September is Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month and at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, we work to bring awareness and advance research and treatments for our youngest and most vulnerable patients every day. To advance this cause, the 2021 Kids Walk for MSK Kids was held on Saturday, September 25, 2021. Every dollar raised goes to tackle pediatric cancers through research and new discoveries at MSK Kids, Memorial Sloan Kettering’s pediatric program.
The event is normally held at Central Park in New York City, but this year Kids Walk for MSK Kids participants walked in their own communities and raised money with one unified goal: to beat pediatric cancers. This year’s event honored and celebrated the courage and strength of children who have faced pediatric cancer, those currently undergoing treatment and those who were lost too soon.
“The world has certainly changed since the last we were all together walking within Central Park as part of the Kids Walk for MSK Kids,” said Andrew L. Kung, MD, PhD, Chair of the Department of Pediatrics. “Over that time, COVID-19 has disrupted our lives, but our shared commitment to children with cancer has not wavered over the last year. We are grateful for everyone who participated in this year’s walk to bring awareness to childhood cancers.”
Kids Walk for MSK Kids brings together patients, students, families, friends, and supporters to raise money to beat pediatric cancers. As of now, pediatric cancer research is drastically underfunded. Only 4-5% of the National Cancer Institute’s budget is dedicated to researching pediatric cancers.
For more than a century, MSK has been at the forefront of the most significant advances in treating pediatric cancers — even the rarest types. Money raised through this initiative gives MSK Kids doctors and researchers what they need to make new discoveries in the lab and provide better treatment options for children, teens, and young adults. The dedication and hard work of Kids Walk participants, donors, and supporters of all ages have helped raise more than $8 million, with over $5 million raised in the last five years.
To learn more about Kids Walk for MSK Kids and to donate, please visit: https://www.kidswalkmsk.org/.