Events | Kneaders Hope Fights Childhood Cancer Campaign is Back

September marks National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month as well as the kick-off of Kneaders Bakery & Cafe’s Hope Fights Childhood Cancer campaign. That means it’s time for those adorable elephant cookies.

While we absolutely adore those sweet cookies, it’s the good that they do every year that is most important.

The Worthington family, the name behind the Kneaders brand, were personally affected by childhood cancer and while their story has a happy ending, there were months of struggles, stress and heartache. When they learned of the research being done by Dr. Joshua Schiffman, a pediatric oncologist and teen cancer survivor, and a world-renowned and respected cancer researcher at Huntsman Cancer Institute, they were inspired.

Dr. Schiffman found that there is a cancer fighting protein held within the DNA of elephants. This discovery has had a huge impact on his research and he believes that protein holds the key to unlocking the answers that will lead to new treatments, better outcomes and the ultimate end to cancer in children and adults.

“Elephants have 40 copies of the cancer-fighting p53 gene,” Schiffman said. “Humans only have two copies, and some children and families at high risk for cancer only have one copy of this life-saving gene.”

Within the United States alone, there are 43 children that receive a cancer diagnosis each day. Let that soak in. On top of that there are close to 40,000 children that are in active cancer treatment throughout the year.

“Childhood cancer impacts our family personally and it’s what inspired us to create a campaign with a positive vision for families who are battling the disease,” said James Worthington, Kneaders Bakery & Cafe CEO, whose nephew is a teen cancer survivor. “Because of generous donations to our campaign from loyal customers across the country (many of whom have also battled cancer in their families), Dr. Schiffman’s work continues to move forward with hope-which is what our campaign is all about. Together a little hope can make a big difference.”

That’s heavy, I know, but there is an easy way that you can be a part of the movement.

All throughout the month of September you can visit any one of the valley Kneaders locations and purchase one (or twenty) elephant cookie knowing that 100% of the sales of the cookies go directly to the childhood cancer research being done at Schiffman’s lab at HCI. Since launching the campaign in 2016, Kneaders has been able to raise $350,000 for research and they are hoping to grow that number even more this year. The cookies are only $2.99, so make sure to make at least one visit (though I encourage more) to your local Kneaders this month.

Arizona Kneaders Locations

4730 E. Ray Road | Phoenix | 85044 | 602.688.8530
10112 W. McDowell Road | Avondale | 85323 | 623.29.0000
1090 W. Queen Creek Road | Chandler | 85248 | 480.355.0533
5155 E. Baseline Road | Gilbert | 85295| 480.420.2565
2910 S. San Tan Village Pkwy. | Gilbert | 85295 | 480.398.4715
20630 N. 75^th Ave. | Glendale | 85308 | 623.223.1636
6611 E. McDowell Road | Mesa | 85215 | 480.636.5010
1142 S. Signal Butte Road | Mesa | 85208 | 480.543.1060
4126 E. Indian School Road | Phoenix | 85018 | 602.296.0576
21157 E. Rittenhouse Road | Queen Creek | 85142 | 480.481.2211
15505 N. Hayden Road | Scottsdale | 85260 | 480.355.0740
14183 W Bell Road | Surprise | 85379 | 480.289.2450
2030 E. Elliott Road | Tempe | 85283 | 480.355.0544
9660 N. Oracle Road | Oro Valley | 85737 | 520.352.1830
135 S. Wilmot Road | Tucson | 85710 | 520.352.0136
1651 E. Castle Dome Ave. | Yuma | 85364 | 928.783.4099
2851 S. Avenue B | Yuma | 85364 | 928.726.9700