KIDS supporters, followed by the Concert for Courage!

October 16, 2026

Our community of supporters hosts various events benefitting CancerFree KIDS throughout the year. Check out what they have coming up!

A 12 hour overnight event engaging over 1,000 students from Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky in the fight against pediatric cancer.

Winter 2027

Patient Programs
Thanks to our partners, we are pleased to provide support to children and families facing a cancer diagnosis and throughout their treatment journey at Cincinnati Children's and Nationwide Children's hospitals.

CancerFree KIDS Blanket

Kids being treated for cancer at Cincinnati Children's and Nationwide Children's get a pinwheel blanket to keep them comfortable as they are going through treatment.

Courage the Lion

Our friend Courage the Lion is gifted to children to provide a little extra "courage" when they need it most.

Hope Drop Gifts

CancerFree KIDS Hope Drops are distributed around our signature events throughout the year to let kids being treated for cancer and their families know we're fighting for them.

The Butterfly Walk

Resources for Families

It takes a village to support children and families affected by pediatric cancer. CancerFree KIDS is a founding member of the Coalition Against Childhood Cancer (CAC2.org). We invite you to explore their two curated, community-driven directories of organizations that support children and teens with cancer, survivors, and their families.

Support During Treatment

The Hope Portal directory offers patient support resources for:

Patients
Parents/Caregivers
Siblings/Families
Bereaved Families
Professionals

Survivorship Support

The Better Together directory offers survivorship support resources for:

Survivors
Parents/Caregivers
Siblings/Families
Professionals

Looking for resources and support for your family? Below is a list or organizations who are committed to serving pediatric cancer families. We're stronger together, and CancerFree KIDS is proud to collaboratively serve the childhood cancer community alongside many partners.

A Kid Again – cost-free activities for the whole family for kids with life-threatening medical conditions, serving families throughout the country

Brave Like Me Foundation – family adventures and pet therapy programs, based in Cincinnati

Calves and Cocoa – magazine aimed at helping childhood cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers know they are not alone in their experience

Dragonfly Foundation – psychosocial, emotional, and financial support to childhood cancer families, based in Cincinnati

Flying Horse Farms – medical specialty camp that provides experiences at no cost for kids with serious illnesses, including cancer

Kids Get Cancer Too – financial, emotional, and spiritual support for families facing pediatric cancer, based in Columbus

NC4K – financial, emotional, and special events for kids with cancer and their families, based in Columbus

Champion Families

Our Champion Programs