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Nurturing childhood cancer families in Fredericksburg, Virginia with engaging events! Our educational and social events are offered to ​families with patients, survivors, and siblings enrolled with ASK, and are always free to attend. PROGRAM EVENTS FREDERICKSBURG REGION EVENTS Fredericksburg Region The following educational and social events are offered to families with patients, survivors and siblings enrolled with ASK in and around Fredericksburg . ASK program events are always free to attend! Our Upcoming Events: Coming Soon ASK Night at the Diamond Date: September 13 Time: 4:30 PM - 10:00 PM Place: Flying Squirrels Stadium 301 N Arthur Ashe Blvd, Richmond, VA 23220, USA Get ready for a grand slam of fun! Join us for a picnic and tickets to the Richmond Flying Squirrels game. If you have an ASK shirt, pitch right in and wear it! Our ASK kids will be invited to round the bases for a victory lap on the field and might even get to steal the show with activities between innings! Email Michelle to Register SAT Prep Class Date: August 11 - August 14 Time: 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM Place: Virtual Get ready, rising high school juniors and seniors! Prepare to conquer the SAT with a first-class SAT prep experience brought to you by the Richmond Academic Institute (RAI). This incredible opportunity will be held virtually, making it convenient for everyone. Plus, if you're enrolled with ASK, your siblings can join in on the prep too! Don't miss out – be sure to register by August 1, 2025, to guarantee you have all the essential materials before the sessions kick off. To sign up or learn more, simply email Michelle Johnson at mjohnson@askccf.org or give her a call at (804) 402-1153. Back to Events Overview COVID-19 Policy: ASK social events and programs are now open to families with a child currently in active treatment. To keep our immunocompromised populations as safe as possible, indoor mask requirements will be decided based upon the CDC Covid-19 Community Level for the locality in which the event will take place, and will be disclosed prior to each event. For the full policy, click here.

Nurturing childhood cancer families in Richmond, Virginia with engaging events! Our educational and social events are offered to ​families with patients, survivors, and siblings enrolled with ASK, and are always free to attend. PROGRAM EVENTS RICHMOND REGION EVENTS Richmond Region The following educational and social events are offered to families with patients, survivors and siblings enrolled with ASK in and around Richmond . ASK program events are always free to attend! Our Upcoming Events: Sign Up Family Pool Party Date: July 13 Time: 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM Place: Hallsley Clubhouse 3900 Brightwalton Rd, Midlothian, VA 23112 ASK will provided catered dinner (we typically do BBQ). Games and playground are additional entertainment, along with the pool! Sign Up Richmond Back to School Supply Event Date: July 26 Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Place: ASK Family Center 5211 W. Broad St Suite 100 Richmond, VA 23230 Get backpacks filled with school supplies and chat with members of the Program and Education Team! Sign Up Parent's Night Out Date: August 1 Time: 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM Place: ASK Family Center 5211 W. Broad St Suite 100 Richmond, VA 23230 We invite our ASK kids and siblings to join us for an evening of fun and magic while parents enjoy some time on their own! Coming Soon ASK Night at the Diamond Date: September 13 Time: 4:30 PM - 10:00 PM Place: Flying Squirrels Stadium 301 N Arthur Ashe Blvd, Richmond, VA 23220, USA Get ready for a grand slam of fun! Join us for a picnic and tickets to the Richmond Flying Squirrels game. If you have an ASK shirt, pitch right in and wear it! Our ASK kids will be invited to round the bases for a victory lap on the field and might even get to steal the show with activities between innings! Email Michelle to Register SAT Prep Class Date: August 11 - August 14 Time: 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM Place: Virtual Get ready, rising high school juniors and seniors! Prepare to conquer the SAT with a first-class SAT prep experience brought to you by the Richmond Academic Institute (RAI). This incredible opportunity will be held virtually, making it convenient for everyone. Plus, if you're enrolled with ASK, your siblings can join in on the prep too! Don't miss out – be sure to register by August 1, 2025, to guarantee you have all the essential materials before the sessions kick off. To sign up or learn more, simply email Michelle Johnson at mjohnson@askccf.org or give her a call at (804) 402-1153. Back to Events Overview COVID-19 Policy: ASK social events and programs are now open to families with a child currently in active treatment. To keep our immunocompromised populations as safe as possible, indoor mask requirements will be decided based upon the CDC Covid-19 Community Level for the locality in which the event will take place, and will be disclosed prior to each event. For the full policy, click here.

