We are so incredibly excited to share with you all that our Hearts of Gold Gala raised a whopping $70,022.40 (and counting)!!!! We are still collecting final donations but we far exceeded our $60k goal and all in all we are over the moon with your generosity, love, & your support of our foundation and our Hearts of Gold Gala event celebrating 10 years of love!!!
To say the evening was special is an incredible understatement. We feel so blessed by every moment and by each of you who joined us. Everything from our Honorary Family Kendall, Michelle, & David sharing a little of their story, to the live auction bidding with professional auctioneer HL Wenger and finishing off the evening with your incredibly generous paddle raise donations and finally dancing!!!
We had a wonderful time and hope each of you who joined us did as well!!
A huge Congratulations to each of our Hearts of Gold Volunteer Award Recipients. We thank you for your service, support, and love that you have each poured into making Alex’s Army what it is: Trish Weinstein, Brett & Tawni Schwemer, Bernadette & Kevin Long, and The Dunham Family!
Special Thank Youto Pastor Barry of Park Valley Church for sharing a special blessing over dinner, our families, and all impacted by cancer. Thank you also to LCS Site Services for donating an incredibly luxurious shuttle for our attendees. Thank you to all our In-Kind Auction Basket and Wine Grab Donors for contributing towards the success of this event!
Thank you to our amazing planning committee, our Founders, all our volunteers, and our speakers for the evening!
It truly does take an army to fight childhood cancer and we feel as though we have the best army around!
6pm – 11 pm Poplar Springs Manor Warrenton, Virginia
Black Tie Optional
Ticket Sales are Open and You are Invited!
Our Hearts of Gold Gala 2024 event will take place Friday, November 22nd at the beautiful Poplar Springs Manor in Warrenton, VA which is the same location we host our annual Couples Retreats for our moms & dads. We are so excited to celebrate as we look back on the last 10 years of Alex’s Army and fund raise the night away to help launch us into these next 10 years! Your ticket and/or sponsorship will include cocktails, buffet dinner, dessert, silent and live auction items, a program you won’t want to miss, plus music, dancing, & more! Our Hearts of Gold Gala only comes around once every 5 years and we do not want you to miss out!
Sponsor Information: There are sponsorship levels for all, a few of which include overnight accommodations at the beautiful Poplar Manor Inn & Spa! Not able to attend? We would LOVE for you to consider sponsoring one of our local families with an enchanting night out!
More information on sponsorship levels can be found in our sponsor packet here
We also are seeking out in-kind donations for our silent auction, live auction, and our 2024 wine grab! If you have items you’d like to contribute towards our auction OR if you’d like to donate a bottle or two of wine for our wine grab, use the Contact Us link below. All donors will be recognized on signage at the Gala event, as always donations can also be indicated as anonymous as well.
For questions or more information on how you can sponsor or support through in-kind donations for our 10-year anniversary Gala event, contact us.
This past weekend Alex’s Army hosted our End of Summer Bash & Family Day 2024 and we couldn’t have asked for more perfect weather for our Luau themed party! We loved seeing all the smiles on everyone’s faces and feel so blessed to be able to host events like these for our fellow childhood cancer families & community.
Special Thank you to Crockett Park & Fauquier County Parks for their efforts in making sure this event was such a success and to Mini’s Mission & the Jeff Gordon Foundation whose grant to Alex’s Army last year helped us put on such an awesome event! Thank you also to Bruno’s Bounce House, Dream ArT Facepainting & Balloons, Cookies & Cream, Mission BBQ, United Rentals, The Barber Family, to all our awesome volunteers, and special thank you to Karen & Jason Halsall for donating their time and photography talents to help capture such a beautiful event.
(Childhood Cancer Fams – make sure you don’t miss out these and other family events by requesting to join our mailing list by sending us a note through our Contact Us form)
Pictures from this year’s event can be found below thanks to Karen Halsall Photography and on our social pages @alexsarmyccf
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To make a Tax-Deductible donation so that our team can continue hosting events like these for the childhood cancer community, visit here. Every donation helps and allows us to fulfill our mission to fund research, raise awareness, and to be a source of encouragement and support through faith, hope, and love!
Friday November 22nd 2024 Poplar Springs Manor Warrenton, Virginia
We are incredible excited to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of Alex’s Army later this year! Our Hearts of Gold Gala 2024 event will take place Friday, November 22nd at the beautiful Poplar Springs Manor in Warrenton, VA.
We are so excited to celebrate as we look back on the last 10 years of Alex’s Army and fund raise the night away to help launch us into these next 10 years! Your ticket and/or sponsorship will include cocktails, buffet dinner, dessert, silent and live auction items, a program you won’t want to miss, plus music, dancing, & more! Our Hearts of Gold Gala only comes around once every 5 years and we do not want you to miss out!
Online Tickets will be going on sale as early as July/August 2024.
We are currently looking for businesses/individuals who would like to be one of our sponsors for this year’s event. There are sponsorship levels for all, a few of which include overnight accommodations at the beautiful Poplar Manor Inn & Spa! Not able to attend, we would LOVE for you to consider sponsoring one of our local families to attend.
