AdvocacyCamps and ExperiencesEmotional SupportFamily SupportFinancial SupportLocal AccommodationsResearch FundingTransportation

Nebraska ranks 3rd in the number of childhood cancer cases diagnosed and it’s something that we are trying to change. But change on this level doesn’t just happen. It takes work. It takes knowledge. It takes collaboration. That is why the Nebraska Coalition to End Childhood Cancer exists.

The Nebraska Coalition to End Childhood Cancer is all about making a difference in the battle against childhood cancer in the great state of Nebraska. The members of this coalition are made up of philanthropists, family assistance organizations, research funding organizations and awareness organizations, all with the singular goal of improving and ending the issue of childhood cancer in Nebraska.

The success of this group doesn’t stop with its current members. We want all childhood cancer-focused groups to join us. Together, we can unify our voice to make a bigger impact in Nebraska. We can raise awareness and support each other to ensure that we are doing everything we can to save Nebraskan children from this horrible disease!

Name: The “Shootout for Cancer” Charity Golf Tournament
Mission: To provide academic scholarships in memory of individuals who have passed away from cancer, support local families battling cancer, and to help childhood cancer organizations in Nebraska.
Facebook: Shootout For Cancer
Phone: 402-995-9736
Geographical Areas: Nebraska
Director: Kelly Krings

Name: Camp CoHoLo
Mission: Camp CoHoLo’s mission is to serve children between the ages of 6 and 17 who are impacted by cancer or blood disorders. Campers include children undergoing therapy and those who have completed treatment.
Website: www.campcoholo.com
Phone: none
Email: director@campcoholo.com
Geographical Areas: Nebraska and surrounding areas and those being treated at Children’s Hospital and Medical Center and Nebraska Medicine.
Director: Berta Ackerson

Name: Camp Quality USA – Heartland
Mission: Camp Quality serves children with cancer and their families by providing year-round programs, experiences, and companionship, at no cost. Camp Quality promotes hope and inspiration while helping children foster life skills and develop their full potential.
Website: www.campqualityusa.org
Phone: 402-450-1674
Email: heartland@campqualityusa.org
Geographical Areas: Midwest but focused on Nebraska and Iowa
Director: Laura Peitzmeier
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CampQualityHeartland/
Twitter: CampQualityHTL
Instagram: campqualityheartland

Name: Make-A-Wish Nebraska
Mission: Together, we create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses
Website: nebraska.wish.org/
Phone: Omaha Office – 402-333-8999, Lincoln Office – 402-475-9474, Kearney Office – 308-234-6612
Email: info@nebraska.wish.org
Geographical Areas: State of Nebraska
Director: Brigette Young, President/CEO
Additional contacts: Jennifer Shuman, Program Director, jshuman@nebraska.wish.org | Linda Hogrefe, VP of Development, lhogrefe@nebraska.wish.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakeAWishNebraska/
Twitter: MakeAWishNE
Instagram: makeawishnebraska
YouTube

Name: Grief’s Journey
Mission: Our mission is to provide excellent and compassionate FREE grief support services as well as grief support education and professional training.
Website: www.griefsjourney.org
Phone: 402-502-2773
Email: info@griefsjourney.org
Geographical Areas: The greater Omaha/Council Bluffs region including rural eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa
Director: CEO: Rebecca Turner
Additional Contacts: Program Director: Valerie Height, Outreach and Inclusion Coordinator (bilingual): Gabby Martinez

Name: The Compassionate Friends
Mission: The Compassionate Friends is a self-help organization offering support and understanding to families who have experienced the death of a child. You need not walk alone through your grief journey. We are not here to treat, fix or lead, but to listen, share and companion through the grief journey.
Website: www.tcfomaha.org
Phone: 402-571-4011
Email: mail@tcfomaha.org
Geographical Areas: The greater Omaha/Council Bluffs region as well as Fremont and Lincoln
Director: Kelly Pelster

