Stop & Shop Kicks Off Annual ‘Help Cure Childhood Cancer’ Campaign

QUINCY, Mass., March 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Stop & Shop today announced the start of its annual ‘Help Cure Childhood Cancer’ campaign to support Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund in Massachusetts and MSK Kids, the Pediatrics Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Since the campaign’s inception decades ago, Stop & Shop and its customers have contributed more than $100 million to these two hospitals, allowing them to make significant advancements in pediatric cancer research and care.

Stop & Shop’s ‘Help Cure Childhood Cancer’ campaign will run in-stores and online at www.StopandShop.com from February 26 through March 31. In-store shoppers can donate at checkout, while those shopping online for Pickup or Delivery have the option of giving $1, $3, $5, $10 or $20 when completing their order. 100% of proceeds will benefit the two hospitals. In New York, New Jersey and Fairfield and New Haven counties in Connecticut, proceeds will support MSK Kids, the pediatric program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Stores north of New Haven in Connecticut, plus all Massachusetts and Rhode Island stores will raise funds for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund.

“Our customers and associates' generosity and participation in the Help Cure Childhood Cancer campaign is unmatched year after year,” said Stop & Shop President, Gordon Reid. “We are proud of our long-standing partnership with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and praise their continued commitment to make a difference in the lives of children affected by cancer.”

One of the most recognizable aspects of the campaign is the in-store signage that highlights patient ambassadors - local children aged 3-15 who are being or have been treated at Memorial Sloan Kettering and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and have benefited from donations from companies like Stop & Shop.

MSK Kids is dedicated to all children, young adults, and families facing childhood cancer. With specialized expertise and care focused on the individual child, more families turn to MSK Kids for cancer care than any other hospital in the United States. And as pioneers in research, MSK’s physicians and scientists are working to develop and deliver more effective strategies to prevent, treat and cure childhood cancer.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Stop & Shop’s partnership with Memorial Sloan Kettering. In celebration, Stop & Shop will donate 20 tons of food to MSK’s FOOD (Food to Overcome Outcomes Disparities) Program, which aims to alleviate food insecurity and increase awareness of how hunger impacts a patient’s ability to fight cancer. Since opening its first food pantry specifically for cancer patients in 2011, the FOOD program has distributed more than 300,000 meals to 4,000 patients and their families. The program now operates 13 pantries located in cancer clinics serving patients in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx and on Long Island.

“We are continually grateful for the generous support from Stop & Shop whose philanthropic efforts have helped fuel and accelerate research at MSK Kids for the past 20 years. Their support is extraordinarily important as it provides funding that allows us to pursue innovative and groundbreaking research in childhood cancers,” says Andrew Kung, MD, PhD, and Chair of the Department of Pediatrics. “We are making great progress in understanding and ultimately treating childhood cancers, and the support from Stop &Shop and their customers will continue to help us create more effective and less toxic treatments for our patients.”

Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, is an integrated pediatric hematology and oncology program through Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children’s Hospital, providing — in one specialized program — world class pediatric cancer and blood disease care at the #1 children’s hospital. Dana-Farber/Boston Children's offers an unrivaled breadth of treatment options for children and young adults with cancer and blood disorders, from standard protocols and advanced therapies to clinical trials.

“Stop & Shop’s generous philanthropic support over the past two decades has driven the development of one of the largest clinical and research efforts focused on the care of children with difficult to treat brain tumors,” says Dr. Scott Armstrong, President of Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and Chairman of the Department of Pediatric Oncology at Dana-Farber. “It has also prompted the initiation of new programs that support the discovery of cutting-edge new drugs and research focused on understanding how health disparities influence pediatric cancer outcomes. This work would not be possible without the unwavering support from Stop & Shop.”

For more information about Stop & Shop’s Help Cure Childhood Cancer campaign, please visit https://stopandshop.com/pages/help-cure-childhood-cancer.

About Stop & Shop 
A neighborhood grocer for more than 100 years, Stop & Shop offers a wide assortment with a focus on fresh, healthy options at a great value. Stop & Shop's GO Rewards loyalty program delivers personalized offers and allows customers to earn points that can be redeemed for gas or groceries every time they shop. Stop & Shop customers can choose how and where they want to shop - whether it's in-store or online for delivery or same day pickup. The company is committed to making an impact in its communities by fighting hunger, supporting our troops, and investing in pediatric cancer research to help find a cure. The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company LLC is an Ahold Delhaize USA Company and employs 58,000 associates and operates more than 400 stores throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey. To learn more about Stop & Shop, visit www.stopandshop.com.  

About Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is one of the world’s leading centers of cancer research and treatment. Dana-Farber’s mission is to reduce the burden of cancer through scientific inquiry, clinical care, education, community engagement, and advocacy. We provide the latest treatments in cancer for adults through Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center and for children through Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. Dana-Farber is the only hospital nationwide with a top 10 U.S. News & World Report Best Cancer Hospital ranking in both adult and pediatric care.

As a global leader in oncology, Dana-Farber is dedicated to a unique and equal balance between cancer research and care, translating the results of discovery into new treatments for patients locally and around the world, offering more than 1,100 clinical trials.

About the Jimmy Fund
The Jimmy Fund, established in Boston in 1948, is comprised of community-based fundraising events and other programs that, solely and directly, benefit Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s lifesaving mission to provide compassionate patient care and groundbreaking cancer research for children and adults. The Jimmy Fund is an official charity of the Boston Red Sox, the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, the Pan-Mass Challenge, and the Variety Children's Charity of New England. Since 1948, the generosity of millions of people has helped the Jimmy Fund save countless lives and reduce the burden of cancer for patients and families worldwide. Follow the Jimmy Fund on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @TheJimmyFund.

About Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK)
As the world’s oldest and largest private cancer center, Memorial Sloan Kettering has devoted more than 135 years to exceptional patient care, influential educational programs and innovative research to discover more effective strategies to prevent, control and, ultimately, cure cancer. MSK is home to more than 20,000 physicians, scientists, nurses and staff united by a relentless dedication to conquering cancer. Today, we are one of 51 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, with state-of-the-art science and technology supporting groundbreaking clinical studies, personalized treatment, and compassionate care for our patients. We also train the next generation of clinical and scientific leaders in oncology through our continually evolving educational programs, here and around the world. Year after year, we are ranked among the top two cancer hospitals in the country, consistently recognized for our expertise in adult and pediatric oncology specialties. www.mskcc.org.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Maria Fruci
[email protected]