American Cancer Society Big Dig Fights Pediatric Cancer

The Big Dig Committee of the National Capital Area was proud to present a check for more than $110,000 to support the American Cancer Society and Inova L.J. Murphy Children’s Hospital thanks to funds raised from The Big Dig that took place at the Ashbrook Corporate Center, Loudoun County, Virginia on October 2, 2021. The funds supports pediatric cancer research grants awarded through the American Cancer Society and the Inova Children's Hospital Child Life Program.

The Big Dig is a collaborative event between the American Cancer Society and the construction industry that gives children and event sponsors the opportunity to have fun operating heavy equipment, including real excavators, scissor lifts and more, with the assistance of a construction professional.

The American Cancer Society is grateful to these Big Dig sponsors:

• Presenting Sponsors: Capretti Land, Merritt Properties, Easterns Automotive Group, Van Metre Homes, Northern Virginia Orthodontics, Veatch Commercial Real Estate
• Kids Zone Sponsors: Patriot Development Corporation
• Lanyard and Wristband Underwriter: Fidelity Mechanical Services
• Safety Sponsor: Superior Paving Corporation
• Copper Sponsors: Battlefield Roofing Company
• Graphite Sponsors: Christopher Consultants, Consolidated Coatings, Joni and Howard Katz, K&H Landscaping, Road Runner Wrecker Service, Two Men and a Truck, Watson Steel

About 10,500 children in the United States under the age of 15 will be diagnosed with cancer in 2021 and about 1,190 children are expected to die from the disease. Childhood cancer rates have been rising slightly for the past few decades. Because of major treatment advances in recent decades, 84% of children with cancer now survive 5 years or more. The American Cancer Society is deeply committed to finding new answers that will help every child and family affected by cancer. At present, the American Cancer Society has 43 grants in effect for childhood cancer research worth $26 million. For more info, see www.cancer.org.

For more event information, contact: maddie.troy@cancer.org.

(Pictured, l to r: Maddie Troy, ACS Sr. Development Mgr.; Holly Senn, Child Life Specialist; Joanne Fazio, VP, Inova Pediatric Service Line; Eric Dunn, Dir. of Construction NVA at Merritt Properties; Tom Marable, SVP of New Homes at Van Metre; Tswana Sewell, ACS Exec. Dir., Kirstin McArthur, Philanthropy Dir., Inova Children’s, and Dr. Steve Narang, Pres, Inova Pediatric Service Line)