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April 27, 2005

Shoot Out for Cancer

Come compete with your favorite UVA Student Athletes!

• Relay Races, games and food
• Silent Auction
• OBSTACLE COURSE!

When: Sunday, May 1st
Time: 1 – 4 pm
Where: Field behind Memorial Gym
Price: $5 per ticket or $20 family pack

All proceeds raised support theJennifer Fund to help children with Cancer

Organized by UVa’s Student Athlete MentorsContact Kate Wrenshall for more info434-409-8404/kmw6z@virginia.edu

Shoot Out for Cancer

Who are we?
The University of Virginia’s Student Athlete Mentor (SAM) Program consists of dedicated student athletes. The SAM program helps prevent substance abuse throughout the athletic community and gives insight into health, wellness, community service and academic support to Varsity Athletic teams. SAMs foster relationships between individuals, teams and the community through educational programs, team building and community service projects. Through the SAM program Student Athletes volunteer hundreds of hours every year to community service events. Specifically, every week a team of Student Athletes visits the young patients at the Children’s Medical Center at UVA giving them hope for a cure to their diseases. Shoot Out for Cancer helps to foster this relationship between Student Athletes and some of our most enthusiastic fans.

What is Shoot Out for Cancer?
Shoot Out for Cancer is an annual event organized by the Student Athlete Mentors with the support of the entire athletic community. Shoot Out originated in 1994 when a former SAM member, Tom Henske, arranged events to honor Curt Onalfo, a Virginia Men’s Soccer player who was diagnosed with cancer. Today, the spring picnic reaches out to the greater Charlottesville community bringing the youth of Charlottesville to “compete” with their favorite Student Athletes. The carnival like atmosphere is enhanced with entertaining games, good food, music and even a silent auction for the adults. Shoot Out is not just a fun filled event, but it contributes to a worthy cause, the Jennifer Fund.

The Jennifer Fund
All proceeds raised at Shoot Out for Cancer support the Jennifer Fund, which helps children facing caner and blood diseases on two critical levels. First, the Jennifer Fund supports research and continuing education in the UVA Children’s Medical Center’s (CMC) Division of Pediatric Hematology/ Oncology. With support from the Jennifer Fund, doctors at CMC have been able to develop new treatments for children with T-cell leukemia and to conduct research in sickle cell anemia, hemophilia and blood clots. Second, the fund provides amenities to comfort families who spend long hours in the hospital. The Children’s Medical Center at UVA records over 130,000 patient visits each year. According to Patrick Belisle Director of Annual Giving and Major Gifts at UVA Children’s Medical Center, “The funds have been specifically used at CMC to buy comfortable recliner chairs for kids who have day-long chemotherapy treatments and helps their family with unmet immediate needs. Already, seventy-five percent of childhood cancers are curable! Shoot Out for Cancer and the CMC’s Jennifer Fund will help us lift that number toward one hundred percent.”

How will your donation help?
A monetary donation will help the SAM program reach the goal of $10,000 for the Jennifer Fund. With your help, we will be able to more aggressively aid these children in their fight against cancer.

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