Category Archives: Announcements

Alex's Army Research Initiatives, Announcements, Thanks, Updates

2023 Donation

It’s that time of year again…and we are honored to share that because of your financial support and donations throughout the year as we closed out 2023 Alex’s Army Childhood Cancer Foundation wrote a check for $30,000 towards furthering research which we believe will bring the scientists and researchers one step closer to finding cures for our children!

With the guidance of the team at Children’s National, this year’s contribution will be allocated towards the genetics research program at Children’s.

“33% of children with Wilms tumor have an underlying genetic predisposition that makes them more susceptible to developing the disease. In some cases, the predisposition may also affect other family members. This discovery highlights the need for greater partnership and referrals to genetic counselors. Due to the increased recognition of underlying genetic causes of many childhood cancers, our cancer genetics program has grown tremendously in the past few years. Unfortunately, much of the care coordination for cancer genetics is unfunded and we rely on philanthropy to sustain and expand our program.” – Dr Jeffrey Dome Research Profile – Jeffrey Dome, M.D., Ph.D. | Children’s National Research and Innovation

Some of our sweet friends are helping us shout from the rooftops this announcement and our sincere appreciation of your support to make this happen:

Adam, Derreon, Camila, Niko, Ella, Ella’s big sis Madelyn, and Alex’s little sis Caitlyn – as well as all of us at Alex’s Army want to say a huge THANK YOU for your support of our mission to Fund Research, Raise Awareness, and to provide support and encouragement through faith, hope, and love!

Alex's Army Research Initiatives, Announcements, Thanks, Videos

$500K – Together We Can

On the last day of what has been a difficult year for us all – our hearts are beyond grateful to all of you who have continued to support our mission day in and day out.

We are honored and so humbled to announce that with this year’s contribution of $60,000 in continued support of the Phase II REST Immunotherapy Trial at Children’s National Hospital, Alex’s Army has to date provided a total of $500,000 in research funding since becoming a 501c3 in 2014!!!

While we certainly aim to do whatever we can to make a difference for families impacted by childhood cancers, we remain committed to funding research with the hope that each contribution will bring researchers closer to cures for our children.

We truly could not do any of this without the incredible generosity, love, and support from each of you who have come alongside us time and again.Together we can do more, we can be more, we can LOVE more, and we can give more. It takes an army to fight childhood cancer….thank you for being a part of Alex’s Army!

Alex's Army Research Initiatives, Announcements, Medical/Research, Updates

Alex’s Army continues to support REST Immunotherapy Trial

For the 3rd year in a row Alex’s Army was able to present Dr. Jeffery Dome with a check in the amount of $100,000.00 to support the REST Immunotherapy Trial at Children’s National Medical Center. We are so honored to be able to do our part to help fund innovative research for newer less toxic and more individualized treatments for children fighting cancer. We know that we can only do this because of the love, the support, and prayers from YOU – Alex’s Army.

Alex's Army Research Initiatives, Announcements, Medical/Research, Photo Gallery, Thanks

2017 Research Donation – REST Study Phase II

Our hearts are overflowing with thankfulness! Yesterday, a few of us from our Alex’s Army team went to D.C. to present Dr. Jeffrey Dome and Children’s National Medical Center with a check in the amount of $100,000.00!!!

Because of the successes the Phase I study is seeing, one of the trials Alex’s Army helped to fund last year, this years’ donation will continue to directly fund the REST Immunotherapy study as it goes into Phase II and will be opened to even more families!

Dr. Jeffrey Dome, MD, PhD, is Vice President of the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Chief of the Divisions of Hematology and Oncology, and Associate Director of the Center for Cancer and Immunology Research at Children’s National Health System in Washington, DC. He also is Professor of Pediatrics at the George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences and the Thomas Willson and Lenore Williams McKnew Professor of Pediatric Oncology. He has chaired the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) Renal Tumor Committee, which oversees clinical research on kidney tumors at more than 200 children’s hospitals around the world, for more than 10 years and has authored more than 150 articles, books and chapters on pediatric cancer. Dr. Dome was one of Alex’s Oncologists and we are so incredibly honored to be able to come alongside him and the researchers of Children’s to help fund new treatments for children and families still fighting.

Please know that today and EVERY day we are humbled and filled with such gratitude for YOU, Alex’s Army, for making this happen. We know that it is from YOUR support, that we are able to not only help equip the brilliant researchers fighting childhood cancer on the frontlines with the necessary funds they need, but that through your support we are able to bring a little bit of HOPE to the families who are fighting and to those who will be fighting in the days to come!

