TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation and Hawaiian Falls are teaming up for the seventh consecutive year to raise awareness and help fund research to find a cure for childhood cancers.  Splash Out Childhood Cancer is a summer long program that everyone can enjoy through Labor Day.

Splash Out Childhood Cancer tickets to Hawaiian Falls are only $20 plus tax (regular price is $28.99 plus tax). Children two years old and under are free.  Tickets are valid throughout the summer (May 26, 2018 – September 3, 2018) to any of the five Hawaiian Falls waterparks: Garland, The Colony, Mansfield, Roanoke, and Waco. Tickets must be purchased at SplashOutCancer.org to receive the discount and available for immediate download. The discount code is TEAMCONNOR18.

TeamConnor was founded in 2008 while Connor Cruse of Frisco was in the midst of his four-year battle with neuroblastoma cancer.  Connor lost his battle on July 10, 2009, but TeamConnor remains committed to fight for children who are battling cancer.

“Hawaiian Falls was a special place for Connor before and after he got sick,” said Joy Cruse, founder of TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation and Connor’s mom. “Partnering with Hawaiian Falls for the seventh consecutive year is making a huge difference in funding more research specifically for childhood cancer. When people purchase tickets for their family and friends, we are able to allocate the proceeds for research that could lead to better treatments for kids battling this dreadful disease. Childhood cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in children under the age of 19 in the United States. We need better treatments and to keep looking for cures.”  

Hawaiian Falls - The Colony has designated July 24, 2018 from 10:30 am – 6 pm as the day to officially Splash Out Childhood Cancer. The special day will be filled with fun games, contests and activities. Several honored families will be at Hawaiian Falls representing kids who are currently fighting childhood cancer, survivors, and even families who lost their child to childhood cancer.

In addition to Splash Out Childhood Cancer, TeamConnor hosts several events throughout the year to raise funds for childhood cancer research, 7^thAnnual National Childhood Cancer Awareness Concert at Watters Creek, September; 8^th Annual Northwestern Mutual Clay Shoot, November 5^th; III Forks Golf Classic, May 5-6 2019.  In addition, TeamConnor’s Coins for Kids with Cancer program raises funds in schools, churches, offices and organizations across the country to help fund childhood cancer research. Details on those events can be found at teamconnor.org.

Worldwide, a child is diagnosed with cancer every three minutes. In the United States, less than 4% of the National Cancer Institute’s annual budget supports childhood cancer research. Yet, cancer kills more children every year than AIDS, asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis and congenital anomalies combined.  The TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation mission is to raise funds for national childhood cancer research projects, to build awareness of the limited government funding for childhood cancer research, and to support patient programs.

For more information on how to impact the lives of those affected by childhood cancer please visit teamconnor.org or find us at Facebook.com/TeamConnor.

TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation wrapped up 2017 by awarding more than $287,000 to hospitals across the country, in support of cutting-edge research for childhood cancers and patient programs.  Hospitals receiving the grants included Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; University of Colorado, Denver; University of California, San Francisco; Children’s Health Dallas and Cook Children’s in Fort Worth, Texas. 

“We are committed to funding research for childhood cancers at some of the best research centers in the country,” said Joy Cruse, founder of Dallas-based TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation. “Despite being one of the leading causes of death among children, childhood cancer receives very little government funding for research. Therefore, if better treatment protocols and cures are to be found, it will take significant private and corporate support to fund the research.” 

Dr. Hamid Bassiri MD, Ph.D. (in collaboration with Dr. Michael Hogarty) of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia received $100,000 to explore the immunometabolism and therapeutic potential of invariant natural killer T Cells in neuroblastoma.  This trial will lead to the design of combinational immunotherapies for difficult to treat neuroblastoma and other solid tumors in the future.

TeamConnor awarded a $62,619 grant to support Dr. Jean Mulcahy Levy, MD, University of Colorado, Denver. Dr. Levy’s study focuses on the specific mechanism of cell death caused by a type of new drug treatment (proteasome inhibition) with bortezomib and marizomib (MRZ).  This drug will be used for Atypical Teratoid/Rhabdoid Tumors (AT/RT), which is a cancer of the central nervous system.

