Help kids fight cancer.
Right here. Right now.
When a child is fighting cancer, they need all the help they can get.
You can make the difference. When you support Children’s Minnesota this September — Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and Sickle Cell Awareness Month — you help thousands of kids, and their families, right here in our region.
Your support will directly impact the cancer and blood disorders program at Children’s Minnesota, which cares for more than 3,500 kids — from babies to young adults — every year. We rely on your donations to surround every child in our Minnesota hospitals with the most extraordinary care: highly specialized, deeply compassionate and designed to gives families strength when they need it most.
Fundraise for Children’s Minnesota
Make an impact in September by creating your own Shine Bright for Kids fundraiser. Maybe you’ve personally experienced the Children’s Minnesota cancer and blood disorders program, or you have a loved one or friend who has. Or, you want to be part of a greater community rallying around families affected by cancer or a blood disorder. By fundraising and sharing your story, you’ll make a difference for more than 3,500 kids — and their families — who are cared for by our dedicated, highly specialized cancer and blood disorders team each year.
How to get your business involved in the 2023 campaign
Be a part of Shine Bright for Kids this September by providing special discounts or promotions to help us raise money for the cancer and blood disorders program at Children’s Minnesota. How your business gets involved is up to you — you could do a point-of-sale round-up donation or matching-funds gift. Complete this campaign proposal form and a representative from Children’s Minnesota will contact you »
Why support Children’s Minnesota?
We care for the majority of children in our region who face cancer. That means your support goes directly to help families right here at home. As the largest and most specialized cancer and blood disorders program in the Upper Midwest, we know that families rely on us to be the experts. It’s a big job, and it requires the support of our entire community.
Your donation, partnership, or fundraising efforts fund everything from special therapies to life-saving research to mortgage and rent relief. Donations also enable us to make sure families have child life specialists, social workers, arts therapists and other team members who provide vital services not covered by insurance, services that never show up on a patient’s bill.
Read our patient stories below:
Carpenter family story
In 2017, Brian and Leah Carpenter — already parents to daughters Emilia and Kaelin — were considering adding to their family through adoption. They learned about Bhanu, a 3-year-old in India living with severe thalassemia, an incurable blood disease that requires lifelong care. As soon as they saw her picture, they knew: this was their daughter.
Riley’s story
For 10-year-old Riley and his family, the summer was not the break they were hoping for. In early June, Kacy and Cody got the news – their son had cancer, specifically a rare form of Hodgkin’s lymphoma. They were understandably sad and hoping it was all a bad dream. But from the beginning, the family decided they were going to face cancer head on and focus on staying positive.
Naz’s story
Naziere “Naz” Evans has been in and out of the hospital more times than he can remember. Some of his stays lasted one week, while others up to two weeks. He’s even spent holidays in the hospital. Each time he was admitted, it was for the same thing – severe pain and anemia requiring transfusion caused by sickle cell disease; a condition that 20-year-old Naz was born with.
Matty’s story
From the outside, Matty looks like your typical 14-year-old who enjoys sports and, like many Minnesotans, especially hockey. But all those sports and activities had to come to an abrupt stop when he was first diagnosed with immune thrombocytopenia or ITP – a platelet disorder where the blood does not clot as it should because of a low platelet count. This meant Matty had trouble stopping the bleeding when he had a cut or injury.
Tamara’s story
Tamara and her mom discuss the challenges of sickle cell disease and how staying rooted in their faith and focusing on personal resilience helps. “[Living with sickle cell disease] makes me proud, because I know I can do better and I can be stronger than what I am, and it turns out that I am,” Tamara shares.
Here is what your support impacts
With your donation, we’re able to deliver extraordinary care to children living with cancer and blood disorders — not only the best medicine and latest treatments but also the healing support of a devoted team that includes child life specialists, social workers, arts therapists and many more.
Shop. Eat. Drink. For a good cause.
Amazon
Amazon Goes Gold in the month of September for childhood cancer awareness. Amazon – MSP8 team members will be collecting donations all month long for toys and items to bring to little faces in support of Shine Bright.
