Jacksonville, FL — The 10th annual Careathon presented by Duval Asphalt is doing something it has never done before: expanding to a second day. It will mark the Child Cancer Fund’s 30th Year of Caring.
For the first time ever Careathon will take over Cox Media Group airwaves for two entire days, August 22 and 23. It will feature round-the-clock fundraising to help families in Northeast Florida navigate the journey of a childhood cancer diagnosis.
The live broadcast from Nemours Children’s Health will feature celebrity interviews, special appearances, donation challenges and heartfelt stories from CCF families about how the nonprofit partners in their battle with childhood cancer.
All eight of Cox Media Group’s Jacksonville radio stations, as well as its three television stations, will be participating or live-streaming from the event. Last year, the event attracted national names like financial guru Clark Howard and Jacksonville notables like Mayor Donna Deegan, Sheriff T.K. Waters and Fire Chief Keith Powers.
Child Cancer Fund Executive Director Carla Montgomery knows all too well the toll that childhood cancer can have on a family, having been introduced to CCF during her son Graham’s battle with cancer 24 years ago.
“Our CCF Connect support group’s tagline is ‘For Those Who Understand What It’s Like,’ and that embodies the heart of Child Cancer Fund. We were founded by and we are run by families who have felt the weight of what our families are living with right now,” said Montgomery. “We depend on the WOKV Care-a-thon as our largest fundraiser to help us step in financially, emotionally and practically for those families so they can focus on what is really important – getting their child healthy.”
The Child Cancer Fund serves more than 300 families annually with financial assistance, educational and family support, as well as a new endowment supporting pediatric cancer psychosocial services to help relieve the stress and anxiety that often accompany a child’s treatment.