NEO Kids Foundation is introducing an annual giving campaign to help build long term sustainability and awareness for NEO Kids.
This campaign seeks to provide revenue that allows the foundation to support emerging priorities from qualified donees.
Every year, approximately 3,900 children from across the northeast make 10,000 trips to Toronto, Ottawa, and London to receive the specialized care they need. That is an increase of more than 20 per cent in the past five years.
Every hour of every day, a child and their family leave the north to receive care elsewhere.
The inaugural NKF Annual Giving campaign has a fundraising goal of $200,000 and is seeking support for:
NEO Kids Greatest Needs Fund - funds received will be used for program support for:
- Children’s Treatment Centre
- NEO Kids Outpatient (Ambulatory) Clinics
- NEO Kids Equipment
- Mental Health and Research related to childhood cancer (Radon Research).
Children in the Northeast face greater rates of disease and illness than the national average:
- Obesity: Canadian average 21 per cent - Sudbury 29 per cent
- Autism: Canada 1 in 94 on spectrum - Sudbury 1 in 60 on spectrum
- Cancer: Canada 150 per million - Sudbury 169.1 per million
- Asthma: Canada 8.3 per cent - Sudbury 9.1 per cent
- Seizures: Canada 0.3 - 0.6 per cent - Sudbury 0.55 per cent
- Allergies: Canada 22 per cent - Sudbury 26 per cent
"With the help of our community we will bring vital pediatric services and innovation to our region, improving health care and keeping our children #closertohome," said a NEO Kids Foundation news release.
“The time is right now to focus on our youngest citizens,” said Rick Bartolucci, Former MPP, Sudbury and current NKF Board Member.
“To rally together with political will and resources and with community support to treat our sick kids closer to home. To pay as much attention to their health care needs as we do to their educational and leisure needs.”
Individuals and organizations who wish to support the Annual Giving campaign may reach NKF either by phone at 705-523-7100 x 1234 or can visit the NKF website at www.neokidsfoundation.ca.
