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Paige Melick hasn’t let her age hold her back in making a difference for families in need.

Paige, age 12, is in sixth grade at Campobello-Gramling School in Campobello. She founded a fundraising program, Kidz in Lids, that directly benefits families of children who have cancer, and she is advocating to expand it as much
as possible.

Kim Melick, Paige’s mother, is the Operations Manager for Children’s Cancer Partners of the Carolinas, a nonprofit organization that serves families who have a child with cancer. The organization helps ease the financial burdens that can accompany travel to the limited number of places that offer pediatric cancer care. Currently, the organization is helping 600 children.

“Children’s Cancer Partners helps families that have a child with cancer in North Carolina and South Carolina,” Kim Melick said. “We help with food, lodging and transportation around the child’s treatment. We started in Spartanburg County and have grown to all of South Carolina and North Carolina in three years. Paige was in fourth grade when I started and she’s been around in the summer and at events.”

Her mother’s work hit home when Paige lost a friend to cancer. Paige said the loss inspired her to try to find a way to help. She spoke with CCP’s Executive Director Laura Allen – without her mother’s help – and then approached her school principal, Jeremy Darby. Out of those meetings, Kidz in Lids was born. The fundraiser gives participants
a little break from the school dress code and raises money for CCP so more families can be served.

“A kid has to bring in $1 to wear a hat and a teacher has to bring in $5 to wear jeans,” Paige said. The first day the program was held at Paige’s school, it raised $1,300 for CCP. Paige then met with the district superintendent,
who brought all district schools on board. Next, she spoke at a meeting of all Spartanburg County school  superintendents.

“All of Spartanburg schools are doing it now,” Paige said. “I want all schools in North Carolina and South Carolina to do it.”

Kim Melick said no family thinks they will be touched by pediatric cancer until it happens. Costs for gas, air travel to distant cancer centers, food, hotels and more can take a heavy toll on families. “Everything can change overnight,” she said.

For Paige, each dollar raised is a tribute. “This is a heartfelt thing,” Kim Melick said. “She was inspired by a friend.”

Greenville, S.C. – Children’s Cancer Partners of the Carolinas (CCP) was awarded a grant of $60,000 by Greenville Women Giving to create a Greenville County Childhood Cancer Special Needs Fund. The fund will help local families with the extraordinary costs that arise during a childhood cancer battle.

The Greenville County Childhood Cancer Special Needs Fund will enable CCP to ensure the Greenville families they serve are able to access all the care they need during their childhood cancer battle. Often, children are referred to distant pediatric oncology centers for specialized treatments when Carolina centers run out of options. CCP assists families with treatment travel, lodging and meals, and with special homecare needs throughout time of treatment. Radiation and chemotherapy affect young cancer patients and their development; CCP stays with families even after cancer treatment is over until the child is 21 and assists when additional travel is needed for surgeries, prosthetic replacements, organ transplants, and other challenging after-effects of cancer. The crushing costs and burdens of childhood cancer can be overwhelming to families. CCP is able to assist with family emergencies that could otherwise result in evictions, repossessions, or foreclosures.

“Children’s Cancer Partners is an excellent organization serving children battling the unimaginable and we could not be more proud to join in that fight,” stated Beverly Ward, Chair of Greenville Women Giving’s Grants Review Committee.

“Greenville Women Giving’s grant will ensure that our Greenville families have a safety net as they face childhood cancer,” said Laura Allen, Executive Director of CCP. “Our close and continuous relationships with our families throughout their cancer journey allow us to anticipate potential crises, and this ‘Special Needs Fund’ will give us the ability to intervene and avert these crises.”

Currently, there are 700 children enrolled with CCP across the entire Carolinas, with 28 children in Greenville County. CCP steps in at the time of diagnosis to provide financial support, family assistance with coordinating care, emotional support and connections to other families experiencing childhood cancer.

About Children’s Cancer Partners

The mission of Children’s Cancer Partners of the Carolinas is to provide comprehensive support and loving compassion to families whose children are battling cancer to improve their overall quality of life. The organization serves children and families throughout SC and NC. www.childrenscancerpartners.org 864-582-0673

About Greenville Women Giving:
GWG is a philanthropic organization serving Greenville County, SC, and was founded on the idea that women, when informed about philanthropy and the needs in their community, can collectively make a real difference. GWG’s Mission is to work strategically and collectively to identify and fund worthy organizations in the areas of arts, education, environment, health, and human services. Founded in 2006, GWG has donated $6 million in total grant funding over the past 13 years. For more information, visit www.greenvillewomengiving.org

 

Spartanburg, S.C. – Children’s Cancer Partners of the Carolinas (CCP) was awarded $27,948 by Women Giving for Spartanburg to purchase a van for their ongoing program of “Delivering Hope and Love.”

The van will be used to transport children with cancer and their caregivers to appointments or CCP events including their monthly family nights, summer program, Camp Victory, and annual Christmas Spectacular. The van will also be used for volunteer and staff visits to families, and to transport personal health and homecare products obtained from the United Way Gift-in-Kind Center that ease the financial challenges of childhood cancer families.