Beyond the funding presentation though, the day was special for another reason. Yesterday was the day we met Matthew and his family in person. Matthew is a Wilms Tumor Warrior who is currently on the Phase I REST Immunotherapy trial. To say meeting Matthew and his family was a blessing is an understatement…meeting the McDonnell family in person was EVERYTHING to our team. To have the opportunity to see Matthew full of energy, hugs, and smiles…was bittersweet…and he gives the BEST hugs! Inspired by Alex, Matthew, and all the children like these amazing kiddos are why we work so hard day in and day out to raise funds for research – to provide HOPE, to see SMILES, and to one day by the grace of God see CURES!

This was a GOOD day and we are so very thankful for the GOOD days!

On behalf of our Alex’s Army Board Members, our Alex’s Army team, Derek, Jacob, Caitlyn, myself and of course our sweet Alex…THANK YOU for having a heart to make a difference for our children fighting cancer…Thank YOU for being a part of Alex’s Army!

With Faith, Hope, and Love Always,
Jenni Green
President & Co-Founder
Alex’s Army Childhood Cancer Foundation

Alex's Army Research Initiatives, Announcements, Medical/Research

$100,000 donated to support REST study

Alex’s Army is incredibly pleased and humbled to have presented a check to Dr. Jeffrey Dome, MD, PhD, in the amount of $100,000.00 to Children’s National on Thursday, Dec. 29th, 2016.

Dr. Dome is the chief of the Division of Oncology and the Division of Hematology and is also the chair of the Renal Tumor Committee for the Children’s Oncology Group (COG). He oversees clinical trials for Wilms tumors and other childhood kidney cancers in more than 200 children’s hospitals. He holds the Thomas Willson & Lenore Williams McKnew Professorship in Pediatric Oncology and has authored more than 30 articles and textbook chapters on pediatric kidney tumors.

Funding from this grant will support the REST study which is an immunotherapy trial for patients with high-risk solid tumors including Ewing sarcoma, Wilms tumor, Neuroblastoma, Rhabdomyosarcoma, Soft tissue sarcomas, Osteosarcoma, and Adenocarcinoma. The idea behind the study is to harvest T-cells from patients, grow them in a lab, and “train” the cells to target the WT1 protein (and two other proteins called survivin and PRAME). Once the cells are “trained” to target these proteins, they are given back to the patient in hopes of better fighting off the cancerous cells. An impact report will be provided for updates on the study progress.

Witnessing firsthand the harsh effects of chemotherapies on our children, we have great interest in helping to fund less toxic treatments that will reduce long term side effects for pediatric patients. This type of immunotherapy trial was a perfect fit to the type of research Alex’s Army was hoping to support with our 2016 research funding. Our Board voted unanimously on funding this trial and on Thursday members of Alex’s Army traveled to DC on Thursday to meet with Dr. Dome and his team.

This donation was made in memory and honor of our sweet Alex – and too many other children who have had to leave us too soon. This check was ONLY possible because of the ARMY of supporters who this past year have prayed, sponsored, donated, and come alongside our organization to make a difference for children and families impacted by various childhood cancers. We thank everyone who helped make this possible truly from the bottom of our hearts. While this trial came too late for our sweet Alex, who as many of you know passed away in June of this year, we are hopeful and will be prayerful that this treatment will bring researchers a few steps closer to finding cures and that the patients who have the opportunity to enroll in this study will find healing.

It takes an ARMY to fight childhood cancers and TOGETHER we are Alex’s Army!

Alex’s Army is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to raise awareness to the lack of funding for childhood cancers, to provide funding to further research with a focus on Wilms Tumor, and to provide support for the childhood cancer community through faith, hope, and love.

Announcements, Updates

We mourn the passing of Alex J Green

Alex passed away at home on June 5th at 8:20 am.

A celebration of his life will begin on Monday, June 13, 2016 at 7:00 PM at Battlefield Baptist Church, 4361 Lee Highway, Warrenton, VA 20187 (map). The Green family would like to invite you to wear your favorite team jersey or sports attire to Alex’s Celebration of Life.

Funeral services will be held at Park Valley Church, 4500 Waverly Farm Drive, Haymarket, VA 20169 (map) at 12:00 Noon on Tuesday, June 14, 2016 with the family receiving friends from 11:00 AM until service time. Interment will take place at Stonewall Memory Gardens.

In lieu of flowers and in the spirit of who Alex was–the Green family asks that a donation is made towards a charity or cause of your choice. Every life has a purpose, we encourage you to make a difference wherever your heart and passion lies in honor of Alex.

Service Information:
http://www.piercefh.com/obituaries/Alexander-Green/