Amy’s Cupcake Shoppe
Amy’s Cupcake Shoppe is a scratch-made bakery located in Hopkins, Minnesota. With custom cakes, cupcakes, macarons + more, they are baking the world a little sweeter one homemade treat at a time. $1 from each Shine Bright cupcake sold during the month of September will support the Cancer and Blood Disorders program at Children’s Minnesota.
Coccinella
Coccinella is going to Shine Bright for Kids throughout the month of September! They are donating 25% of online sales to Children’s Minnesota in support of the Cancer and Blood Disorders Program. Shop today and help us Shine Bright for Kids!
Driskill’s Downtown Market
Driskill’s Downtown Market is rounding up in September to benefit kids at Children’s Minnesota! Customers can make a difference in a child’s life by rounding up their change throughout the month of September. Funds raised benefit the Cancer and Blood Disorders program at Children’s Minnesota.
Great Wolf Lodge
Great Wolf Lodge has partnered with Shine Bright during the month of September! Throughout the month, Children’s Minnesota staff and their families can purchase day passes at a special rate with $5 of each pass benefitting the Cancer and Blood Disorders Program.
Kendra Scott
Kendra Scott is partnering with Children’s Minnesota during the month of September to Shine Bright for Kids. Kendra Cares is their creative arts program that brings the magic and joy of their Color Bar® experience to pediatric hospitals across the country, giving patients, siblings and their caregivers a break from their every day to design their own customized jewelry at no cost. Kendra Scott will be hosting two events at the hospital campuses during the month in support of Shine Bright.
Norwex by Vicki Schaefers
Throughout the month of September, all commissions from this Norwex party will be donated to the cancer and blood disorders program.
Red Cow Uptown
Red Cow Uptown has partnered with local breweries Glueks, Pyres, and Lupulin to support the Cancer and Blood Disorders program. All proceeds from sales of these featured beers will be donated to Shine Bright when purchased during the month of September!
U.S. Men’s Soccer team
U.S. Soccer is supporting the Cancer and Blood Disorders program by inviting a patient family to the US Men’s National Team’s training session and highlighting them during the match in St. Paul on September 12.
Lift Bridge Brewery
Lift Bridge Brewery is creating a special collaboration beer, “Shine So Bright,” and will be donating a portion of the proceeds back to Children’s Minnesota. Visit their taprooms beginning on Give to Kids Day (September 14) as they tap the Hazy IPA and celebrate Shine Bright. Their Stillwater location will feature a double give back that day, and crowlers will be available to-go throughout the month.
J. McLaughlin
J. McLaughlin will host a sip-and-shop event on Thursday, Sept. 28, from 3 to 6 p.m. during which 15 percent of proceeds from sales will benefit the cancer and blood disorders program. Customers unable to attend the event may call the store to place orders. Location: 3360 Galleria, Edina 55435
Additional sponsors
We are grateful to Prime Therapeutics for being one of our most generous donors, matching up to $25,000.
The Correa Family Foundation is committed to supporting patients and families in the Cancer and Blood Disorders program with direct financial assistance and once-in-a-lifetime experiences during the MN Twins season.
The Minnesota Twins will be hosting more than 400 Children’s Minnesota patients, families, and staff at home games throughout September, including the Childhood Cancer Awareness Game on September 26.
Thank you, Pediatric Surgical Associates, for matching up to $10,000 in donations.
The Rahr Corporation is generously matching gifts up to $10,000.
Fidelity is generously matching gifts up to $5,000.
The Minnesota Vikings are supporting patients and families in the cancer and blood disorders program by generously donating $5,000 to support Shine Bright for Kids.
The Minnesota Vikings are supporting patients and families in the cancer and blood disorders program by generously donating $5,000 to support Shine Bright for Kids.
Barry and Sandra Winslow are generously matching gifts up to $5,000.
The Goliath Project is donating $1,000 in honor of children with cancer who use their services for athletic training following treatment.
The Minnesota Wild are supporting the cancer and blood disorders program through their Shine Bright for Kids efforts.