“Children’s Cancer Partners’ provide an invaluable service to families fighting the #1 disease killer of children here in the Carolinas,” stated Women Giving for Spartanburg Chair Dr. Amy Curtis, “and we are proud to assist them as they get children to lifesaving treatments.”

“The funds for our new van provided by Women Giving for Spartanburg will allow us to expand our program to be even more personalized to each families’ needs by providing them with transportation to our events and to their appointments, as well as supplying families with essential personal hygiene and home products. We’re grateful for Women Giving for Spartanburg’s support,” said Laura Allen, Executive Director of CCP.

There are only three centers for pediatric cancer in South Carolina, and many children must travel to receive treatment. The cost of travel can be overwhelming to families facing childhood cancer. CCP steps in to assist families with transportation, food and lodging associated with treatment. Currently, there are 700 children enrolled with CCP, and new referrals come at the rate of 25-35 per month. Overall, there are over 600 combined new diagnoses in South and North Carolina each year.

About Children’s Cancer Partners

The mission of Children’s Cancer Partners of the Carolinas is to provide comprehensive support and loving compassion to families whose children are battling cancer to improve their overall quality of life. The organization serves children and families throughout SC and NC. www.childrenscancerpartners.org 864-582-0673

 

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By Chris Lavender
Staff Writer
Posted Apr 13, 2019 at 9:13 PM Updated Apr 13, 2019 at 9:13 PM

Steamin’ Cow Patties’ burger “The Belly Dancer” — bacon-infused beef with roasted pork belly, wasabi aioli and Asian slaw —was the judges’ favorite at the sixth annual Cribbs Kitchen Burger Cook-Off held Saturday in downtown Spartanburg.

The annual event serves as a fundraiser for Children’s Cancer Partners of the Carolinas. More than $85,000 was raised at this year’s event, surpassing the $56,000 raised in 2018. The funds are used to provide support for local children and their families who are struggling with cancer.

Aaron Story accepted the winning trophy on behalf of his team.

“It’s an incredible event put on by Cribbs,” Story said. “Winning the judges’ award has always been a dream of our team. This event is the epitome of community service, since it’s a bunch of people coming together to have a giant cookout for kids. We are glad to carry the torch and glad to have a good time. We sold 450 burgers.”

Steamin’ Cow Patties wasn’t the only team recognized for a great-tasting burger. The team from Ike’s Korner Grille won The People’s Choice award for its “Almost There” burger, with mustard, chili, onions and coleslaw. They sold out of burgers during the event.

“What makes a good burger is the consistency of the meat,” said Angela Rodgers with Ike’s Korner Grill. “I had several people not even want the bun. We will be back next year. It was so much fun.”

The event was held at the corner of West Main and Daniel Morgan Avenue. Ethan Greer of Spartanburg said it was his first time attending the event and said he’d be back again. His first burger was from Motte and Sons Bootlegging Co., a burger with fried onions and American cheese.

“We finally got some good weather, and it’s really cool to see everyone in the city come out together for a good cause,” Greer said.

Basil’s B52 featured “The Bomb” burger, with bacon, garlic butter, homemade beer cheese and onions. The team sold about 100 burgers an hour.

“Oh, my gosh,” Basil’s B52 owner Lana Pearson said. “We were so overwhelmed and weren’t expecting to serve that many burgers. We had a lot of repeat customers. It was our first year doing this and hope to be back again next year.”

The team from Nu-Way Restaurant and Lounge sold 450 burgers during the event. Their “Smokey and The Bandit” burger had horseradish sauce and smoked Gouda cheese. Nu-Way team member Michael Campbell said he believes what makes a good burger is the juiciness.

“It’s one of the largest turnouts for the event that I have seen,” Campbell said.

See the pictures here. 

By Paul Rivera | April 6, 2019 at 10:34 PM EDT – Updated April 7 at 12:02 AM

 

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) – Children battling cancer and their families were treated to their very own private air show on Saturday.

The air show happened off of Airport Boulevard in West Columbia and it included unique aircraft, military vehicles and a chance to watch a sky dive.

All of this put on with help from Columbia’s Celebrate Freedom Foundation, the Childhood Cancer Optimist Club of SC and Children’s Cancer Partners of the Carolinas. Organizers say they hope this helps children escape if only for a few minutes from their battle.

“Step away from their cancer and they can not have to deal with the poking and the prodding and doctor’s appointments and doctor’s appointments. They can just be kids today,” said Laura Allen, executive director of Children’s Caner Partners of the Carolinas.

“To take them out of the needles and everything else that they’re used to. Give them an opportunity to see, see something different and maybe enlighten their lives” said John Lenti, CEO and Chair of the Celebrate Freedom Foundation.

Celebrate Freedom Foundation organizers say they hope to continue events like this in the future for other children and their families who are battling adversity.

Read full story here.