Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation Awards $2 Million Gift to CHOP

May 24, 2011 — The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia announced today that it had received a $2 million gift awarded by Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) as part of a longstanding partnership to eradicate pediatric cancer.

Gift matched by CHOP, annual funding for childhood cancer research

The four-year $2 million gift will be matched by The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for a total of $4 million, providing $1 million of transformational funding annually to the Center for Childhood Cancer Research (CCCR) at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Event honors longstanding partnership with Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF)

A celebration event was held at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to thank ALSF and recognize its tremendous contribution toward advancing pediatric cancer research at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and beyond.

“We are honored that Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation has chosen to support The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, not only because of the deeply personal connection we have had with Alex and the Scott family for many years, but also because our Center for Childhood Cancer Research shares the mission to eradicate pediatric cancer and is one of the few institutions that has the talent, resources and commitment to do so,” said John Maris, MD, chief of the Division of Oncology and director of the Center for Childhood Cancer Research.

“We are pleased to continue our work with The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia through this transformational gift,” said Jay Scott, Alex’s Dad and Executive Director of Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. “We have always believed in funding the best research to lead us to better treatments and cures for all childhood cancers.

"We thank the thousands of volunteers and supporters across the country and world who have supported Alex’s mission, and given the foundation the opportunity to fund childhood cancer research at elite hospitals and institutions like The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.”

Gift to fund three new initiatives at CHOP

This extraordinary gift will make possible three new initiatives at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia:

• The Annual Alex Scott Cancer Research Fund will offer CCCR investigators with bold and creative research hypotheses the opportunity to pursue projects unlikely to be funded by traditional sources. Through an annual evaluation process led by the Cancer Leadership Group, the CCCR will have the ability to rapidly support innovative research ideas that have the potential to ultimately achieve NIH funding. This gift provides unique resources rare in today’s economic climate.
• A new scientific conference called The Alexandra Scott Annual Research Symposium will bring together leading physicians and researchers in the field of oncology to foster collaboration and enhance existing research programs in pediatric cancer nationally and internationally. This major scientific symposium will be held yearly at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in partnership with Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. The first symposium is scheduled for this fall.
• The Experimental Therapeutics Program at Children’s Hospital will be enhanced to help continue its efforts in identifying new treatments in the lab and rapidly translating them for patients in need of innovative therapies for their relapsed cancer. Children’s Hospital has achieved great success in this area of therapy with the childhood cancer, neuroblastoma. This gift will enhance opportunities for research in neuroblastoma as well as in other difficult-to-treat childhood cancers such as relapsed acute leukemia and medulloblastoma, a type of pediatric brain tumor.

CHOP's relationship with the Scott family

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has developed a meaningful and productive relationship with Alex’s parents, Liz and Jay Scott, founders of Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation.

In 2001, the Scott’s moved to Philadelphia to seek treatment for their daughter Alex at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia from Dr. Maris, internationally known for his expertise and novel treatment of neuroblastoma. That same year, Alex set up her first lemonade stand in Philadelphia to raise money for pediatric cancer research.

Alex lost her life to neuroblastoma in 2004, but she has left an indelible impact on pediatric cancer research. Through her simple idea of a front yard lemonade stand fundraiser, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation has raised more than $40 million for pediatric cancer, funding more than 150 research projects at leading hospitals and institutions throughout the country.

In 2007, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia created the Center for Childhood Cancer Research. Housed within the renowned Cancer Center, CCCR is a highly integrated basic, translational and clinical research environment dedicated to eradicating cancer in children.

Today, master clinicians interact with basic scientists with the goal of improving cure rates through translational research initiatives. Investigators from these diverse backgrounds work side-by-side to foster innovative ideas in the new state-of-the-art Colket Translational Research Building situated on the main campus of The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

More information

About the Cancer Center at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia has one of the largest pediatric cancer programs in the United States. Its large basic and clinical research programs are particularly strong in pediatric neuro-oncology, neuroblastoma, leukemia and lymphoma, and sarcomas. Of all pediatric institutions, Children's Hospital enrolls the most patients in national clinical trials, working in close collaboration with national organizations such as the Children's Oncology Group. Physicians at Children's Hospital have had pioneering roles in developing international standards for diagnosing and treating neuroblastoma, and in developing programs for survivors of childhood cancer.

About Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF)

Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) emerged from the front-yard lemonade stand of cancer patient Alexandra “Alex” Scott (1996-2004). In 2000, 4-year-old Alex announced that she wanted to hold a lemonade stand to raise money to help find a cure for all children with cancer. Since Alex held that first stand, the Foundation bearing her name has evolved into a national fundraising movement, complete with thousands of volunteers across the country carrying on her legacy of hope. To date, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, a registered 501(c)3 charity, has raised more than $40 million toward fulfilling Alex’s dream of finding a cure, funding more than 150 research projects nationally.