Explore the best ways to give at ASK Childhood Cancer Foundation. Donate funds, snacks, toys, gift cards, and more to make a difference for children and families. WAYS TO GIVE GIVE When you give to ASK, it provides educational support, family and financial support, and program events that offer community and connection. This amazing support means our families have the resources they need to make it through the most challenging days – but there’s more we can do, which is why we need you! Donate Snacks & Drinks Snacks and drinks offer comfort to patients, parents and siblings who often spend long hours at clinic during appointments or at our program events. Shop Snacks Make A Gift Today Donate to provide an ASK family with emotional, financial and educational support as they navigate the twists and turns of their childhood cancer journey. Make a Donation Donate Toys & Treasures Treasure box toys, games and crafts provide a much-needed distraction and pick-me-up after difficult and stressful procedures during treatment. Shop Toys Donate Gift Cards From gasoline to groceries, gift cards help our families stay on top of their mounting everyday expenses. Get in touch with us to see what’s needed most. Contact Us Ways to Donate Join The 1975 Society & Leave A Lasting Legacy As you consider your own legacy, we invite you to think about how you can make a lasting difference in the lives of children with cancer and their families. Since 1975, ASK has been providing comprehensive support to families across Virginia, including financial assistance for everyday expenses, educational support for patients returning to school, and so much more. By including ASK in your plans, you can continue making life better for children with cancer for generations to come. Learn more below about the ways you can make life better for our families in this generation and beyond! Learn More Begin Your Legacy With Us We partner with FreeWill, an online tool that guides you through the process of creating a legally valid will or trust. It’s easy to use, accessible online and can be completed in just a few minutes. Click the link below to document your wishes before finalizing your plans with an attorney. Start My Will Gift Intent Form Have you already included a gift in your will or trust? Please fill out this form to let us know! We would love to thank you for your generosity. Fill Out Form Non-Probate Assets Do you have an IRA, 401(k), life-insurance policy, or any other assets not included in your will? If so, these are called non-probate assets and you must plan your beneficiaries for them separately. Use this online tool to make your plans and designate us as a beneficiary of one or more of these assets. Designate My Beneficiaries Other Ways to Give United Way of Greater Richmond & Petersburg Our United Way Agency Number: 3175 Employer Donation Matching See if your employer wi ll match your donation! Click here to get started. The Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign Our CVC Number: 03281 YOU make a difference Thank you for taking a stand to lessen the burden of cancer for our kids and families throughout Virginia with your time, treasure and talents. How Your Support Helps

For Meg Garner, her connection to the ASK Childhood Cancer Foundation began nearly 30 years ago, and her dedication to our families has only deepened over time. As a college intern at the Medical College of Virginia (now Virginia Commonwealth University), Meg experienced firsthand how ASK supports pediatric cancer patients and their families. That internship evolved into her first job out of college as ASK’s Child Life Specialist at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU—a vital position that remains today—providing emotional support, education, and comfort to children with cancer and their families. During her time as our Child Life Specialist, she walked alongside families during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. During these early years, she found her calling: being on the "people side" of care. "I learned a lot working with ASK early on in my career," Meg reflects. " I knew I wanted to be on the people side of things". Fast-forward to the present day: Meg is now the Board President of ASK. Since those early days, her career has been nothing short of extraordinary—she has served in leadership roles at the American Cancer Society and currently as Chief Operating Officer at VPM Media Corporation—but ASK has always remained close to her heart. Over the years, she's been a donor, a volunteer, a consultant, and now, a trusted board member. We are so excited to have Meg serve as our fierce leader as we enter this new chapter as an organization. Her leadership is grounded in empathy and strategy, shaped by decades of nonprofit experience and a lifelong commitment to children's well-being When asked about her goals, Meg shares, “ASK directly impacts the lives of kids and families with cancer every day. My goal is to amplify our reach statewide and build lasting connections in each region with pediatric oncology centers”. Over 550 children are diagnosed with cancer each year across Virginia. ASK is a crucial lifeline for many of these families. We help provide each family with wrap-around support—financial assistance, educational support, and a sense of community when they need it the most—and walk alongside them as they navigate an incredibly difficult journey. Since her very first day as our Child Life Specialist, Meg has never lost sight of the children and their families behind each number. She has witnessed firsthand how something as simple as