Clark Youngster to Benefit from Stop & Shop Customers' Support for Pediatric Cancer Research

Beginning Friday, May 12th, Stop & Shop customers will have the opportunity to help support pediatric cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) by purchasing discount coupons at checkout. Customers will receive $10 worth of coupons for just a $2 donation, and a new series of coupons will be made available every two weeks during the eight week fundraising effort. The coupons will be available at all area Stop & Shop stores.

Proceeds will benefit Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Department of Pediatrics. Since 2001, Stop & Shop has raised almost $70 million for charitable causes, with $17.9 million given to support pediatric cancer research at MSK. This year, the company goal is to raise another $1.3 million on behalf of Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Department of Pediatrics.

Last Mother’s Day, twelve-year old Connor was playing in the backyard of his family’s Clark, NJ home when he fell and injured his knee. “I told my Mom it really hurt, and she said it was just a bad bruise, but the pain never went away,” says Connor. He was subsequently diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a cancerous tumor of the bone. Connor underwent a knee and partial femur replacement and is undergoing physical therapy so that he can relearn to walk, and hopes to soon be walking without a cane. “The Carl H. Kumph Middle School faculty and student body have been so supportive,” says his mother Lisa. “The Teachers Association raised money to benefit him, and his classmates held a fundraiser in his honor to benefit MSK. Three teachers from the school home tutored him so that he could keep up with his studies.” Connor enjoys martial arts, video games and drawing. He looks forward to trying some new hobbies like golf and archery.

“This campaign with Memorial Sloan Kettering will help ensure families get the best care possible for their children,” said Bob Yager, Senior Vice President and Division Lead of Stop & Shop New York Metro Division. “We are so appreciative of the generosity of each of our customers who continue to make this campaign a success. By working together, we are proud that Stop & Shop and our customers can make a difference.”

“The support Stop & Shop has provided us for the past sixteen years has allowed us to continue to fulfill our mission. We hope to not only cure childhood cancer, but to send our patients back to their homes, schools, families and friends in exactly the condition they were in before this devastating diagnosis,” says Paul A. Meyers, MD, Vice Chair of MSK Department of Pediatrics. “The hard work each Stop & Shop employee puts into this campaign truly pays off. We see better outcomes for kids and for their families. On behalf of the physicians and scientists who work tirelessly to conquer childhood cancers – and the children who will benefit now and in the future – I extend our deepest gratitude.”