Care for Kids Fighting Cancer is getting a boost tonight (Thursday, May 26) by way of a concert in Portage la Prairie. Central Plains Cancer Services executive director Sharilyn Knox outlines what the program's all about and how you can help.

"Not everybody is aware that we have this program, but what it is is for whenever we have a child in our region who is diagnosed with cancer," explains Knox. "When we connect with the family, we support them through their children with treatment and whatever else they need during that time. Having a child diagnosed with cancer is devastating as it is. We want to make sure that we can alleviate some of the stress when it comes to having to deal with that."

Knox notes they support families by paying for their transportation to and from Winnipeg. 

"Children have to go to Winnipeg for treatment, because that's where the Child Cancer Centre is," continues Knox. "We also may help with loss of wages. We help with meals when they go in. We've helped with medication supplies -- just anything that the family is facing, we want to help with so that they can take it off their plate and not have to worry about it."

She says they're currently supporting four children in our area who are under the age of 10. 

"We definitely need ways to help those families, so we're holding a concert tomorrow night with Shanneyganock," adds Knox. "Proceeds from that concert are going toward this program. When you attend the concert, you can know that you are helping these four families in our region get through this terrible time of having their children diagnosed with cancer." 

Related Stories