More information on sponsorship levels can be found in our sponsor packet here
Sponsors can mail in their sponsorship as early as today to guarantee a spot or wait until online ticket sales open to register online. Mail-in form is located at the back of our sponsor packet.
We also are seeking out in-kind donations for our silent auction, live auction, and our 2024 wine grab!
For questions or more information on how you can sponsor or support our 10-year anniversary Gala event, contact us.
On Monday, May 6th we held our 9th Annual Driving for a Cure Golf Tournament at Piedmont Golf Club in Haymarket, VA.
It was another amazing day of golf, friends, and fundraising – and we are as always so thankful to each and every one of our Sponsors, Golfers, Donors, and Volunteers who joined us once again for this fundraiser event to make a difference for families who know what it’s like to watch their child fight cancer.
Special Thank You once again to this year’s Tournament Sponsor Chick-fil-Aof Haymarket & VA Gateway!
Congratulations to our Top Teams and Contest Winners: 1st Place Team: Shawn Hanrahan, Justin Besachio, Jay Price, and Steve Bowling
2nd Place Team: Patrick Delaney, Michael Delaney, George Marquarot, and Beth Foster
3rd Place Team: Kelly Cordle, Ronny White, Larry Doss, and Jason Koch
Hackers’ Award Team: Jacob Green, Travis Green, Kam Franklin, and Jack Berberoglu
Super Putt Contest Winner: Trevor McQuillen
$2500 Putting Contest Attempt: Jack Berberoglu
Longest Drive Male: Jeff Lascola
Longest Drive Female: Caroline Cho
Closest to the Pin: Kevin Kuzma
Pictures are up, we hope you enjoy all the pics from our 9th Annual Driving for a Cure Golf Tournament!
Last but certainly NOT least – at our Driving for a Cure end of tournament banquet this year, we announced an exciting way for our golfers and Driving for a Cure event to directly support our upcoming Family Day for our local families.
We still have supporter spots left and would love if you would consider making a 100% tax-deductible donation to help us make sure this is an incredible event! Your $100 donation is so greatly appreciated! In doing so you will receive a small sign on the putt-putt golf course that families will read throughout the day as they play. Our team will reach out to you once all spots are filled to get the information you would like for us to include on your sponsor signage.
We are honored to announce Alex’s Army has awarded Collegiate scholarships to 3 truly inspirational athletes who have each battled cancer: Katie Gardiner, Chris Orne, and Olivia Bartrum each received a $3,000 scholarship towards their college expenses.
About the Scholarship Recipients:
Katie Gardiner is a Senior at Northwest High School who was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia at the age of 2.
Following her diagnosis Katie underwent 2 ½ years of chemotherapy, surgeries, and had over 28 spinal taps which while cured her of her cancer left her with long-term side effects that have challenged her over the years. Katie said even though things were very difficult at times her family kept a positive outlook and strong faith through it all. When she was a little older, Katie jumped into sports joining both a summer swim team and club soccer and while both were challenging and difficult for her – they were also incredibly freeing, and she found joy in being a part of a team. In middle school she discovered she had a love for volleyball and while yet again she was challenged physically she did all she could in extra training and practice to make the team. In addition to volleyball, she enjoys weight-lifting and track & field. Through extra hours and hard work on the Track & Field team she placed at Regionals which she shared was a high point for her to see the results of all her effort. At Northwest she played Varsity Volleyball and was the Team Captain this past year.
However, beyond all her athletic accomplishments, Katie finds joy in the success of not only herself – but in others. Katie shared with us, “This past year really showed me that sometimes it isn’t just about you but the happiness of others. Especially as Captain, it is about the good for all. We must stand by each other when it gets tough and sometimes put others needs ahead of our own. Looking back, I know that is what my family did for me when I was sick. Both my sisters had to pause their activities and childhood events so that my parents could be with me at the hospital and therapies after treatment. Being a part of a team is like being a part of a family.”
Katie will graduate Northwest High School with a 4.74 GPA and in the top percentage of her class with several honors. Katie has decided to pursue studies in Adapted Physical Education/Physical Education/Early Childhood Education to be able to pay it forward and make a difference for other kids – Please join us in wishing Katie all the best as she starts the next chapter of her life!
Chris Orne is a Freshman at the University of Central Florida who was diagnosed with Wilms Tumor in 2012 at 7 years old.
Chris was born with hemihypertrophy of his left leg which can be a precursor for certain types of cancers including Wilms. For years’ growing up Chris had scans as precaution to look for cancer and on one of the last scans just before he would be considered in the clear – the doctors found a tumor. Chris immediately underwent radiation and chemotherapy treatment and during this time Chris, like many kids diagnosed with cancer, found himself isolated and missing the normalcy of school, hanging with his friends, and playing sports. Although it was incredibly difficult at times, Chris maintained a positive attitude through it all. Just before middle school Chris’ family moved to Florida which by that time Chris was cancer-free! He started playing sports again but found a real love for basketball. He played middle school basketball but just before his 8th grade season Chris & his family learned he would have to have surgery on his leg. Although Chris was devastated to not be able to play his last year of middle school – he later realized that the timing was a blessing in disguise and that following that surgery he was able to train and push himself to be healthy, strong, and ready to play in high school which was more competitive and would have been more devastating to miss. Today Chris is just finishing his freshman year of college. He loves the college atmosphere and plays several intramural sports and college club teams in Volleyball, Dodgeball, Flag Football, and of course Basketball.