Name: Bags of Fun Omaha
Mission: Deliver a Bag of Fun to every sick child with long term and life limiting illness.
Website: bagsoffun.org
Phone: 402-651-3587
Email: Amyk@bagsoffun.org, leighs@bagsoffun.org
Geographical Areas: Nebraska and surrounding areas and those being treated at Children’s Hospital and Medical Center and Nebraska Medicine.
Director: Amy Krause
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bagsoffunomaha
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bagsoffunomaha/
Additional Contacts: Leigh Sittenauer

Name: Children’s Hospital & Medical Center Foundation
Mission: To improve the life of every child- through dedication to exceptional clinical care, research, education and advocacy
Website: www.childrensomaha.org
Phone: 402-955-6863
Email: begreiner@childrensomaha.org
Geographical Areas: Children’s Hospital & Medical Center which serves a 5 state (NE, IA, KS, MO, SD)
Director: Beth Greiner
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChildrensOmaha
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/childrensomaha
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/@ChildrensOmaha
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/ChildrensOmaha
Additional Contacts: Nicky McCarville; nmccarville@childrensomaha.org; 402-955-6868

Name: The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Mission: To cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, and myeloma, and improve the quality of life for patients and their families.
Website: www.lls.org/nebraska
Phone: 402.344.2422
Email: Jenna.Sager@lls.org
Geographical Areas: State of Nebraska, Council Bluffs and surrounding counties.
Director: Jenna Sager
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LLSNebraska

Name: Esther’s Miracle, Inc.
Mission: To network, spread awareness, raise funds, and support those impacted by childhood cancers, diseases, and other illnesses and to prevent other children from being diagnosed with such conditions
Website: www.esthersmiracle.org
Emails:
mommyjulie@esthersmiracle.org (President), daddyjim@esthersmiracle.org (Treasurer),
caroline@esthersmiracle.org (Secretary)
Geographical Areas:USA
Director: Julie Desrosiers, M. Ed.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/esthersmiracle
Facebook: www.youtube.com/@esthersmiracle
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/esthersmiracle/

Name:  Angels Among Us
Mission: Providing financial and emotional support to families whose children are battling cancer.
Website: www.myangelsamongus.org
Phone: (402)934-0999
Email: info@myangelsamongus.org
Geographical Areas: Families living in or being treated in Nebraska for cancer.
Director: Susan Nelson

Name: Metro Area Youth Foundation, Inc
Mission: To financially assist families whose children have been diagnosed with cancer
Website: summerbashforccc.org
Phone: (402)510.4083
Email: summerbashomaha@outlook.com
Geographical Areas: Any child receiving treatment at Nebraska Medicine or Childrens Hospital and Medical Center
Director: Gary Krebs
Facebook: @SummerBashForChildhoodCancer
Additional contacts: Sue Kinney-Wieland 402.676.5344

Name: Pediatric Cancer Action Network
Mission: Reduce the financial burden placed on families diagnosed with pediatric cancer and advocate for a cure through awareness, education and action
Website: pcanaction.org
Phone: 402-730-7331
Email: karri.pcan@gmail.com
Geographical Areas: Nebraska
Director: Karri Ahlschwede

Children’s Hospital & Medical Center’s Carolyn Scott Rainbow House: Provides overnight accommodations for families undergoing treatment who live more than 60 miles from Omaha. https://www.childrensomaha.org/Main/Rainbow-House2.aspx
Colleen Cipolla
402-955-7815
ccipolla@childrensomaha.org

Name: Ronald McDonald House Charities
Mission: The mission of Ronald McDonald House Charities in Omaha (RMHC) is to create and operate programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children. We strive to do so by providing opportunities that strengthen children and families during their most difficult and challenging times. The specific purpose of the Ronald McDonald House Charities is to support access to care, reduce financial burden, provide psychosocial support keeping families together, enhance clinical experiences and outcomes and help families resume normalcy.
Website: www.rmhcomaha.org
Phone: (402)346-9377
Email: lkortan@rmhcomaha.org
Geographical Areas: We serve any person age 21 and under seeking medical treatment in Omaha with a permanent residence at least 35 miles away or further.
Director: Lindsey Rai Kortan
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rmhcomaha/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rmhcomaha
Instagram: @rmhomaha
Additional contacts: Kari Ketcham, kketcham@rmhcomaha.org

