Maplewood’s Kids v Cancer book sale/bake sale returns June 4

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The eighth annual Kids v Cancer book sale/bake sale fundraiser will take place this year on Saturday, June 4, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at 38 Plymouth Avenue in Maplewood. 

The sale was initiated in 2009 after the Verzani-Steinberg family lost good friend Jacob Froman to medulloblastoma, a rare form of brain cancer, at the age of 10.

Jacob’s mother, Nancy Goodman, founded Kids v. Cancer in Jacob’s honor after finding that the scientists and physicians who were helping and treating Jacob were hampered by a lack of new drugs for children, a lack of tissue samples for studying pediatric cancers, and a lack of access to funding. (Read more about the two families’ connection and the history of the organization and the sale here.)

Here’s more information about Kids v Cancer and the 2016 book/bake sale from the organizers:

If you would like to donate children’s books, you may give them to us or drop them off on our porch (no need to call ahead) any time between now and June 4—the sooner the better, so we can have some semblance of order. Please bring baked goods by either that morning or the day before. (The Kids v Cancer resident barista will be cranking up the espresso machine.)

Fast Company recently named Kids v Cancer (www.kidsvcancer.org) #4 of the 10 most innovative not-for-profit organizations for its work on accelerating the discovery of pediatric-cancer treatments.

Through the Creating Hope Act, which was passed into law in 2012 and provides a market-based incentive to spur pediatric cancer drug development, Kids v Cancer has mobilized almost $1 billion for research and development of drugs for seriously ill children.

Other projects include the Kids’ Innovative Drugs Act, which is aimed at helping kids with cancer get access to the most promising therapies, even if they are unapproved for or have been abandoned for adult cancers, an autopsy tissue donation program, and a program to help families obtain compassionate-use access to investigational drugs for their terminally ill children.  

All books remaining at sale’s end will be donated to the Orange Book Pantry, local library sales, and the like.

Fingers crossed for sun, but in case of rain, stay tuned for plan B.

Please forward this to anyone you can think of who might be interested. We’re hoping those of you with younger kids will help get the word out!