Chris shared in his essay, “We all have challenges and setbacks. I feel like it’s how we respond and bounce back to them that tells us who we are as a person, as a student, or as a son. Anything may happen to anyone; it’s how you get back up, deal with disappointments, and move on with matters. Cancer gave me a mentality to never give up on yourself and trust God. I am who I am today because of my experiences.”
Chris is following his passion for aviation and working to become a commercial pilot. We are honored to be able to help in a small way towards Chris’ efforts to one day soar among the clouds!
On a personal note, we are so honored to have gotten to watch Chris grow over the years. He and our Alex were friends, and our families would often meet up at various 5Ks or other childhood cancer fundraising and awareness events. This is one of my favorite pictures of Chris & Alex at a Team Mathias 5K event. While both boys were active and strong, Alex got tired towards the end of the 5K and Chris didn’t hesitate to jump in and push for a bit. We will forever be a part of Chris’ Crew and the Orne family will forever be a part of Alex’s Army.
Please join us in congratulating Chris and wishing him the very best today and every day ahead!
Olivia Bartrum is a senior at Wakefield High School in Arlington, VA who was diagnosed with Wilms Tumor at 2 years old.
Olivia has an incredible way with words and we were blown away at her ability to paint such a clear picture of what it was like to fight cancer at such a young age and to grow up in a pediatric oncology unit. How she found comfort & met first friends at the art table which she spent many years during and after treatment. She shared, “I was captivated by a table graffitied with blots of marker and paint. The truth is, once I sat down, I never wanted to leave. With a colored pencil in hand, I illustrated imaginary creatures, taking inspiration from the likes of children’s movies. I found comfort crafting cliché tales of heroism, ones in which the protagonist would defeat combatants with ease. What I didn’t come to understand, however, was that these characters symbolized my own battle, masking the true antagonist: cancer.”
Olivia shared that she later turned to athletics initially as an outlet to help process the pain and loss she felt in losing a friend to cancer. As the years progressed she found a greater purpose in each tennis competition comparing each match to a fight and victory over cancer. “A racket in hand, my stories are no longer imaginative. Each match tells a tale of grief and resilience, representing lost opportunities among the children that came before me. Serving as varsity captain over the past three years, I have had the unique opportunity to instill similar mindsets among my peers. Working as a district representative for my region’s tennis program, I have expanded the scope of the sport, hoping to provide more students with an outlet for personal and emotional struggles.”
In addition to her talents on the tennis court, Olivia more than excels academically. She has earned a multitude of academic awards, research awards, and last summer completed an NIH summer internship program at Children’s National regarding the manufacture of antigen-specific T cells for cancer immunotherapy. She recently was the Grand Prize Awardee for her study ‘Harnessing the Signalosome to Enhance Ex-Vivo Generation of Tumor Antigen-Specific T-Cells’ at the Virginia State Science and Engineering Fair (VSSEF) at Old Dominion University. Olivia has over 160 volunteer and leadership hours contributing however she can in through various projects whether it’s advocacy work with ACS (American Cancer Society), packing meals for families in Haiti, or tutoring students to help them excel as well.
“Visiting the oncology ward in long-term remission, I returned to the art room. I began to look around, realizing it wasn’t just (my friend’s) story that was untold. Chairs at the art table continued to disappear, falling into what mimicked an epidemic. I knew there was still work to be done.”
Olivia’s resume is incredibly impressive coming out of High School and we know this amazing young lady will go on to do incredible work ahead! Please join us in congratulating Olivia and wishing her all the best in the next chapter of her story!
Have you ever wanted to participate in one of our Bucket-a-Thon events? Would you LOVE to help raise money to support athletes impacted by childhood cancer and to help make a difference? Well now you can!!!
This March 1 through April 8th, Alex’s Army Childhood Cancer Foundation is hosting our first ever March Madness Bucket-a-Thon event open to the public!!! Participation is open to all ages & abilities, takes place whenever and wherever* (within the continental U.S.) you can hoop, and supports our Green & Gold Athletic Spirit Scholarships provided to athletes who know what it’s like to fight childhood cancer.
Registration is FREE and super easy! PLUS, by participating you’ll have the opportunity to win fun prizes like our Official Bucket-a-Thon t-shirt, top fundraiser prizes, and more!
We will be accepting applications for the 2024 scholarships from February 1st through March 15th and will award scholarship recipients in April of this year. Prior to printing the application, please be sure to thoroughly read the application guidelines found on this page to check for qualifications, important submission information, FAQs, and more.
