There are several ways to support children with cancer through ISCC. One of the easiest options involves the Piggy Bank (Ghollak) Drive. By obtaining a designated piggy bank from the ISCC office or at one of the organization’s charity events, you are able to collect loose change for ISCC simply by placing the piggy bank in your home or in your business. If you have children, encouraging them to add change to the family piggy bank will teach the philanthropic reward that comes from helping others, especially other children. Children are also able to see the effect that small amounts of money can have over time when it comes to giving for others. Additionally, you can join with others in your community and hold a piggy bank drive at your child’s school or at your place of business or worship.

Another way for children to participate in giving to support children with cancer is with the ISCC Read-a-Thon. While experiencing the added benefit of encouraging your child to read regularly, children also receive a Certificate of Appreciation. The link to sign up is found right on the ISCC website. Your child will set a goal of how many books he or she plans to read and will recruit family members, neighbors, and friends to sponsor the activity. After keeping track of pages and books read, your child’s donors can give their pledged amount online. To encourage your child to get started, ISCC suggests sharing a story about one of the children the charity has helped obtain medical treatment. Every dollar counts when helping sick children receive the care that they need after a cancer diagnosis, and the Read-a-Thon is one way to instill philanthropy in your child.

For a regular, more consistent approach, consider participating in ISCC’s child sponsorship program. You can sponsor a child for $165 a month or for $2,000 a year. You can also pledge to give one dollar per day or any other regular contribution and frequency that you are comfortable with. You can make secure donations online or use the website to print out a donation form to mail to our Irvine office. Additionally, you can donate by phone. Setting up a regular sponsorship is a great way to involve your entire family in the donation process to support children with cancer. We encourage you to use the opportunity to teach your children about committing to the program and making small sacrifices to be able to help a sick child in need. You can also make a donation or start a sponsorship as a group or workplace, or make your donations in memory of a loved one.

Finally, another fun way to support the International Society for Children with Cancer and support children with cancer is through attending our many annual events. In addition to raising funds that go directly toward our mission, these events also help us to raise awareness about our charity and about childhood cancer in the community and throughout the world. Our biggest annual fundraiser is our gala, which takes place every fall and features artists and entertainers. We also host a Norooz Bazaar every spring to celebrate Persian New Year – an event that features plenty of activities for the whole family and food that is native to Middle Eastern culture. We have other regular events throughout the year as well, so keep checking our website for more information about fun events that you can attend all while having fun and promoting childhood cancer cures at the same time.