In addition, TeamConnor also awarded $94,414 to support Dr. Mignon Loh, MD, University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Loh will focus on targeted therapeutics in juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia, a rare and aggressive cancer of young children where only 50% of children survive the bone marrow transplant. This grant uses excellent technology and science to study drug sensitivities for juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia. Dr. Loh is one of the most recognized investigators in childhood leukemia. 

“Funding research is imperative to moving closer to cures in the childhood cancer arena,” said Kathryn Copple, executive director of TeamConnor. “We are blessed to have numerous supporters who want to make a difference.  It is through our volunteers, corporate sponsors and private donations that we are able to award numerous grants each year to childhood cancer research projects. TeamConnor has donated more than $2.3 million in its mission to find cures for childhood cancers and we will continue this fight until cures for all childhood cancers are realized.”

In addition to funding these research projects, TeamConnor donated $15,000 to Children’s Health Dallas and $15,000 to Cook Children’s in Fort Worth to fund the Art Box Program. TeamConnor provides resources for hospitals to create personalized boxes of materials, including paints, canvases, crayons, markers, coloring books, digital tablets, and other items for kids to be creative while going through life-saving stem cell transplants in the hospital. These treatments typically result in extended and isolated hospital stays often lasting up to 90 days. During the treatment, a child often has very limited visitation. The Art Box Program drastically improves a patient’s overall experience.  

Every year, more than 12,500 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer in the United States. Childhood cancer is the number one disease killer of children, yet the budget of the National Cancer Institute allocates less than four percent of its funds to pediatric cancer research. TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation is dedicated to raising awareness and funding research and treatment programs to find cures for all childhood cancers.   

TeamConnor hosts several events throughout the year to raise funds and awareness for childhood cancer research, including the 14^th Annual III Forks Golf Classic, May 6-7, 2018; Splash Out Childhood Cancer, Summer 2018; National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month Concert, September 2018; and the 8^th Annual Northwestern Mutual Clay Shoot, November 2018.  For more information on how to join the fight against childhood cancer, please visit teamconnor.org or Facebook.com/TeamConnor.  

Corporate America has long frowned on wearing jeans to the office, but a fun trend has emerged TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation created a new program, Donate for Denim, that allows employees to wear jeans to the office on Fridays when they make a donation to the childhood cancer organization.

Northwestern Mutual – Dallas, a financial services firm, signed up for the program in 2017 and by all accounts, Donate for Denim has already been a great success. In just one quarter, Northwestern Mutual employees donated more than $1,500 to TeamConnor. Employees contributed $5 or more for the freedom to wear denim on Fridays.

“This is a great program for companies that are looking for unique opportunities to involve their employees in philanthropic efforts without asking for large donations or a significant investment of time,” said Kathryn Copple, executive director of TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation. “Donate for Denim combines the trend of relaxing dress codes with a great cause, childhood cancer, and gives the employees freedom to work in comfort.”

There are do’s and don’ts of wearing jeans in the workplace and according to LiveAbout.com, a few simple guidelines will keep everyone stylish and HR happy: 

DOs: 

• Darker denim tends to look dressier than a light wash jean or distressed jean.
• Pairing dark denim with a pair of black dress shoes and a black or navy blue blazer looks smart. 
• Short-sleeved polo shirts with dark denim pairs well with bold colors as well as cardigans over a button-up dress shirt. 

DON’Ts

• Never wear skinny jeans, baggy, ripped or torn jeans to work as these can leave the impression you do not take work seriously.
• Embellishments of any kind, such as patchwork, rhinestones, or studs are not appropriate.  
• Leave the flip-flops, strappy sandals, and tennis shoes at home. 

To join the Donate for Denim program, contact info@teamconnor.org.

TeamConnor hosts several events throughout the year to raise funds and awareness for childhood cancer research, including the 14^th Annual III Forks Golf Classic, May 6-7, 2018; Splash Out Childhood Cancer, Summer 2018; National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month Concert, September 2018; and the 8^th Annual Northwestern Mutual Clay Shoot, November 2018.  For more information on how to join the fight against childhood cancer, please visit teamconnor.org or Facebook.com/TeamConnor. 

Candlelight Films, owned by husband/wife team Lauren and Clint Brock, have created beautiful heart-felt stories and viral wedding videos.  Filming from the heart, they are dedicated to creating films that touch people’s hearts.  Rated as one of the top wedding videographers in Texas, they chose TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation as their charitable partner. 

TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation is the legacy of eight-year-old Connor Cruse of Frisco who lost his four-year battle with neuroblastoma in 2009. TeamConnor has awarded more than $2.3 million in funding for childhood cancer research and patient programs across the country since 2008.  

“Lauren and I had the privilege to work with TeamConnor creating the “Call to Action” video for TeamConnor’s largest fundraiser, the III Forks Golf Classic and Celebratory Dinner,” said Clint Brock of Candlelight Films.  “We talked to the parents of a child who is battling neuroblastoma cancer, the same kind of cancer that took Connor’s life.  We filmed in an isolated, lead-lined room where parents watch their child through a window for 5 - 7 days with limited interaction and no physical touch.  As parents of two healthy children, going into this isolated room really tugged at our hearts. With the North Texas Giving Day video, we want to bring awareness to what kids endure in existing cancer treatments. We really need to find better treatment options, and ultimately a cure, for childhood cancers.”

Every year, more than 12,000 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer in the United States. Childhood cancer is the number one disease killer of children; yet, the budget of the National Cancer Institute allocates less than four percent of its funds to pediatric cancer research. TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation is dedicated to raising awareness and funding research and treatment programs to find a cure for all childhood cancers.  

“We are committed to funding research for childhood cancers at some of the best research hospitals in the country,” said Kathryn Copple, TeamConnor’s Executive Director. “Last year, TeamConnor awarded more than $272,000 to six hospitals across the country to support cutting-edge research for childhood cancers. It is through our generous volunteers, corporate sponsors, and private donors that we can award these grants. Funding research is imperative to finding cures in the childhood cancer arena.”

TeamConnor hosts several events throughout the year to raise funds and awareness for childhood cancer research, including the 14^th Annual III Forks Golf Classic and Celebratory Dinner, May 6-7, 2018; Splash Out Childhood Cancer, Summer 2018; National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month Concert, September 2018; and the 8^th Annual Northwestern Mutual Clay Shoot, November 2018. 

TeamConnor’s Coins for Kids with Cancer® program raises funds in schools, churches, offices, and organizations across the country to help fund childhood cancer research. For more information on how to join the fight against childhood cancer, please visit teamconnor.org or Facebook.com/TeamConnor. 

Founded by Lauren and Clint Brock in 2011, Candlelight Films takes a ‘story telling’ approach to capture lasting memories.  In addition to weddings, the company creates corporate videos and other projects across the country.  More information about this Texas-based company can be found at candlelightfilms.com.

Park Place Jaguar Land Rover DFW is giving a lucky Southlake Carroll Dragons fan the opportunity to kick a field goal for the chance to win a Jaguar XE or Land Rover Discovery Sport. The field goal attempt will be held during halftime of the Southlake Carroll Dragons vs. LD Bell game on November 3, 2017, at Dragon Stadium.

Contestants for this event need to register at parkplace.com/southlakekick before 12:00 pm, November 1, 2017.  There is a maximum of one (1) entry per person.  One lucky winner will be chosen at random from all entries received and two alternates will be notified 24 hours prior to the field goal kick attempt.  The field goal attempt will be held at Southlake Carroll Dragons Stadium from the 30-yard line for a 40-yard attempt.

In order to qualify for the grand prize, the contestant must successfully kick a football of regulation size over the crossbar and between the uprights of a regulation stat high school goal post.

Current or former Olympic, semi-professional or professional football, soccer or rugby players who have competed in the United States, Canada or Europe cannot participate.  Current or former high school or collegiate football, soccer or rugby players who have competed at the level within the past six (6) years and current or former football coach who has coached at the high school level or above within the past six (6) years may not participate.  For a list of all rules and regulations please visit parkplace.com/southlakekick.

Park Place Lexus Grapevine and Park Place Motorcars Grapevine have been long-time supporters of Carroll ISD, Carroll Education Foundation and the Southlake Carroll Dragons.

Ken Schnitzer founded Park Place Dealerships in 1987 with a single Mercedes-Benz dealership on Oak Lawn. Today, Park Place Dealerships employs more than 2,100 people at 17 full-service dealerships representing luxury brands including Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Infiniti, Volvo, smart, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lotus, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, McLaren, and Maserati. For more information about Park Place Dealerships, visit www.parkplace.com.