Atlanta Area Businesswomen Create Celebration of Courage Relay and Festival to Benefit the Aflac Cancer Center and Blood Disorder Service

Courageous Children, Parents and Sponsors to Carry Torch of Life Through Centennial Olympic Park

ATLANTA – The AflacCancerCenter and Blood Disorders Service of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta will debut a signature fundraising event on April 12, 2008 at 8:30 a.m. called the “Celebration of Courage” relay and festival. The Celebration of Courage is a unique fundraising event that will allow children who are battling or have battled cancer and blood disorders to relay the “Torch of Life” through Centennial Olympic Park. Committee members are from North Atlanta, Tucker, Suwanee, Alpharetta, Newnan and Brookhaven.

Celebration of Courage will begin with a relay in which participants, including children and their sponsors, will carry the “torch of life” and pass it to other participants along a festive route within Centennial Olympic Park. They will all be cheered on by family and friends. After the relay, the celebration continues with a fun-filled carnival featuring entertainment, food and more.

The Celebration of Courage relay is open to children who are battling or have battled cancer and blood disorders. Also welcome are participants who wish to walk in honor or memory of a child. Each relay participant is encouraged to secure his or her own sponsor(s), with a goal to raise $1,500 or more in advance of the event. Opportunities to be paired with existing event sponsors are available if needed. Sponsors are invited to walk during the event with their relay participants.

“I chose to get involved with this event because courageous children battling horrific illnesses such as cancer and blood disorders need to be recognized and celebrated alongside their families and medical caretakers,” said Jennie Stipick, Chairwoman for the Celebration of Courage. “This event allows the community to not only help financially, but to touch the lives of children who need our support. This is why I would love to see businesses and individuals celebrate courage in April.”

Proceeds from Celebration of Courage will benefit the AflacCancerCenter. The funds raised will help purchase hematology analyzers that run a complete blood count (CBC) on every patient and are vital to patient care. All treatment decisions are based on CBC results, which include information about a patient’s white blood cell count, the presence of hemoglobin and hematocrit, and platelet count.

Please visit www.choa.org/courage for online registration and corporate sponsorship opportunities or call 404-785-7338.