Name: EmmaStrong, Inc.
Mission: The EmmaStrong Foundation is focused on spreading awareness about the need for funding in the area of Pediatric Brain Tumors. We are comitted to creating research opportunities to better the treatments and lives of these children. These children have not had the opportunity to experience all that life has to offer, join us in making this happen.
Website: www.emmastrong.com
Facebook: Emma Strong, Inc
Phone: 402-690-2238
Email: brent@emmastrong.com
Geographical Areas: Eastern Nebraska
Director: Brent Gehring

Name: Lolo’s Angels, Inc.
Mission: Lolo’s Angels, Inc. raised money for pediatric cancer research, runs blood and bone marrow drives, raises awareness for pediatric cancer, and provides support for children and families throughout treatment through the organization’s many service projects.
Website: lolosangels.org
Phone: 402-203-7392
Email: lhacker@lolosangels.org
Social Media:Facebook: Lolo’s Angels, Inc. Twitter @lolosangels.org You Tube: Lolo’s Story
Geographical Areas: Nebraska, Western Iowa, Kansas, and South Dakota
Founder & President: LesLee Hacker
Additional contacts: Volunteer Contact: Megan Kaup-2nd Vice President-megz94@yahoo.com : Bone Marrow Drive Coordinator-1st Vice-President Sara Wachter-

Name: Sammy’s Superheroes Foundation
Mission: Sammy’s Superheroes Foundation’s mission is support child-specific research that will lead to life-saving, modern treatments for all types of childhood cancer, paving the road to a cure!
Website:www.sammyssuperheroes.org
Phone: 402-563-4673
Email: info@sammyssuperheroes.org
Geographical Areas: Midwest
Director: Alyssa Hogeland

Name: The Cure Starts Now
Main Site: thecurestartsnow.org
Nebraska Chapter: https://thecurestartsnow.org/get-involved/chapters/nebraska/
Email: jesse.shumaker@thecurestartsnow.org
Phone number for Nebraska Chapter: 402-203-2509
Geographical Areas of those you serve: We represent the Nebraska Chapter, but the organization is made up of over 40 chapters across the U.S., Canada, and Australia, funding the most promising research worldwide.
Nebraska Chapter Director: Jesse Shumaker
Facebook: Nebraska Chapter – https://www.facebook.com/nebraska.thecurestartsnow/
Facebook: Main Page – https://www.facebook.com/TheCureStartsNow/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYkSQdpd3u3uoa3P3IpMTBw
Twitter: https://twitter.com/curestartsnow?lang=en
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/curestartsnow/

Additional contacts:
Office Number: 513-772-4888
Keith Desserich – Chairman of the Board
Brooke Desserich, Executive Director

Resources for families funded by The Cure Starts Now:

• http://www.monkeyinmychair.org/ – A program for any child battling cancer to help them stay in touch with their class. Each child is provided with a “monkey kit” which includes a big stuffed monkey that takes their place in school when they are unable to be there. The kits include the monkey with a backpack, a book to help teachers explain to students the situation their classmate is facing and how it affects them, teacher companion guide, along with other items that can be utilized by the child and/or their classmates. All kits are sent out at no cost to the families or hospitals.
• https://dipgwarrior.org/ – DIPG Warrior is The Cure Starts Now’s way to help your family and friends through: awareness, support, fundraising, and more than anything, honoring your DIPG Warrior.
• https://dipg.org/ – the centralized of information about DIPG for families, clinicians, and researchers. Includes facts about the disease, what to do after diagnosis, updated list of clinical trials, research efforts, information about the DIPG Registry, etc.

Name: Wear Yellow Nebraska
Mission: To provide service, support, and community for Nebraska’s cancer survivors
Website: www.wearyellownebraska.org
Phone: 402-965-1699
Email: contactus@wearyellownebraska.org
Geographical Areas: Currently, Omaha, Lincoln, and Fremont metro areas
Director: Michael Merritt
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WearYellowNebraska
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wearyellowne
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/wearyellownebraska
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/WearYellowNebraska
Additional contacts: Board of Directors https://www.wearyellownebraska.org/about/