Site Search

ASK Childhood Cancer Foundation is a Virginia-based nonprofit dedicated to making life better for children with cancer and their families through financial assistance, educational support, and opportunities for community and connection. We're here to make life a little better. better. Your generosity means kids like Eliza don't have to face cancer or serious blood disorders alone. Give Today Eliza, 8 How we help our families: Community & Connection Facing cancer can be an isolating experience. ASK helps children and families build meaningful connections with a community that truly understands their journey. Connect With Us Educational Support Childhood cancer doesn’t just disrupt a child’s health, it disrupts their education during treatment and long after treatment ends. On average, kids miss 43 days of school during their first year of treatment. See How We Help Family Support Half of all families facing childhood cancer experience severe financial hardship. ASK believes no family should ever have to choose between keeping the lights on and staying by their sick child’s bedside. Access Resources 6-7 children are diagnosed with cancer every week in Virginia. Let’s give them a hand and help make life better any way we can. How to Get Involved > Stay Connected with ASK Sign up for updates on all things ASK! You'll hear from us regularly with opportunities for you to give , volunteer , or advocate for children with cancer. You'll also receive monthly stories to meet the inspiring children and families your generosity is helping to support. Sign Up for Updates

Support ASK's mission by hosting your own community fundraiser or by attending a partner event. Download our community fundraiser toolkit to get started! COMMUNITY FUNDRAISERS FUNDRAISERS Community fundraisers are a vital source of support for our families and boost awareness of ASK across our communities. Looking to host your own? Use our resources and toolkit to make it as easy as 1-2-3! We’re also so lucky to have some great partners who make a difference by hosting fundraisers of their own. Check them out below! Host your own community fundraiser YOU can make a difference for ASK children and their families by hosting a community fundraiser! Funds raised through community events provide ASK families with emotional, financial and educational support. Not sure where to start? Check out our Community Fundraiser Toolkit for everything you’ll need to kick off your fundraiser, inspire others to give, and tips on raising awareness for ASK through fundraising activities. Download Toolkit Questions about getting involved in a community fundraiser or starting your own? Contact Jessica Sop, Special Events Coordinator at jsop@askccf.org . Community Fundraisers 14th Annual ASK Fredericksburg Golf Classic Date: Friday, September 11, 2026 Time: 9:00 AM Place: Lee's Hill Golf Club 10200 Old Dominion Pkwy, Fredericksburg, VA 22408, USA Learn More The 14th Annual ASK Fredericksburg Golf Classic brings together local businesses, golfers, and supporters who share one goal: making life better for children with cancer and their families right here in our community. Proceeds from the tournament support ASK’s mission to provide financial assistance, educational support, and opportunities for connection to families facing pediatric cancer across Virginia. Third Annual Walk in Boots 5K Date: Sunday, September 13, 2026 Time: 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM Place: Festival Lawn 1301 Carrier Dr, Harrisonburg, VA 22807, USA Learn More Dukes Against Childhood Cancer is hosting their Third Annual Walk in Boots 5K! Participants will walk nine laps around Festival Lawn in support of childhood cancer awareness and fundraising efforts to ASK Childhood Cancer Foundation. This is a walk-only event, and cowboy boots are encouraged but absolutely not required. Register or donate today! Charity Chili Cook-Off Date: Sunday, September 27, 2026 Time: 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: The Via Club at Pebble Creek 6069 Green Haven Dr, Mechanicsville, VA 23111, USA Learn More Join us on Sunday, September 27th at the Charity Chili Cook-Off, proudly presented by Sparrow Home Loans! Come out for a fantastic day of chili, football, and family fun in support of the ASK Childhood Cancer Foundation. Hosted at The Via Club at Pebble Creek in Mechanicsville, this family-friendly event features an NFL Game Day broadcast, kids' activities, local vendors, and—of course—a friendly chili cook-off competition. The Mercury Classic Date: Thursday, October 15, 2026 Time: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Place: The Country Club at The Highlands 8136 Highland Glen Dr, Chesterfield, VA 23838, USA Learn More Hosted by Mercury Mortgage and Classic Granite & Marble, The Mercury Classic brings together business professionals, community leaders, clients, and friends for a premier golf tournament followed by an exciting Casino Night benefiting ASK Childhood Cancer Foundation. Whether you're playing for bragging rights, entertaining clients, connecting with fellow professionals, or simply supporting a great cause, The Mercury Classic offers something for everyone. ASK Partners Mustaches 4 Kids Richmond We hope you're ready, because our long-time friends and supporters at M4K Richmond are about to get growing! Over 300 fan-tashe-tic growers are joining forces once again this November to raise funds for ASK and have fun doing it! Support a 'Sta c he > Tad's Kids Tad's Kids supports ASK families through the Tad's Kids Family Crisis Fund, funded through three annual events: Making a Difference Golf Tournament Tennis for Tad's Tournament Oyster Roast Fundraiser About Tad's Kids > Fredericksburg Golf Classic Tee off for the kids every September at the annual ASK Fredericksburg Golf Classic! For more than 10 years, participants and sponsors have swung into action to support ASK kids and families and we couldn't be more grateful. Learn Mor e > Virginia FBLA Project ASK Since 1982, the Virginia Chapters of the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) have supported ASK as their state service project. Together, they have provided over one million dollars in cash and in-kind donations! Learn Mor e >

