EDWARDSVILLE - The Kids Shouldn’t Have Cancer Foundation (KSHCF) has opened its first dedicated office in Jerseyville, Illinois. Their new premises will be located at 722 W. County Road, Jerseyville, Illinois.
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The Kids Shouldn't Have Cancer Foundation was founded in memory of Jonny Wade, shortly after brain cancer took his life at the age of 8. Despite the circumstances, Jonny believed he could – and should – make a difference for other children affected by cancer. The foundation was developed in honor of Jonny to honor his faith and strength by carrying forward his wish as the foundation’s mission, that no other kid should have cancer.
While KSHCF is a national organization which is dedicated to conquering pediatric cancer, it began in Jerseyville, Illinois. Founder and Executive Director, Kimberly Wade thought Jerseyville would be the perfect location of its first office. She said, “Jerseyville has wrapped their arms around Jonny, our family and this foundation. It’s only fitting we thank Jerseyville for their support and give back to the community that has given so much to us. Jonny is buried in Jerseyville and this town will always be our home.”
KSHCF was founded in 2016 and has been making significant strides to raise funds and awareness for pediatric cancer. The foundation added its first full-time employee in 2018 and is currently recruiting a new position as Director of Development. As the organization grew, it became apparent that permanent, dedicated premises for the organization would be necessary. Wade explained, “I’ve run this organization from my home for several years, but as we’ve grown it became apparent that we needed a dedicated space for the organization. We have always been good stewards of our resources and intentional with every dollar spent, but we have significant potential for growth, and if we want to realize that growth, we need to make this investment in staff and office space for the Foundation.”
And grow it has. The Foundation has raised over $1.9 million for pediatric cancer in its short existence. Its social media efforts span the country, and its Facebook page has over 70,000 regular followers. There are chapters of the foundation in both Jerseyville, IL and Dallas, TX. In addition to the fundraising and outreach efforts, Kimberly Wade regularly lobbies Congress for increased funding allocations for pediatric cancer research.
