Conquering Cancer Together
What We Do
The Climb for Cancer Foundation’s mission is to provide patient-centered support and fund the underserved needs of the cancer patients and their families, the clinical staff who treat them, and the social workers, child life specialists, and others who assist them in their cancer journey at UF Health and Shands.
Co-founded by Ron and Dianne Farb in 2003, our small Foundation has made a tangible impact on the lives of many people fighting the disease. The Foundation has funded or created several psycho-social programs which provide support to the patient and the family, funded research grants, and given kids an opportunity to attend cancer camps. The Foundation likes to think that its gifts fill in the cracks left by organizations that make much larger gifts.
Below are some of the programs created or annually funded by the Foundation.
Harriets Helping Hand
Travel expenses, food, and lodging are a constant challenge for families of cancer patients. This program, named for co-founder, Ron Farb's sister, helps defray the cost of treatment by providing food vouchers, gas cards, and lodging to cancer patients and their families. A donation of $5 buys a meal voucher, and a donation of $20 buys a gas card.
The Butterfly Connection
The Butterfly Connection is a unique program created and funded by the Foundation, which partners the Arts in Medicine Program at Shands Hospital at the University of Florida and the Florida Museum of Natural History Butterfly Rainforest. This program provides cancer patients and their caregivers to experience the beauty and serenity of the Butterfly Rainforest free of charge. You may direct a one-time gift to the Butterfly Connection, or becoming a sustaining donor.
The Pediatric Palliative Care Program has become the benchmark for quality in the care of children with cancer. It focuses on enhancing quality of life for the child and family, preventing and minimizing suffering, and helps them fulfill the physical, psychological, social, educational, and spiritual goals.
This program delivers psychological care, a critical component of care that is now recognized as integral within the top pediatric oncology programs across the country. Prior to CFC’s funding of the program, no formal psycho-oncology program existed in pediatrics here at UF Health.
Project Continuity
Project Continuity provides interventions focused on cancer prevention, screening and linkage to care in the community, health care and dental settings. These interventions are designed in collaboration with key stakeholders including community members, clinicians, health care delivery leaders and community agencies.
Oncofertility Program
The Oncofertility Program provides new fertility preservation options to patients who have been diagnosed with cancer or other serious diseases and who must undergo potentially fertility-threatening treatment.
B. Dianne Farb Health Education Scholarships
The B. Dianne Farb Health Education Scholarships provide support to individuals who have been diagnosed or treated for cancer and are a medical, nursing, pharmacy, dental or public health and health professions student.
Each year, at the Brandon Ling Memorial Sports Camp, kids with cancer and their siblings are invited to take part in a morning of sports activities with student-athletes from the University of Florida. The fun-filled half-day camp includes football, basketball, volleyball, soccer, lacrosse, and dancing and cheerleading with the UF Dazzlers and Cheerleaders, followed by lunch with the athletes and Gator Mascots, Albert and Alberta.