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LAUREN’S FIRST AND GOAL SURPASSES MORE THAN $1 MILLION IN GRANT AWARDS

EASTON, PA (Dec. 16, 2011) - Lauren’s First and Goal Foundation is pleased to announce the awarding of more than $143,000 to pediatric cancer research, patient services and families living with the disease. This year’s donations will bring LFG’s total contributions to more than $1 million since 2004.

“The money raised this year to support these grants is a true collective effort on the part of the donors, volunteers, coaches and thousands of high school football players who participate in the Lauren's First and Goal Football Camps in June,” said LFG founder Marianne Loose.

“We are excited and encouraged to know that ongoing grants to our partnering researchers has resulted in the launch of a formal, multi-institutional clinical trial for children with low grade gliomas, while patients and families continue to benefit from services and financial support,” Loose added.

The largest portion of this year’s grants will be $88,000 to continue to fund pediatric cancer research. With nine children being diagnosed with a brain tumor every day, LFG remains committed to ongoing research projects that the foundation has contributed toward for the last few years.

The Children´s Hospital of Philadelphia´s Children´s Brain Tumor Tissue Consortium (CBTTC) will receive $27,000. The foundation will grant $34,000 to a pediatric low grade astrocytoma research study at Dana Farber Cancer Institute and $27,000 to the Pilocytic Pilomyxoid Research Fund at Johns Hopkins.

In addition to funding research, Lauren’s First and Goal is dedicated to supporting patient services that ease the burden on families battling pediatric cancer.

The foundation has donated $30,000 to Camp Sunshine this year in support of Brain Tumor Week and a Family Volunteer Housing Unit. Camp Sunshine is a year-round program that provides respite, support, joy and hope to children with life-threatening illnesses and their immediate families through various stages of a child’s illness.

LFG is also making a difference for local families, giving $7,000 to the Pediatric Cancer Foundation of the Lehigh Valley for their parents´ support group as well as social, recreational and educational programming for patients and their families. The donation also benefits a siblings´ support group and bereavement counseling.

For the second consecutive year, the foundation will donate $5,000 to Kyle´s Peace, which is a program that serves the patients and their families at the Children´s Hospital of Philadelphia oncology clinic. Kyle´s Peace organizes monthly visits to the facilities that include various activities, comfort services and even yoga.

The final piece of LFG´s mission is family support, recognizing that the financial strain of a cancer diagnosis can present a tremendous challenge for families and caregivers. As of early November, the foundation has provided more than $13,000 to families in Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio and New York.

To learn more about Lauren’s First and Goal and the organizations it supports, please visit us at www.LaurensFirstandGoal.org or find us on facebook at www.facebook.com/LaurensFirstandGoal.