Swinging For Caroline - Hope Street Kids' First Annual Golf/Tennis Tournament To Support Research In Childhood Cancer In Memory Of Congresswoman Deborah Pryce's And Randy Walker's Daughter

Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation
Thursday, 15 June 2000

WASHINGTON, DC, June 15, 2000 – Hope Street Kids, a children's initiative of the Cancer Research Foundation of America (CRFA) raised over $135,000 at its first annual golf and tennis invitational, Swinging for Caroline. The tournament was co-chaired by Congressmen Mike Oxley and Bill Tauzin, and featured the "Election 2000 Challenge," a tennis face-off exhibition between bipartisan members of Congress and the Pro Circuit.

Proceeds raised at the event will support innovative programs to eliminate childhood cancer through cutting-edge research, advocacy and education.

Hope Street Kids was founded by Congresswoman Deborah Pryce and her husband Randy Walker in memory of their nine-year old daughter, Caroline Pryce Walker, who lost a valiant battle against neuroblastoma on September 4, 1999.

"The money raised from Swinging for Caroline will help fulfill our purpose of providing hope to kids and families through pediatric cancer research," Congresswoman Pryce said. "Randy and I are so thankful to our friends and colleagues for their participation and their continued support. This is a fantastic first step toward our ultimate goal of a generation free of cancer."

The event also featured a round robin tennis tournament and golf scramble. This exciting day came to an end with a fun-filled family awards reception, attended by approximately 200 participants and guests, attracting members of Congress, as well as prominent Washingtonians.

Event participants included: Senators Tim Johnson and Blanche Lincoln, and Representatives, Spencer Bachus, Ken Bentsen, Tom Bliley, Ed Bryant, Steve Buyer, Bob Clement, Howard Coble, Barbara Cubin, Tom Delay, Tony Hall, Jim Nussle, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Fred Upton, and Don Young, several former Members of Congress, Z104 DJ Billy Bush and The Weekly Standard's Tucker Carlson.

While an estimated 12,400 children and young people will be diagnosed with cancer in the year 2000 and 2,300 children will die from the disease, research into new treatment and cures for childhood cancers has been largely overlooked in this country.

Just a small percentage of traditional government and private industry funding has been dedicated to new therapies for pediatric cancer. To help remedy this, the Hope Street Kids grants and fellowship program will kick-off this fall and make awards to researchers to support investigations of promising treatment and prevention approaches to pediatric cancer.

A generous gift from The Limited Inc. underwrote Hope Street Kids and more than $235,000 has been raised in the last six months – many as memorials to Caroline.

For more information on Hope Street Kids visit: www.hopestreetkids.org

For more information, or to contact Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation, see their website at: www.preventcancer.org