Hats Off For Cancer
We’re so happy to welcome you to the Hats Off For Cancer page of CaféGive! Hats Off For Cancer focuses on improving the quality of life for children battling cancer. Through your support and generosity we are able to continue putting smiles on the faces of childhood cancer patients around the world. You can make a huge difference in the lives of these children. Create a CafeGive widget and shop for Hats Off For Cancer and you’ll be supporting a child with cancer every time you shop!
—Tara Lawrence, President and Founder
HISTORY: Hats Off For Cancer began in 1996 when Tara Lawrence (age 14) wanted to do something to improve the quality of life for children battling cancer. After meeting many children and listening to their stories, she realized they all mentioned how sad they were after losing their hair due to cancer treatments. They told her that they would wear hats to keep warm or protect their heads from the sun. From these conversations, Hats Off For Cancer was born. Within a few months, the organization collected and distributed more than 1,000 hats and began their reach nationwide. A year later, the group had sent hats around the world and established chapters in many states and countries. Hats Off For Cancer has been recognized by national newspapers, magazines and television shows. Fourteen years later, more than 950,000 children at hospitals, camps and centers around the world have received a hat from Hats Off For Cancer.
GET INVOLVED: Schools, companies and organizations all get involved each year by holding drives in their communities to raise funds and collect new hats for kids. It’s an incredibly simple way to give back, but one that means the world to a sick child and their family. It also helps other children learn about the importance of giving back to the community by participating in this charitable organization.
FUTURE GOALS: Hats Off For Cancer continues to grow and is receiving increasing support throughout the world. It is a future goal to fund a summer camp for children and their siblings whose lives have been touched by cancer. Other hopes for the future include establishing a scholarship fund, publishing a book with stories and drawings from childhood cancer patients and survivors, as well as a book for teachers to read to their class when a student is diagnosed with cancer. Hats Off For Cancer will continue to collect hats until there is no longer a need. For more information, please visit www.hatsoffforcancer.org
"HOC is one of the few great charities where we can all have a direct and tangible effect on the lives of others. In the most simplistic yet profound way we can give the gift of hope in a journey that sometimes breaks us, but with the outcome, that afterwards, we are stronger in the broken places. I feel so lucky to be a part of this." — Eric Christian Olsen Actor
"We are absolutely thrilled with your incredible donation of hats. They arrived in time for us to put them in the gift bags of the campers who arrived today. Keep up the good work, Tara. You're making countless kids very happy.”
— Sincerely, Karen Allen, The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp
