October 18, 2013 // Franchising.com // Atlanta – On October 12, 2013, Atlanta area franchisees laced up their sneakers and joined together with representatives from Kids ‘R’ Kids International to take part in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s 15th Annual Light the Night Walk at Centennial Olympic Park. The walk not only served as the first leg in a national campaign taking place at 160 Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academies in 14 states throughout the month of October, it takes on a very personal meaning for the founding family of the nationally accredited early education franchise, which is based in Duluth, Georgia. Director of Operations for Kids ‘R’ Kids, David Vinson, knows all too well the challenges that blood cancer patients and their families face. His daughter, Macie, was diagnosed with leukemia in January 2010.
"To receive a diagnosis of cancer is devastating for just about anyone, but to learn that it is affecting someone you love – someone so young – can fill a parent with a sense of hopelessness," recalled Vinson. "But when you see all of these people come together each year to fill Centennial Olympic Park in an effort to find a cure for blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma, it brings hope to so many hearts. We truly feel as though we can do anything… as long as we work together. My wife and I are so proud to walk each year with Macie by our sides. This is the 2nd year that Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academies has partnered with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society® (LLS). Last year, we raised a little over $31,000 on behalf of LLS. This year, we hope to raise $80,000 in donations through walk sponsorships and Light the Night paper balloons – which can be purchased at individual Kids ‘R’ Kids locations throughout the nation."
The balloons are designed to carry the name of the donor or a loved one who is battling cancer, and will be displayed prominently inside each of the schools. Balloons can be purchased for a $1 donation, but larger donations will be accepted. The national early education franchise’s fundraising efforts will run through October 31, 2013. Proceeds from Kids ‘R’ Kids fundraising efforts on behalf of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society will help fund:
In addition to the Centennial Olympic Park walk in Atlanta, several Kids ‘R’ Kids franchisees will be taking part in Light the Night Walks in their own cities. Kids ‘R’ Kids is proud to be associated with the following walks:
October 19 – Country Park in Greensboro, North Carolina
October 20 – Market Street in The Woodlands, Texas
October 24 – Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina
October 26 – Virginia Historical Society in Richmond, Virginia
November 2 – George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida
November 2 – Kellogg Zather Park in Las Vegas, Nevada
November 9 – Lake Park at Mueller in Austin, Texas
The public is welcome to come out and cheer the walkers on at each of these events, and they are also invited to show their support by sponsoring the Kids ‘R’ Kids national fundraising walk team through a secure online donation at http://pages.lightthenight.org/2013/kidsrkids. Those wishing to make a personal impact through LLS beyond donations are also encouraged to join a walk team or start a new team in their area. Interested parties can register to walk by visiting www.lightthenight.org.
LLS is the world’s largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding lifesaving blood cancer research. While other large cancer organizations target their mission investment on prevention and early detection, LLS has invested nearly $1 Billion in cures since 1949. Almost half of the new cancer drugs approved in the U.S. since 2000, 21 of 50, were approved to treat one or more blood cancers. And LLS helped advance most of them. To learn more please visit www.lls.org.
Light The Night Walk is The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) annual fundraising walk and the nation’s night to pay tribute and bring hope to people battling cancer. In 2012, the Walk raised nearly $55 million for research and patient services. Participants walk along a two-to-three-mile route in their communities. Anyone who raises $100 or more are Champions For Cures, and carry illuminated balloons—white for survivors, red for supporters and gold balloons in memory of loved ones lost. Dedication banners and remembrance ceremonies provide an opportunity to display a name or message, honoring or commemorating a family member or friend with cancer. The Walk is open to all; it does not require a particular level of fitness.
Established in 1985 and headquartered in the North Atlanta suburb of Duluth, GA, Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academies provide a secure, nurturing, and educational environment for children between the ages of 6 weeks and 12 years. Through its signature "Hug First, Then Teach" philosophy, the provision of state-of-the-art facilities that boast interactive whiteboard technology and secure internet classroom monitoring for parents, and the employment of a highly trained teaching staff, Kids ‘R’ Kids encourages its students to bloom into responsible, considerate, and contributing members of society. In 2013, the early education provider was proud to unveil its revolutionary and proprietary curriculum rooted in brain development called Brain Waves™. AdvancED Accredited by the Southern Association for Colleges and Schools, Kids ‘R’ Kids International® is a family owned and operated organization that is comprised of 160 locations in 14 states. For more information about Kids ‘R’ Kids International, please visit www.kidsrkids.com.
SOURCE Kids ‘R’ Kids International
Tracy Woodall
President
Woodall Creative Group
706-658-0244
tracy@woodallcreative.com
Kids 'R' Kids Learning Academies provide a secure, nurturing, and educational environment for children ages six weeks - 12 years to bloom into responsible, considerate, and contributing members of society.