Childhood Cancer Programs

Childhood Cancer/Childhood Illness

Our Childhood Cancer program encompasses many things.  Our biggest project is the Therapy Doll Program.  Once a quarter we feed the families at the Ronald McDonald House in Chapel Hill.  We hold fundraisers through partnership with local restaurants for local children with Cancer or Childhood Illness.  Our club has always helped with the Mile of Hope which is a partnership with the Raleigh Optimist Club.

Therapy Dolls

This is such a fun project and it gets bigger each year.  Why therapy dolls?  As an adult, when the Doctor discusses a procedure with you which you need, oftentimes, we do not comprehend what he is conveying to us.  Can you imagine how a child feels?  

For the children, the Doctor will take the doll and show the child what will be done, where and help the child feel somewhat comfortable.  This doll will be the child’s comfort doll and they can draw a face and hair on the doll.  Even when the child get’s upset and tears the doll up, they can get another. 

A lot goes into making the doll.  We use soft cotton material for the dolls.  Solid skin tone colors for the body and small kidlike patterns for the gowns.  We get material donated or with donated funds, we purchase the material. 

Currently we have all three schools (high, middle and elementary)  in our community helping us make the dolls.  The Youth Leadership Rolesville group also takes this on as their community service project.  The high school and middle school cuts the material from the patterns.  Then the high school students and community volunteers sew the dolls and gowns.  The elementary school makes the “I care” notes which are tied to the dolls once they are stuffed, slipstiched and dressed. We average making 150 dolls a year for the pediatric oncology hospitals UNC and Duke.

Ronald McDonald Home-Chapel Hill

Prior to COVID, we always picked a Saturday and would take our supplies for breakfast.  What a spread we would have.  We would get to spend time with the families staying there and help them get breakfast.  That has not started back yet.

Now, we work with a designated restaurant that will deliver individual packed meals and have it delivered to the RMH on our chosen night to provide the meal.

Mile of Hope 

This project is over 20 years old.  It has a great history and continues each year.  Although COVID reared its ugly head and we could not hold the MOH for two years, this past year we got to hold it and we had great weather for it also! 

This event is held at Atlantis Lodge, Pine Knoll Shores.  They host most of the families and staff.

The Mile of Hope is held on Mothers Day Weekend offering our families an extra special weekend at the beach!

The Mile of Hope provides pediatric cancer patients from the Pediatric Oncology Departments of ECU in Greenville, UNC in Chapel Hill, and Duke University in Durham with a fun-filled weekend at the beach.

Since 1991, guests and their families have enjoyed this special getaway to NC’s Crystal Coast with lodging, activities and entertainment provided by our generous sponsors.

The Northern Wake Optimist Club provides “family beach baskets” for each family.  Everything in the baskets are items donated by our generous sponsors.  The baskets are filled with beach towels, special sunscreen, beach toys, pool toys, sand buckets and sand diggers, shapers etc.  Our members put the baskets together so that each family has supplies needed once they get to the beach to play.  We also attend the event to help out as everyone goes about enjoying the time on the beach with their families.