Empowering support: ASK's resources for parents, caregivers & educators of children with cancer. Education toolkit, videos, webinars, and more! RESOURCES Empowering parents, caregivers, and teachers with the know-how to best support a child with cancer. Whether at home, in clinic, or in the classroom, there are a lot of things to learn when it comes to supporting a child with cancer. A childhood cancer diagnosis introduces a maze of brand-new medical terms, unfamiliar routines and procedures, and many new and overwhelming emotions. It can also greatly impact educational needs during treatment and into survivorship. ASK is here to offer a helping hand. Education Toolkit Missed days and late-term side effects from treatment are just some challenges kids with cancer face with school. We designed our education toolkit to support our kids every step of the way as they transition back to the classroom. Learn More Video Library Learn the ins and outs of the ASK clinic, ways to best support your child from diagnosis, throughout treatment and beyond, how to cope with the unique emotions that come with caring for a child with cancer, and much more. Learn More Conferences ASK hosts an annual educator conference for teachers and other school personnel to learn about the support kids with cancer might need as they go through treatment and return to school. They also learn how to create an environment where survivors can learn and thrive. Learn More Webinar Series Our webinars cover a variety of educational and mental health topics meant to empower parents, teens, and young adults affected by childhood cancer and sickle cell disease. Learn More Additional Resources Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, "Coping with Childhood Leukemia and Lymphoma" Children's Oncology Group, "Health Link: Educational Issues Following Treatment for Childhood Cancer" Children's Oncology Group, "Health Link: Emotional Issues After Childhood Cancer" Leukemia Lymphoma Society, "14 Essential Things to Know When Childhood Cancer Touches Your School" Understood.com, "Slow Processing Speed and Anxiety: What You Need to Know" Hope Portal, Childhood Cancer Organization Database

For most kids, the end of the school year means looking forward to summer break, playing outside, and just being a kid. But for Eliza, an outdoorsy eight-year-old who loves watching Disney’s Sofia the First, the end of first grade brought an unexpected turn. Eliza had a lump on the inside of her right knee. In the beginning she wasn’t acting any differently; she wasn’t tired or sick, but as the lump grew, it began to get in her way. "When I did my exercise, I was supposed to put my knees together, and I couldn't," Eliza recalls about her ballet class. It was becoming painful just to put her legs together. A visit to the doctor led to an MRI. The results revealed a shocking Ewing's sarcoma diagnosis. Not only was there a tumor in her knee, but the cancer had also metastasized, causing a secondary lung cancer. In a single day, life for Eliza and her family was completely turned upside down. Because of her treatment, Eliza had to spend much of her time at the hospital and she found herself missing school and her friends. For a girl who loves learning and hanging out with classmates, missing an entire school year was a heavy challenge. But Eliza’s family wasn't walking this path alone. ASK stepped in right away to provide emotional, financial, educational, and social support. Eliza formed an instant bond with ASK’s Education Support Navigator, Amy Fender. "Amy went to the school, and we did a Zoom call with the class," Eliza's mom, Nicole, remembers. Amy’s in-service presentation to Eliza’s class helped explain her diagnosis and how her classmates could be good and supportive friends when she returned. “It kind of helped explain why she wasn't there... we didn't really have to explain to kids why she just abruptly left school. It was super cute and fun for the kids, too." Beyond educational support, ASK helped Eliza's family with the things they needed most, giving them one less thing to worry about. “ASK has helped me financially because I haven't been able to work,” Nicole shares. “I definitely wouldn't have had a lot of my bills paid because my husband couldn't do it alone. But [ASK] has always given us things we could do while we were in the hospital and support outside the hospital as well. Amy has been a blessing for her.” Support beyond the clinic walls included finding comfort with other families who understood the journey through ASK’s Community & Connection events. In March, Eliza and her mom joined Amy and other ASK families in Southwest Virginia to take part in the Freedom First St. Patrick's Day Parade. "I think that was her first time really being out around a whole bunch of people," Nicole says. "We saw a lot of dogs, we were counting dogs and waving at people. Forty dogs, at least! It was really fun," Eliza recalled. For Nicole, the parade offered a rare and beautiful moment of peace: "You didn't have to explain why you were there, or anything like that. The kids all kind of just went with the flow, and it was never 'why don't you have hair?' or anything like that. You usually keep your guard up, but [at ASK events] you can just let it down, and everything was as smooth as it can be." With treatments behind her, Eliza’s energy is back in full swing. "Now she wants to be outside the moment she wakes up," Nicole laughs. "She loves to ride her bike... she'd be on her bike 24/7 if I let her! Anything outside, to run and jump, and all the things that she was not able to do last year. She's fully embraced it, but she's most excited to go to the beach this year." Having their lives disrupted by cancer has inspired Nicole to speak out about the critical need for better pediatric medical resources. "Just advocate that the kids really don't have the treatments that are built for them," Nicole says. "Childhood cancer is not fun—no kid should have it…Our lives were literally turned upside down in a day, and we're still recovering from that. [It is so nice to have] the community as a whole support us, I hope everybody would have that." Thanks to the support and generosity of our ASK community, Eliza can finally play outside, let her guard down, and simply be a kid again.

