Committing $1 million to the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center for pediatric brain tumor research, Addi’s Faith Foundation raises money to continue this mission through the annual Walk by Faith 5K and various other events throughout the year.
Family, friends, community members and longtime supporters gathered at the Sam Houston Race Park Sunday, Nov. 13, for the annual Walk by Faith 5K and Kids’ Obstacle course 1K which has raised $167,794 so far and counting.
“We had a great response,” Amber Bender, founder of Addi’s Faith Foundation and Addison’s mom, said. “Everyone really enjoyed themselves and the presence of love and hope surrounded us all. Lots of good people doing good things for the good of others; it’s a beautiful thing. The food was yummy and plentiful, the kid’s zone was hopping, the weather was beautiful and we even had a visit from Santa. The kids loved the 1K obstacle course. They had so much fun being out on the horse track crawling through nets, climbing walls and sliding down inflatables.”
AFF was first founded in Addison’s memory by her parents, Tony and Amber Bender, to honor their daughter who died of a cancerous brain tumor at 2 years old.
“When we lost Addison, we quickly discovered two things that immediately led us to create this charity,” Bender said. “First, only 4 percent of funding is directed to childhood cancer, and second that having a child with cancer is emotionally and financially draining for the family involved. It literally turns your world upside down. Through Addi’s Faith, we’ve been able to help so many people over the last nine years and because of the generosity of our sponsors, friends and participants in our annual Walk by Faith 5K, we continue to make a difference in so many people’s lives. Tony, myself and our group of volunteers are convinced a cure can be found and we won’t stop until the cancer is erased forever.”
The money raised helps the foundation continue with their pledge and donate to childhood cancer research but also continue their mission of helping families. Over $5,000 a month goes out to families who are struggling with the additional financial burden that comes about while caring for a child with cancer.
Addi’s Faith Foundation was recently the recipient of a $5,000 grant through the ABB Optical Group’s third annual ABB Cares program which recognizes and celebrates outstanding nonprofit organizations throughout the country.
“We were pleasantly surprised, deeply honored and totally thrilled to find out we were receiving a grant from ABB Cares,” Bender said. “Finding enough funding to support our mission is a continuous battle and constant challenge. Receiving a grant like this makes a huge impact in an organization like ours and truly helps us with our mission of funding research and helping families. AFF relies upon the generosity of others and ABB was very generous.”
They were nominated by Family Vision Center of Porter & Crosby which will help fund childhood cancer research and offer support to families affected by cancer.
“Living in Kingwood for the past nine years, I was familiar with Addi’s Faith Foundation, however, it wasn’t until I attended one of their functions that I realized just how important they are,” Robin Szabo of Family Vision Center of Porter & Crosby, said in a press release. “These two parents have made it their life’s work to eventually prevent others from having to live through the same loss they went through. The generous support of ABB will certainly continue this mission and impact the lives of so many families.”
The ABB Cares program recognizes charities that have been nominated by eye care professionals across the country for exceptional programming and community impact.
“No parent is prepared to deal with the hardships that come with having a sick child,” said Brad Weinbrum, president of ABB Optical Group. “We are touched by the efforts of Addi’s Faith Foundation and the incredible impact they have on families dealing with childhood cancer. That is why they were awarded the top grant this year. We thank Family Vision Center of Porter and Crosby for bringing the great work they do to our attention and are proud that ABB Cares supports causes that eye care professionals are passionate about.”
For more information about Addi’s Faith Foundation or to donate, visit AddisFaithFoundation.org, email Amber Bender at amberbender@addisfaithfoundtion.org or call 281-785-4098. It is possible to contribute to this cause through everyday purchases by selecting Addi’s Faith Foundation on smile.amazon.com, linking a Randalls Remarkable card to charity #13098, linking a Kroger reward card to charity #92142 or by online shopping through www.goodshop.com and selecting Addis Faith Foundation as the charity of choice. For more information about the ABB Cares program, visit ABBOptical.com.