Burger King campaign to again benefit cancer research

Pictured from left are Beckham Vega, Emily Miller, Abigail Glanzer, Ian Ray and Nino Okoye.

For the sixth consecutive year, participating Burger King restaurants in Omaha and the surrounding areas will raise money for pediatric cancer research at the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center.

This year, 76 Burger King restaurants in the greater Omaha and Des Moines area have teamed up with the Have It Your Way Foundation to host the “BK Help Beat Cancer for Kids” campaign, which ends Saturday.

For a $1 donation, customers receive a winning scratch card, which entitles them to a free BK food item worth at least $1. All donations will benefit the Have It Your Way Foundation in support of the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center.

Twenty lucky customers with qualifying scratch cards will be entered in a Grand Prize drawing for a chance to win a 2010 Ford Fusion from the Woodhouse Auto Family.

Established in 2004, the campaign has raised $695,000 over the last five years and is one of many outreach and fundraising programs benefiting Liz’s Legacy, a fund created to advance cancer research at the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center.

Poster kids Each year, youths with cancer or those recovering from cancer are featured in the campaign. Below is some information about the five youths featured in this year’s campaign. Nino Okoye, 4, Omaha Nino hasn’t let his diagnosis of Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia last winter slow him down. He’s busy with everything — riding his bike, having fun with his dad and playing on his Nintendo DS. Abigail Glanzer, 5, Omaha Abigail has undergone radiation and chemotherapy for an ependymoma — a type of brain tumor — since the summer of 2005, but is now done with treatment. She is enjoying her summer running and playing outside. Emily Miller, 19, Omaha Diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma early last year, Emily received treatment, and then underwent a stem cell transplant this past January when the disease recurred. Emily spends time helping and encouraging others who suffer from similar circumstances. Beckham Vega, 1, Omaha Beckham enjoys playing with balls and reading books with his mom and dad. He continues to explore the world around him despite being diagnosed with bilateral retinoblastoma, a type of eye cancer, in July 2008. Ian Ray, 19, Bellevue, Neb. Ian completed treatment for rhabdomyosarcoma this past February, after his initial diagnosis almost two years ago. This summer, Ian is spending time with friends and family and looking forward starting at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the fall.

Liz’s Legacy is named after the late Liz Karnes, an Omaha civic leader who died in 2003 following a 12-year struggle with cancer.

This year’s campaign sponsors include Burger King Corp., the Have It Your Way Foundation, Star 104.5 FM, KPTM Fox 42 and the Woodhouse Auto Family.

The campaign has made a significant difference, said Ken Cowan, M.D., Ph.D., director of the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center.

With money raised in previous campaigns, the center created a pilot research program that focuses on identifying new treatments for childhood cancer. The hope is that the program will lead to federal funding from the National Institutes of Health on a long-term basis.

“We are very appreciative of this support from the community,” Dr. Cowan said. “Burger King Corporation and the other sponsors have just been outstanding in keeping this campaign going every year.”

“The Have It Your Way Foundation is honored to support such a worthwhile organization as the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center,” said Ivette Diaz, the foundation’s executive director. “We hope that our support will help UNMC continue its commitment to pediatric cancer research.”

UNMC is grateful that Burger King Corp. has continued the fundraiser, said Tom Thompson, University of Nebraska Foundation Senior Director of Development for the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center.

“The campaign is a huge undertaking for Burger King restaurant management and employees,” he said. “This year we are also working with the Have It Your Way Foundation and we want to thank them for taking such an interest in this program here in Nebraska and Iowa.

“It’s quite a commitment and Burger King employees and franchisees make it successful by encouraging customers to help.”

The winner of the grand prize drawing will be selected on Sept. 8.

To learn more about the promotion, visit www.helpbeatcancerforkids.com or contact Thompson at 502-4116 or tthompson@nufoundation.org.