Kids of Steele broke its fundraising record, raising more than $120,000 for the University of Arizona Steele Children’s Research Center at its Seventh Annual Mini Golf Event, Oct. 22 at Golf N’ Stuff.
Kids of Steele, the family auxiliary of the UA Steele Center, is comprised of local families who want to teach their children about service and kindness, while raising awareness and funds for the UA Steele Center.
“Our executive board sets new goals each year, focusing on increased fundraising, awareness and participation from our member-families and the community,” said Megan Robertson, president of Kids of Steele. “We are so grateful for all the support as we work together to do our part for the cause."
“This is truly an amazing accomplishment,” said Fayez K. Ghishan, MD, director of the UA Steele Center and professor and head, UA Department of Pediatrics. “We are so grateful for Kids of Steele and their ongoing support. Their commitment to our research and patients is inspiring.”
About 500 children and adults participated in the event, which included miniature golf, bumper boats, go-karts, laser tag, batting cages, arcade games, face painting and craft-making projects to benefit patients. Food was provided by El Charro Café, Sauce Pizza and Wine, Brother John’s Beer, Bourbon & BBQ and Frost Gelato.
UA student-athlete and cancer survivor Mia Mason and her mom, Jeannine, spoke at the event. Mia shared her experiences of battling a rare brain cancer as a child. Mia and Jeannine are ardent supporters of the Steele Center’s pediatric cancer research, and they have started a campaign, the “Mia Mason Fund” for cancer immunotherapy research at the Steele Center.
Funds raised from the mini golf event will be used for “greatest-need” research projects at the Steele Center, as well as Kids of Steele service projects, such as providing breakfast and afternoon snacks to outpatients at the Angel Wing for Children with Diabetes and the Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Clinic, both at Banner – University Medical Center Tucson.
Photos of the event can be viewed here: http://www.kidsofsteele.org/
About the UA Steele Children’s Research Center
The UA Steele Children’s Research Center is one of the prestigious Centers of Excellence at the UA College of Medicine – Tucson at the University of Arizona Health Sciences. It is the state’s only academic pediatric research center designated by the Arizona Board of Regents, and the only facility in Southern Arizona where researchers and physician-scientists are dedicated to advancing medical knowledge through basic and translational research to improve children’s health. As researchers, they seek to discover answers to children’s medical mysteries. As physician-scientists, they provide compassionate care to hospitalized patients at Banner Children’s at Diamond Children’s Medical Center and pediatric outpatient clinics throughout Tucson and the state. And, as faculty members with the UA Department of Pediatrics, they teach and train the next generation of pediatricians and researchers.
About the University of Arizona Health Sciences
The University of Arizona Health Sciences is the statewide leader in biomedical research and health professions training. The UA Health Sciences includes the UA Colleges of Medicine (Phoenix and Tucson), Nursing, Pharmacy and Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, with main campus locations in Tucson and the growing Phoenix Biomedical Campus in downtown Phoenix. From these vantage points, the UA Health Sciences reaches across the state of Arizona and the greater Southwest to provide cutting-edge health education, research, patient care and community outreach services. A major economic engine, the UA Health Sciences employs almost 5,000 people, has nearly 1,000 faculty members and garners more than $126 million in research grants and contracts annually. For more information: http://uahs.arizona.edu. Follow us: Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | LinkedIn