National icon for childhood cancer awareness unveiled

 TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation takes the lead to bring organizations across the country together

(Dallas) An eight-year-old Frisco boy who lost his four-year battle with cancer has inspired the creation of a new national icon for childhood cancer. 

Connor the Caterpillar, unveiled at III Forks Restaurant in Dallas Sept. 15 during National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, was developed by the non-profit organization TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation after Connor Cruse succumbed to neuroblastoma in 2009.

“This is a historical day for the fight against childhood cancer,” said Joy Cruse, mother of Connor and founder of TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation. “Beginning today, we are aggressively moving the childhood cancer conversation outside of the cancer community. Children should not have to endure cancer and they should never be subjected to drugs and protocols that are meant for treating adults. We need more dialogue about childhood cancer and a kid-friendly image is a new beginning to increase awareness.”
 
TeamConnor paired up with the Dallas-based ad agency LOOMIS (theloomisagency.com) to create a singular icon to represent childhood cancer. Loomis created the icon on a pro bono basis for the charity. The creation of this national icon gives childhood cancer a common voice that has been missing from the cause.  

“The previous mark for childhood cancer was a generic gold ribbon,” said Carolyn Alvey, TeamConnor board member. 

“We set out to create an image that affirms children are the center of our cause. Children can relate to the caterpillar and so can adults. The color green is significant because it represents perseverance, patience, growth and healing.  For a child to win the war against cancer, they must go through each of these stages.  Caterpillars grow up, spread their wings and fly. This is the essence of what parents envision for their children.” 
 
Childhood cancer is the number one disease killer of children in our country, yet only 3% of the National Cancer Institute’s budget is allocated to childhood cancer research.  The current treatments are so toxic to a child they can cause lifelong disabilities.
 
 “This was an eye opening experience for our entire team,” said Mike Sullivan, president of Loomis. “Before we began working on this project, we were not aware how poorly funded childhood cancer is in our country. We hope the visibility this new identity generates will play a big role in more dollars being donated by the consumer and business community to the cause.”

 
Funding new research is the biggest priority in the battle to find new treatments and ultimately cures for childhood cancers.  TeamConnor has three research projects underway and would like to expand the research among the 12 childhood cancer types. Tax-deductible donations can be made directly to TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation, 12221 Merit Drive, Suite 1500 Dallas, TX 75251 or online. 

For those who want to involve their communities, TeamConnor’s Coins for Kids with Cancer is a fundraising program that can easily be implemented.  The community service program teaches kids about helping others while collecting coins to aid in childhood cancer research. More information about the program can be found at beatchildcancer.org.
 
Dallas-based TeamConnor was founded in 2008 while Connor Cruse was battling neuroblastoma, a malignant tumor usually found in the adrenal gland that most often affects young children and spreads quickly. TeamConnor is currently funding three research projects at the top medical facilities in the country, including University of California San Francisco Benioff Children’s Hospital, Memorial Sloan- Kettering in New York, and MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. More at teamconnor.org.
 
Dallas-based LOOMIS is a full-service advertising agency specializing in discovering and leveraging strategic advantages for challenger brands competing against category dominators. The agency’s expertise extends across multiple retail categories, and includes mid-market restaurant chains, home services companies, banking and financial institutions, apparel, beverages, and more.

Story and photos by David Alvey.

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  Benioff, cancer, caterpillar, childhood, Coins for Kids, Connor Cruse, David Alvey, Hana Waters, III Forks, LOOMIS, MD Anderson, Memorial Sloan-Kettering, neuroblastoma, TeamConnor