For Immediate Release
March 19, 2019

Tap Cancer Out Funds $465,000 in New Grants for Childhood Cancer Research

Grants awarded through Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation support young scientists making strides in developing treatments and cures for childhood cancers

Bala Cynwyd, PA – Tap Cancer Out (TCO) is committed to fighting for those in the fight of their lives, and in partnership with Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF), are facing pediatric cancer head on. TCO’s 2018 fundraising efforts resulted in a $465,000 gift to ALSF, which will primarily fund research for better cures and treatments. A portion of the gift will support ALSF’s Travel For Care program, which provides financial assistance to families with children battling childhood cancer and ensures access to travel for clinical trials, experimental therapeutics or treatment innovations not currently available at their local institution.

Tap Cancer Out was founded on the idea that all it takes is a passionate group of people to change the world. To allow the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu community to make the broadest impact in the fight against cancer, Tap Cancer Out changes its beneficiary every two years. Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation was chosen as the beneficiary for 2018 and 2019. “We hope to show the world that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is the most compassionate sport in the world,” said Jon Thomas, Tap Cancer Out’s Founder and Executive Director. “Nobody embodied the definition of compassion as much as Alex Scott did. We are just following in her footsteps.” Tap Cancer Out will continue to partner with ALSF through the end of 2019 as they bring their innovative fundraising tournaments to 14 US cities.

Funding will be designated to the following grants:

$50,000
2017 Bio Therapeutics Impact Grant for children with Neuroblastoma
(PI) Andras Heczey, MD (Baylor College of Medicine)

$25,000
2018 Innovation Grant
Identifying New Therapeutic Targets in Fibrolamellar Hepatocellular Carcinoma
(PI) Dr. Julien Sage, PhD (Stanford University)

$25,000
2018 Innovation Grant
Molecular Landscape for Targeted Therapy in Retinoblastoma
(PI) Dr. James Harbour, MD (University of Miami)

$25,000
2018 Young Investigator Grant
Pedi-PReSTO: Pediatric Patient-Reported Symptom Tracking in Oncology
(PI) Dr. Allison Barz Leahy, MD (The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia)

$25,000
2018 Young Investigator Grant
Targeting the metabolic drivers of chemoresistance in acute myeloid leukemia
(PI) Dr. Nick van Gastel, PhD (Harvard University)

$25,000
2018 Reach Grant
Epigenetic Targeted Therapy and Resistance in Pediatric Rhabdoid Tumor
(PI) Dr. Rintaro Hashizume, MD/PhD (Northwestern University)

$25,000
2017 Innovation Grant
Development of Nanoparticle-Encapsulated Chemo/Radio-Sensitizers for Intrathecal Delivery
(PI) Dr. Ranjit S. Bindra, MD/PhD (Yale School of Medicine)

$25,000
2017 Young Investigator Grant
Identification and Characterization of Pathways Dysregulated by MMSET E1099K Mutation in Relapsed Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and Their Role in Drug Resistance
(PI) Dr. Joanna Pierro, DO (New York University School of Medicine)

$25,000
2017 Reach Grant
Targeting Chondroitin Sulphate Proteoglycan 4 (CSPG4) in Glioblastoma
(PI) Dr. Gianpietro Dotti, MD (University of North Carolina)

$25,000
2016 “A” Award Grant
The Role of Inherited MLL3 Single Nucleotide Variants and Fetal Epigenetic Programming in Infant Leukemogenesis
(PI) Dr. Jeffrey Magee, MD/PhD (Washington University)

The remaining $190,000 will be restricted to the Travel for Care Program to help families across the country get to much-needed cancer treatments.

To learn more about Tap Cancer Out, visit TapCancerOut.org. For more information about Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation’s charity partnerships, visit AlexsLemonade.org/grants/charity-partners.

About Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation

Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) emerged from the front yard lemonade stand of cancer patient Alexandra “Alex” Scott (1996-2004). In 2000, 4-year-old Alex announced that she wanted to hold a lemonade stand to raise money to help find a cure for all children with cancer. Since Alex held that first stand, the Foundation bearing her name has evolved into a national fundraising movement, complete with thousands of supporters across the country carrying on her legacy of hope. To date, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, a registered 501(c)3 charity, has raised more than $150 million toward fulfilling Alex’s dream of finding a cure, funding over 800 pediatric cancer research projects nationally. For more information on Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, visit AlexsLemonade.org.

About Tap Cancer Out

Tap Cancer Out is a 501(c)3 nonprofit mobilizing and empowering the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu community to raise funds for cancer-fighting organizations. Since 2011, they have raised and donated more than $1.375 million to their beneficiary organizations, providing valuable assistance to critical cancer fighting initiatives and programs.

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