“I love playing the piano, I’m very social, and I don’t like sadness,” shared 12-year-old Ava. When she was four, she taught herself how to play piano by ear, a natural talent that made her the perfect fit for ASK’s rockstar themed 2026 Above & Beyond Gala. While Ava naturally shines in the spotlight, her world changed in March 2024 when her cancer journey began with a leukemia diagnosis. Even then, the 11-year-old was wise beyond her years. Sitting in her hospital room, she remembers asking her parents what leukemia was: “They told me it was cancer.” In the difficult journey that followed, Ava found peace with music. Her dad, Noah, notes that “music has been one of Ava’s best therapies.” Ava agrees, describing the feeling of playing: “I can just sit down and close my eyes, play whatever I want. It's almost like flying. Like I can go wherever I want and my legs aren't going to limit me. It's just healing.” From the very first day, the ASK team was by their side. Rachel, Ava’s mom, remembers the immediate support they received from Rich and Katie on diagnosis day: “They asked questions like, ‘What do you need from us? How can we make this better?’ and chatted with Ava to make her feel seen, heard, and taken care of.” “They know this is heavy, and they’ve never shied away from talking about the heaviness of it. They never tried to make it lighter than it was–they simply carried it with us.” Watch the video below to hear more from Ava and her family as they express the impact ASK has had on their lives. That support is exactly what stays with Ava. When talking about ASK, she shared: “You guys care about kids and it's not just for popularity or for money. You do it because [cancer] sucks and you help make it a bit better or a bit less worse.” Now, two years after her diagnosis and a few months post-gala, Ava is looking forward to the future. This July, she is getting ready to celebrate a major milestone with her family: turning 13!

For most 16-year-olds, life is about hanging out with friends, playing video games, and looking forward to the independence. For Riley, a vibrant teen who loves LEGO sets, Minecraft, and—most of all—swimming, that typical journey took an unexpected turn in March of 2025. Riley was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma, a cancerous tumor located at the top of his tibia. For Riley, who has Down Syndrome, this diagnosis was exceptionally rare; his family learned there are only two documented cases in medical journals, making Riley a true pioneer and a case study for his medical team. The diagnosis was a whirlwind, but the family wasn't facing cancer for the first time. Riley’s father, Will, had battled the disease three years prior. "Watching him go through chemo and lose his hair was hard, but to see his daddy go through it and come out fine—I think that actually helped him," Riley’s mom, Beth, recalls. The family leaned on each other for strength, forming what Riley dubbed the "Power Hero Family Alliance." In this alliance, everyone has a special color and strength; Riley gave himself the blue superpower of speed and his mom the pink power of love! Treatment for Ewing Sarcoma is intensive. Riley’s journey included six rounds of chemotherapy, surgery to remove the tumor, and an additional eight rounds of chemotherapy. Because the passage of time can be a difficult concept to grasp with Down Syndrome, Beth created a clever way for Riley to track his hospital stays using construction paper rings. "He doesn't understand the passage of time day by day, but he was able to tear a ring off every day, and when he got to the last ring, he knew that was a day to get home." ASK stepped in from the very beginning to "lighten the load" for the Power Hero Family Alliance. While Riley was in the clinic, ASK staff like Katie would "swoop in" to distract Riley with games, giving his parents the vital space to discuss details with doctors. "That gave us time to react to what was being said and gather our wits before he had to see that," Beth remembers. The support extended to every part of their journey, including financial assistance, easing some of the day-to-day stress. "The financial assistance was amazing and took a load off," Will shares. "The utility payments, not having to worry about those... the cards for gas came in handy. The food gift cards really came into use, and the cafeteria vouchers really came in handy when we were in-patient." ASK also ensured that Riley's community understood his journey. While they didn't need continual school assistance, ASK Education Support Navigator Jon Longenecker "went into our virtual classroom and did a presentation for his classmates so he could prepare his classmates for the change," his dad explains. Beyond the practical, ASK provided joy through inclusive events. "Everything ASK provided was accessible, and that was amazing," the family notes, recalling how Riley "stood 10 inches taller" in his suit at the ASK and Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU (CHoR) Prom. He also had a blast at the Annual ASK Holiday Party. Throughout 14 rounds of chemo and surgery, Riley never lost his sense of humor or his love for hugs. The hard work reached a beautiful milestone in October 2025, when Riley finally got to ring the bell, seven months after his diagnosis. Today, after his surgical wound finally cleared up, Riley is officially free to do what he loves most: swim! Riley and his family also plan on attending more ASK events where they can build relationships and friendships with other ASK families. "I can't say enough good things about ASK," Beth says. "It's nice to know you are still family into the future!"