Graeter’s, a local ice cream company, has been a staple of Cincinnati for almost a century. This fall, they’ve continued to cement their legacy through their partnership with the nonprofit charity The Cure Starts Now. To honor Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Graeter’s and The Cure Starts Now are partnering for their 18th annual ‘Cones for the Cure,’ an event that will help fundraise for pediatric brain cancer research.
The ‘Cones for the Cure’ program began when Graeter’s teamed up with The Cure Starts Now in honor of the founder’s daughter, a young girl named Elena Desserich. Elena’s father came to Graeter’s to share inspiration from her journey with a rare brain cancer called diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, or DIPG. Graeter’s was heartened by her story and curated ‘Elena’s Blueberry Pie,’ a limited-edition flavor sold annually in September. Since their partnership was formed in 2009, Cones for the Cure has raised over $2.2 million, which is directly funded to pediatric brain cancer research.
Every year, ‘Warriors’ of pediatric brain cancer are selected as ambassadors of the program alongside Elena. This year, the ambassadors include Warriors Clare, David Jr., Evan, Harleigh, Joey, Wyatt R., and Wyatt T., who have all shared their stories in order to inspire those who may give.
Pediatric brain cancer research is critically underfunded, with only 4% of federal funding for cancer research being allocated to studies on pediatric cancers. ‘Cones for the Cure’ aims to raise awareness for these children. Since 2009, ‘Cones for the Cure’ has directly supported funding for 17 research projects and trials; these efforts have helped triple the longevity of children who have been diagnosed with fatal cancers.
Valerie Ball is a senior team lead at the Westbourne Graeter’s location and will have worked with the company for 21 years as of September 18. For the Westbourne store alone, she declares, “The goal is five thousand dollars,” and the cumulative fundraising goal for all Graeter’s stores is “over three hundred thousand dollars in total.” Her favorite part of the event is the determination to fight pediatric brain cancer, Ball explained. “It raises a lot of money for a good cause.”
From September 4 to September 14, customers at Graeter’s have the option to donate to ‘Cones for the Cure.’ When you choose to donate five dollars or more to ‘Cones for the Cure,’ you receive Graeter’s coupons worth over twice your donation, including deals for milkshakes, sundaes, pints, and more. All proceeds are directly contributed to ‘The Cure Starts Now.’