CCC Camper Gives Back

Children’s Cancer Connection “kid” Alyssa Turcsak is all grown up, and now she’s ready to give back to CCC. Alyssa was diagnosed with childhood leukemia at the age of 5 and spent two years in chemotherapy before beating cancer. 

Alyssa, now 19, is a second-year student at Scott Community College where she will host a Mini Dance Marathon on March 27 in the Student Life Center on the Bettendorf campus.

Alyssa and her family were first introduced to Dance Marathon while she was being treated at University of Iowa Children’s Hospital. Alyssa participated in her first Dance Marathon event in 2011,at the University of Iowa and again in 2012 at the University of Northern Iowa where she was a top fundraiser.

The Mini Dance Marathon event at Scott Community College is Alyssa’s way of giving back to Children’s Cancer Connection for the support she received as a child. She’s talked up Dance Marathon to other Scott Community College students in the past year and decided it would be perfect to have the event on the Iowa Quad-City campus.

In the past month, she has emailed hundreds of people to let them know of the March 27 activity, established a Facebook page for it and handed out brightly colored flyers to promote the event.

Alyssa said, “Camp made me realize I wanted to do something for other kids with cancer.”

See the full story in the Quad-City Times.

 The Mini Dance Marathon Details

What: Mini Dance Marathon
Where: Scott Community College, 500 Belmont Road, Bettendorf, in the Student Life Center
When: Noon to 10 p.m. Tuesday, March 27

Who: Anyone 16 years and older
Registration: $15, due by March 2 (includes a T-shirt and dinner). Late registration will be accepted.
Information: Alyssa Turcsak, call (563) 726-3976; email sccdancemarathon@gmail.com; online, go to Facebook.com and search for Mini Dance Marathon Scott Community College. Cody Tucker of radio station KBEA-FM (“B-100”) will serve as the DJ. Texas Roadhouse will provide food. Speakers will be from families who have been touched by cancer.

Welcome to Emily!

We are excited to announce that Emily Fish has joined Children's Cancer Connection's team as the Director of Donor Relations! Here is what Emily had to say about her first day at CCC.

Many years ago I set out to work with and alongside kids every day, and on February 13th my wish came true. It was my first day at Children's Cancer Connection. I hope that in the upcoming months, I can bring new and fresh ideas to the events as well as fundraising efforts.

I am anxious to meet each of you and get to know the entire Children's Cancer Connection family better. If you happen to be in the office or in the area please stop in and say "Hello". If there is anything that I can do to assist you or help you in anyway please let me know, I am always happy to help.

 I have been in the Des Moines area all my life and look forward to this new journey with Children's Cancer Connection. Finally, my sincere thanks and gratitude for your continued support of CCC!

For the Kids

In just a few short hours the University of Iowa Dance Marathon will host their BIG Event. Not to be confused with Children’s Cancer Connection’s upcoming The Big Event – A Silver Celebration, Dance Marathon’s BIG Event is a 24-hour Dance Marathon where students who raised the required amount of money assemble to celebrate the children survivors and remember the children who have passed away from cancer throughout the year. Dancers remain standing for the full 24 hours with no caffeine allowed! Live entertainment and a DJ help pass the time along with performances by local bands, University dance and theatre groups, and speeches given by many of the Dance Marathon families!

For the fourth year, University of Iowa Dance Marathon will use a portion of the proceeds raised to be the presenting sponsor of Camp Heart Connection! U of I Dance Marathon has a long tradition of providing both monetary and volunteer support to Camp Heart Connection.

Dance Marathon Dancer Emily Paul will spend her 7^th week as a volunteer at Camp Heart Connection this summer. “I’m involved with both CCC and DM because of the amazing opportunities they give me to help kids and their families stricken with pediatric cancer in an amazing and unique way while also learning so much from them,” Emily said. Emily also said that she loves what both organizations stand for. “Camp is a great place to be for a week, you get to escape form the real world and spend a whole week surrounded by people who care about the same things as you!”

Fellow University of Iowa Dance Marathoner Kyle Merrill volunteered at Camp Heart Connection for the first time last summer and described it as one of the greatest weeks of his life. Kyle’s friends introduced him to Dance Marathon, but he took it upon himself to become more involved in how families were supported by DM. “In both Camp and DM, the greatest thing in my mind is seeing these kids who have gone through so much treatment, and other things, be happy and smile,” Kyle said.

Both Kyle and Emily said that the kids provide the motivation for continued involvement. Kyle said, “The best way to put into words why I dance and spend so much time raising money, planning events, and spending a week at camp, is that it’s all ‘For the Kid,’ the motto of Dance Marathon.”

For more information on becoming a Camp Heart Connection volunteer please visit www.childrenscancerconnection.org/Volunteer