a gas card or utility bill payment can help a family immensely, or how a fun family event can make a child feel like a kid again and grant families the gift of normalcy and understanding. Whether it's her family, coworkers, or the families served by ASK, Meg is known for her grounded leadership and warm presence. She is a fierce advocate for children and a thoughtful strategist. As our new Board President, Meg’s main focus is on ensuring that ASK continues to grow while staying rooted in its Richmond beginnings. "It's my way of giving back,"  she says, "to an organization that's been near and dear to my heart for such a long time" . We're so grateful for her compassionate leadership and unwavering commitment. Thank you, Meg, for being a decades-long champion for kids with cancer and reminding us all what it means to lead with assistance, support, and kindness.

Meet ASK Kid Nikolas ! He loves spending his free time outside with his older brothers on the family campground, playing Minecraft, and making friends everywhere he goes. As the family navigated the COVID-19 Pandemic with the rest of the world in 2020, they noticed that Nikolas was not acting like his usual self.  "He got COVID, and then he just never really got better. He started getting more and more tired, putting on some weight, losing his appetite, not eating, lots of headaches, nose bleeds, and we would take him to the doctor," ASK Kid Nikolas's dad, James, recalled. While medical professionals were still trying to figure out the COVID-19 virus, they wrote off Nikolas's symptoms as a continuation of COVID-19, suggesting more vitamin C, zinc, and lots of rest to recover. Despite following doctors' orders and COVID protocols, Nikolas wasn't improving, and his decline became increasingly noticeable. ASK dad James recalls the day he had a gut feeling that his son was experiencing something more serious: "Nikolas was going to bike around the family campground as he normally would, but he just couldn't do it.  He would go outside, ride his bike for maybe 30 seconds, and then come in and say, 'Oh, Dad, I'm just so tired, I just can't do it.' And then the real turning point was he ate very little." A few days later, Nikolas' symptoms became even more evident. "He was with his mom, and he ate very little, and then he laid down on the floor, and he just threw up and he wouldn't move. So his mom called me and said, 'I need to take him to the emergency room.'" James shared. Nikolas chimed in, saying, "It was one of my favorite meals, too!" further emphasizing the abnormality of his symptoms.  Nikolas's mom quickly rushed him to the emergency room only to be told the same answer—COVID-19. Nikolas' parents weren't satisfied with that answer. They knew this was different and decided to request blood work for Nikolas. What they found changed their family's life forever.  Nikolas was officially diagnosed with Philadelphia-Positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (Ph+ ALL) in 2022. "It was one of those; everybody got real quiet…they wanted to transport [Nikolas] to whichever children's oncologist would take him first. Fortunately, Roanoke answered the call first and was immediately transported to Carilion Children's Hospital. ASK Dad James was a constant presence at every hospital visit, trying to make sense of their new reality. "The one thing that I didn't even consider or think about was school," he recalled. Similar to many parents navigating childhood cancer, he was focused on Nikolas' medical appointments, health, and treatments; it simply hadn't crossed his mind. That's where ASK came in. Amy Fender, the ASK Education Support Navigator, walked into the room all smiles and ready to help Nikolas get resources and activities to help him overcome any gaps he may have accumulated while out of school for treatment. Amy is one of six Navigators stationed at each of Virginia's five pediatric cancer treatment centers, bridging the gap between hospital inpatient stays and patients' schools to help them stay on grade level and receive the accommodations they need to be successful. "It was such a relief to have her walk in and say, 'I got this part. You take care of him. You keep him happy. The doctors are going to do the medicine. I'm going to do the school. You take care of Nikolas.' And that's what we did."  - James, ASK Kid Nikolas' Dad At Carilion Children's Hematology/Oncology, the family found a supportive network of people who quickly connected with Nikolas. They patiently guided them through the complexities of his diagnosis, explaining that his specific case required a treatment approach more akin to Acute Myeloid Leukemia than the typical ALL protocol. This meant a more aggressive course of action. Though the standard treatment for PH-ALL lasted three years, Nikolas's intense regimen concluded in two. "It was very aggressive, but he was a trooper," James said proudly.  This spring will mark Nikolas's family's third year participating in the annual ASK 5K & Fun Walk, one of our signature events that raise funds and awareness for childhood cancer. James expressed, "We are very happy to continue to donate to that cause…I know there are so many people that have to make that choice. 'Do I go to treatment, or do I go to work? Do I buy gas, or do we buy medicine?'"  Just like his favorite Marvel superheroes, Nikolas faced his cancer journey with remarkable courage and an unwavering smile, forming many friendships. His resilience continues to inspire not only his family but everyone who meets him. He is regaining strength and returning to his regular life, one step at a time.

