Lendmark Financial Services, a leading provider of household credit and consumer loan solutions, today announced the company has raised $1.1 million for its sixth annual Climb to Cure fundraising and awareness campaign. The money raised will go directly to CURE Childhood Cancer, a nonprofit dedicated to funding targeted pediatric cancer research while supporting patients and their families.
Lendmark’s 2021 Climb to Cure fundraising goal was $1 million – a stretch goal to mark the company’s 25th anniversary and commitment to helping find a cure. Surpassing the goal by $100,000 brings Lendmark’s six-year fundraising total for CURE to $3.5 million.
Cancer remains the leading cause of death from disease among children. In 2021 alone, doctors will diagnose 10,500 new cases of cancer in children, according to the National Cancer Institute.
“This is Lendmark’s sixth year partnering with and fundraising for CURE Childhood Cancer, and this is the first year we have raised more than $1 million in a single year,” said Bobby Aiken, president and CEO of Lendmark Financial Services. “CURE believes childhood cancer will be cured in our lifetime, and this year’s campaign clearly demonstrates how Lendmark employees and friends support the mission by continuing to give generously of their resources, despite the pandemic. We couldn’t be prouder or more grateful for everyone’s efforts.”
Lendmark Financial executives, employees, partners, sponsors, and friends raised money April through August this year. In addition to donations from individuals through Lendmark’s Climb to Cure fundraising website, employees also held online coffee, t-shirt and baseball cap sales, hosted bingo nights and food trucks, and even collected slightly worn shoes to raise money.
Climb to Cure also has an awareness and wellness component. Before the pandemic, the ‘climb’ portion of Lendmark Climb to Cure was a 200+ in-person event where employees ran or walked around a stadium track or climbed the stadium’s stairs, representative of the challenges that children and teens battling cancer face.
In 2020 and 2021, Lendmark pivoted to follow social distancing guidelines, asking employees across the country to walk and track their steps in their respective communities. This year, Lendmark employees, family and friends walked 116 million steps, blowing well past the company goal of 25 million steps.
“Even though we’re in the midst of so many other healthcare challenges, childhood cancer hasn’t stopped and our dedicated partners, like Lendmark, continue to help us during a time when fundraising is increasingly difficult,” said Kristin Connor, CEO of CURE. “Throughout the six years of our partnership, Lendmark has given hundreds of children fighting cancer the chance to live, play, dream and thrive, and this year’s $1.1 million raised will save the lives of many more.”
Lendmark is CURE’s largest donor. For the last four years, Lendmark has raised at least one-third of CURE’s commitment to advancing precision medicine, the most innovative form of treatment for children with cancer in decades. CURE’s precision medicine initiative focuses on bringing individualized therapies and, ultimately, a safe and effective cure for all children diagnosed.
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and CURE is encouraging individuals, businesses and communities to get involved. Here are 19 Ways to Help Children Fighting Childhood Cancer.
To donate to CURE, visit https://curechildhoodcancer.org.