Sparkathon

Sparkathon is UIC’s one and only dance marathon initiative, raising money for the UI Health Childhood Cancer Survivorship Clinic. Fundraising is open from now until April 1, culminating in our celebratory Sparkathon event; this year’s event will be hosted in a hybrid format at Hawkeye’s Bar and Grill and on Zoom! Please join us in this year’s mission to raise $50,000 for long-term survivors of pediatric cancer by donating to one of our teams or sharing our cause with your family and friends.

Survivors of childhood cancer are at risk for a number of long-term health issues due to the invasiveness of treatments. Often, these patients either are not educated about or cannot access treatment for these long-term effects. The survivorship clinic team provides individualized care to Chicagoland childhood cancer survivors across the entire lifespan, with education, preventive screening, social services and specialty care referrals. We hope to raise awareness of late effects among survivors as well as medical student and resident trainees and to build on the significant accomplishments of Children’s Oncology Group in improving long-term survival and quality of life.

This is the third year of Sparkathon’s annual partnership with the UI Health Childhood Cancer Survivorship Clinic and we are excited to support their mission. Every year, we find ourselves inspired by the clinic’s important work in the UIC, UI Health, and larger Chicago community. In 2021, we raised over $24,000 for the clinic and we hope that you will help us reach our goal to more than double that amount to $50,000 this year!

Learn more about the clinic, donate to one of our teams or form your own fundraising team. Thanks to a challenge grant from an anonymous foundation donor, eligible gifts will be matched 100%, enabling us to double the impact of donations to the UI Health Childhood Cancer Survivorship Clinic.