Meet ASK Kid Kyleigh! At just 9 years old, she's got a big, fun life! Imagine this: she's got a whole crew at home with two brothers, a sister with one more sister on the way. When she's not hanging out with them, you can probably find her dominating the soccer field, zipping around on four-wheelers and dirt bikes, or getting super creative with art projects. With such a vibrant personality and spirit, you would never guess that Kyleigh faced a serious health challenge. Life took an unexpected turn for Kyleigh when her mom, Kelsey, noticed a bump on her left arm during the family's Memorial Day trip to the pool when she was just six. Kyleigh told her mom she thought she had hurt it a few days before on the trampoline, prompting the family to go to urgent care. Urgent care initially suspected a fracture, but a subsequent examination by an orthopedic specialist resulted in the family going to VCU Massey Cancer Center, where they uncovered a more serious issue: a Rhabdomyosarcoma tumor. Kyleigh's mom, Kelsey, knew that Kyleigh had several unexplained fevers and everyday bumps and bruises from jumping on her trampoline but never suspected childhood cancer. "After the biopsy and diagnosis, we thought she would need her arm amputated. However, surgeons decided to see how the tumor responded to radiation and chemo.  Sure enough, the tumor began to shrink, but amputation was still recommended long-term," explained Kelsey. After the initial shock of her diagnosis, Kyleigh's family began searching for the best path forward. They knew they had to act quickly and do everything possible to protect her future. "I felt like we needed to do all we could to save her arm, so we got a second opinion at the Cleveland Clinic. There, we received more bad news. Kyleigh now had cancer spots in her lungs. We immediately started new chemo and radiation treatments for her lungs. We were devastated," shared Kelsey with a heavy heart as she remembered the day the family received the news. From the early days of Kyleigh's diagnosis, ASK became an integral part of her and her family's journey and was there to lend a helping hand during difficult times. "I had to quit my job to manage Kyleigh's healthcare, so ASK's financial assistance was a lifesaver," remembers Kelsey. “I was pregnant and felt like I had the weight of the world on my shoulders. Grocery and gas gift cards were just the beginning, and the bill assistance ASK provided relieved some of the financial stress of childhood cancer.”  - Kelsey, ASK Kid Kyleigh's Mom In addition to providing financial support, ASK stepped in to help ensure Kyleigh stayed on track in school. ASK's Education Support Navigator, Jon Longenecker, played an integral role in developing her homebound classes and the 504 plan so that Kyleigh would have the support she needed to be successful. Jon is one of six Navigators stationed at each of Virginia's five pediatric cancer treatment centers. These dedicated professionals bridge the gap between hospital inpatient stays and patients' schools, helping them stay on grade level and receive the necessary accommodations to succeed. Today, Kyleigh is thriving and loving life as a third grader. Her medical team keeps a close eye on her to make sure the tumor stays stable, and she's back to doing what she loves! She's even a bit of a local celebrity, having served as the 2023 Anthem Lemonade Ambassador and appearing in Anthem commercials!