MOMS Club of West Des Moines works hard to keep kids cozy

Oh, how we love the holidays. The generosity and kind-hearted spirits, the smiles and thoughtfulness that people bring into our office is enough cause for holiday cheer.

Last Friday, Julie Petsche of the MOMS Club of West Des Moines, dropped off 30 fleece no-sew tie blankets for Children’s Cancer Connection to give to children recently diagnosed with cancer.

The MOMS Club is a national nonprofit organization comprised of local stay at home mothers and their children who get together and complete service projects, have play dates and hold other fun programs.

Petsche said MOMS Club of West Des Moines meets during the day, a time when moms need the most support. “We offer a variety of activities for moms and children to do, including but not limited to, family parties, guest speakers, monthly meetings, playgroups and family oriented activities,” she said.

The club learned about Children’s Cancer Connection through their past work with Blank Children’s Hospital. “While we do not have the ability to have a personal connection to the children, making no-sew fleece blankets gives us the chance to put a smile on their faces,” Petsche said.

“Once we decided we'd make them, we set a goal of 10-15 blankets. We ended up with 30 blankets!” she said. “Several moms got together one night for a MOMS night in and we tied all the blankets together. It was a great time knowing we were helping the children!”

Mount Ayr Community HS holds "Tackle Cancer" event for community

Last year, David Showalter came across an article about a football team in eastern Iowa that had dedicated one of its games to raising money to fight cancer. David, a senior and quarterback for his football team at Mount Ayr Community High School, saw this as an opportunity for his team to get involved in community, support those fighting cancer and honor those whose lives have been lost to cancer.


David brought his idea to Delwyn Showalter, Mount Ayr’s co-head football coach and David’s father. “We decided this would be a great way for us to involve our football team in the community and promote the idea that there are things in life much more important than football,” Delwyn Showalter said.

The event, “Tackle Cancer” took place this fall at Mount Ayr’s homecoming football game as a way for the school and community to get involved in raising cancer awareness. The football team wore pink from head to toe and the homecoming theme was centered around raising cancer awareness.

After the game the player’s pink jerseys were sold in an auction, which proved to be the most successful part of the Tackle Cancer event, raising $26,000 alone.


“Over 120 businesses, clubs, families and individuals paid a minimum of $45 to be sponsors of the event,” Delwyn Showalter said. “We had an extremely successful event in all respects, and the final tally for our fund raising efforts stands at $31,000.”

After much deliberation and careful research, the football team and coaching staff at Mount Ayr selected two organizations in the state of Iowa that focused on youth and had an impact on families in their area.

“We feel that Children’s Cancer Connection is one of the charities that meets the criteria we set for our donation. We would be pleased to present a donation of $15,500 to help further your mission.”

The impact of one small idea from one young individual is reflected through David’s initiative to create the Tackle Cancer event. At Children’s Cancer Connection we appreciate everyone who helps enhance the quality of life for children and families affected by childhood cancer.

Giving Back All Wrapped Up in a Bow

The holidays are a time of giving and sharing, sometimes in invaluable ways. Many people head to the malls and shop all day, searching for the perfect presents for their family and friends. At the end of the day, they are exhausted, but it’s all worth it because the perfect gift was discovered; but how to get it home without ruining the surprise?

Valley West Mall annually houses a Holiday Gift Wrap Booth in center court for Children’s Cancer Connection. The booth is completely run by Children’s Cancer Connection volunteers who take time from their busy holiday schedules to wrap gifts for holiday shoppers.

Trisha Barton, Director of Marketing for Valley West Mall, said they continue to support Children’s Cancer Connection because it impacts local families right now.

“There are a lot of organizations that deal with cancer research and things that look to the future, hoping to one day cure these terrible diseases,” Barton said. “Children’s Cancer Connection is there now, when the families find out that this is happening to their family.”


Make sure to stop by the Children’s Cancer Connection Holiday Gift Wrap Booth when you are out holiday shopping. Our volunteers would love to help make that perfect present, just a little more special.

Big Wheel Rally: Make A Difference

Getting dressed up in costume and riding a big wheel down the street in the prime of winter may sound outrageous, but it’s one of those things you just have to experience for yourself.

The Big Wheel Rally is a bar crawl and opportunity for adults to express their creativity together by creating costumes and unique big wheels to ride between locations on Ingersoll Ave.


The Big Wheel Rally has supported Children’s Cancer Connection for nine years and continues to increase support dollars every year. “The first year supporting Children’s Cancer Connection in 2002, we raised about $1,300,” Austin Gill, an organizer of the event said. “This year our goal is $20,000.”

This year’s event will take place on December 11 at 11 a.m. will start at Zimm’s Food & Spirits and continue on to GT, Yacht Club, and Carl’s Place. Costumes and big wheels are optional but always encouraged.

Austin Gill decided to get involved in Big Wheel Rally because his mother was diagnosed with cancer around the same time. “After seeing what my mom and our family went through, I couldn’t imagine having to deal with all of that as a kid,” he said.

Molly Gill also helps organize the event as a way to help families of children affected by cancer. “A good friend of mine lost her brother to cancer when we were in high school,” she said. “That made me first aware of the need to help both kids with cancer and their siblings.”

Get together a few friends and come see the fun that’s had at Big Wheel Rally. Long-sleeved t-shirts can be ordered online from http://www.bikeiowa.com/ for just $25 before December 5. Donations can also be made at this site.

Holiday Cards by Kids

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Each year Children's Cancer Connection sells Holiday Cards by Kids to benefit their programs and services. The original artwork for each of these holiday card designs were drawn by participants in their Summer Camp programs for children with cancer and their siblings. Watch this episdoe of "Simply Connected" to hear from Brody, a child affected by cancer and one of the 2010 Holiday Cards by Kids artists!

2010 Big Wheel Rally benefiting Children's Cancer Connection

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The Big Wheel Rally is an annual bar crawl up Ingersoll Ave. in Des Moines, Iowa, which raises funds for Children's Cancer Connection, a local non-profit focused on enhancing the quality of life for children and families affected by childhood cancer. At Big Wheel Rally adults dress up in costumes, create their own big wheels and ride for a cause! Watch this episode of "Simply Connected" to learn more about the event and to learn why the events organizers have chosen to support Children's Cancer Connection for the past 9 years.