Coaching for the Cure

I believe the most effective youth sports coaches do two things: They develop the skills children need to improve and they instill a desire to come back "next season" to play the game again. One Team Mom in suburban Atlanta knows all too well that a devastating cancer can destroy all the hope and promise a new season may hold.

Grainne Owen's 9-year-old twin son, Killian, passed away last year when his battle with leukemia came to an end. Ms. Owen's battle took on a new meaning for the youth sports community. Killian's spirit and determination fighting the disease inspired Atlanta's professional sports community (both Coach Dan Reeves and Michael Vick met and spoke with Killian) while hundreds of church league and youth sports teams sent their prayers and support. Because of all of this, Ms. Owen created "Coaching for the Cure", an organization founded to raise money for pediatric cancer research.

The idea is simple. At the end of every season the team parent generally takes up a collection of donations from the parents to buy a gift for their coach. What "Coaching for the Cure" offers is a way to donate those funds in honor of the team coach. By going to the website: www.coachingforthecure.org and printing out the donation form, Team Moms everywhere can help "Kids Kick Cancer"! Coaching for the Cure accepts the financial donation in honor of the Coach and sends a T-Shirt and certificate to be presented to the coach by the team. Coaches help and inspire their youth and what better way to teach the invaluable lesson of helping others than by the example of giving!

In just a few short months the response has been sensational! Coaching for the Cure has signed an agreement with Curesearch (formerly the National Childhood Cancer Foundation) to launch the idea nationally in January 2005. But even before the official launch parents in Washington State, Ohio, Wisconsin, Illinois, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida and Texas are making donations and spreading the word! Ms. Owen's program is also gaining momentum from newspaper and TV coverage. In the first six weeks of receiving donations it has raised over $25,000 for pediatric cancer research just in Georgia. This is truly a win-win situation for all. Please check the website where you will find out more about Coaching for the Cure and see the wonderful reaction from the!

For additional information call: Diane Vaughan of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Foundation at: 404-785-7312 or Grainne (pronounced like Sonya) Owen at 678-277-9849 or by e-mail at grainneo@bellsouth.net

"Coaching for the Cure" is a team everyone should join!

Karen Morabito is a friend of the Owen family