Long Island Youngster to Benefit from Stop & Shop Customers’ Support for Pediatric Cancer Research

Stop & Shop customers 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.

Twelve-year old Esmeralda (“Ezzy”) of Uniondale, NY was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), a cancer of the bone marrow and blood, in the spring of 2015. “I was very scared when the doctors told me that I had cancer, I did not know if there was any hope for recovery. I am so grateful that my mom got me to the right doctors and I now know that because of the care I received at Memorial Sloan Kettering that I will get better.” Originally from El Salvador, Ezzy is homeschooled. She loves to draw, paint, ride her scooter and play with her stuffed animals. Her favorite subject is science and she hopes to pursue a career as a pediatrician.

“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.”