Hackensack Meridian Health is marking a decade of its Tackle Kids Cancer (TKC) initiative, a program that has raised more than $26 million to support pediatric cancer research, treatment, and patient care across New Jersey.
The TKC initiative is a philanthropic program that raises funds for pediatric cancer research and patient care programs. It benefits the Children’s Cancer Institute at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey.
TKC, Eli Manning, & the NFL Giants
Launched in 2015 in partnership with the New York Giants in the Meadowlands, the Tackle Kids Cancer initiative has become a beacon of hope for families facing childhood cancer. Former Giants quarterback Eli Manning has served as the face of the campaign since its inception, helping to drive awareness and donations.
Manning, a two-time Super Bowl champion, has been instrumental in fundraising efforts, launching “Eli’s Challenge” in 2016 to match community donations. The challenge has raised nearly $1.5 million through peer-to-peer fundraisers.
Eli’s Challenge was launched to encourage grassroots fundraising efforts by communities, families, and schools. His involvement has been key in inspiring community members to participate and donate, leading to significant fundraising and support for the program, according to a press release.
“Working with Tackle Kids Cancer has been incredibly rewarding,” Manning said. “Those kids inspire me every day, and it’s because of them that I’m motivated to keep pushing forward. We need to find a cure for pediatric cancer, because no child should have to go through what they do.”
As an advocate, he became known as the “Captain of #TeamTKC.”
Fighting The Fight
Funds from the initiative support research at Hackensack Meridian’s two children’s hospitals: Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital in Hackensack and K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital in Neptune. Among the breakthroughs is work by Dr. Derek Hanson, director of pediatric neuro-oncology, whose lab is focused on Embryonal Tumor with Multilayered Rosettes (ETMR), a rare and aggressive brain cancer affecting children under 4.
Early results from Hanson’s research, conducted with Dr. Claire Carter at the Center for Discovery & Innovation, have shown promise in extending survival rates and guiding future treatment strategies.
Groundbreaking Research
Other research at the CDI includes immunotherapy studies led by Dr. Johannes Zakrzewski and Dr. Ashley Varkey, who are developing treatments targeting unique sugar and lipid markers found only on tumor cells.
“We recognized early on as a network that more needed to be done to fight cancer, especially when it comes to children’s cancers,” said Robert Garrett, CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health.
“Only a small percentage of the national cancer research budget is dedicated to pediatric cancer, and so we partnered with the Giants to help raise awareness for the urgent need to find a cure,” Garrett added.
Alfred P. Gillio, M.D., Director, Children’s Cancer Institute, Hackensack Meridian Health, and Dr. Jessica Scerbo, section chief of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, said their pediatric oncology physicians are “world-class,” in the field.
“We are able to offer a variety of clinical trials, conduct ground-breaking research, create new programs, bolster existing initiatives and offer support to entire families,” Gillio and Scerbo said in a statement.