#DanceTag: Kids Fight Cancer through @Cycle4Survival #kidsgive

 

My son and I have been talking a lot this holiday season about children in need. He sees the Toys for Tots bins around town, he watches the St. Jude's Children's Hospital commercials—he knows very well that not everyone is as lucky as he is. He wants to do something about it. 'Tis the season for giving, after all.

Like so many, he loved the Ice Bucket Challenge that swept the nation (or world?) this past summer. Not only did it raise loads of money and awareness for ALS, it enabled kids to get involved in charitable giving in a fun way.

My son knows that I've participated in Cycle for Survival for a few years now. This powerful event brings people together for a spin relay to raise money for lifesaving, rare cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). He decided that we should create a fundraising activity for kids. He would like to raise $500—so we need to get 100 kids participate!

That's how "Dance Tag" was born:

There are, of course, some basic rules. Each participating child: 

• commits to donating $5 of their own money; if the child doesn't have $5 saved, we hope his/her parents will allow them to earn it; 
• should make a short video of themselves busting out some dance moves and tagging at least three other friends; 
• should share the video (on social media or via email) with your tagged friends and ask them to join in—and spread the word about Dance Tag and Cycle for Survival!

To make the $5 donation, go to my fundraising page. Or you can donate to our Team Sit & Spin page here.

The donation is tax-deductible (kids won't care about this, but parents might) and 100% goes to fighting rare cancers, such as brain, pancreatic, cervical, stomach, thyroid and ovarian cancers, and all pediatric cancers. More than 50% of people with cancer are battling these rare cancers. These cancers don't often attract research dollars needed for new therapies and treatments, so patients are left with limited options.

As for you grown-ups: you're welcome to donate, too! But I plan to do most of my fundraising in the new year, closer to the event's March date. So, stay tuned... 

We hope you will join us. Tag, you're IT!