Northwestern Mutual Announces Childhood Cancer Initiatives to Ease Financial and Emotional Burden for Children and their Families

MILWAUKEE, Nov. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Northwestern Mutual, through its foundation, is donating 10 Starlight Children's Foundation Fun Centers ™ to seven children's hospitals in several U.S. cities, and funding two programs – Starlight Great Escapes ™  and Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) Family Travel Funds – as part of its Childhood Cancer Program, a multi-year commitment to support families fighting childhood cancer. 

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Starlight Fun Centers are mobile entertainment units that easily roll up to a hospital bed so children can play video games and watch movies. Whether nervously awaiting surgery, enduring treatment, or sitting in their hospital room, Fun Centers help children cope by providing endless hours of fun and distraction.

Northwestern Mutual's support of three Starlight Great Escapes programs in Los Angeles and Houston will give families with a seriously ill child the chance to spend time together outside of the hospital, escape their medical worries and return home with a renewed sense of strength, hope and community.   

"Through our Childhood Cancer Program, Northwestern Mutual is harnessing the power of our 5,000 employees and 18,000 network office members to accelerate the search for a cure to childhood cancer, and provide support to children and families facing the daily struggles of the disease," said John Kordsmeier, president of the Northwestern Mutual Foundation.

"Many members of our Northwestern Mutual family have been touched by childhood cancer and share a passion for helping this cause. They have been instrumental in arranging these donations in their local communities alongside our nonprofit partners," Kordsmeier continued.

Northwestern Mutual is also establishing the Family Travel Fund in partnership with ALSF, with donations unveiling at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Phoenix Children's Hospital, and at Miami Children's Hospital. The Family Travel Fund supports ALSF's existing efforts to assist families facing the financial costs of traveling to help their children receive life-saving treatments away from home. The Fund helps families pay for expenses such as food, airfare, gas and lodging.

The donations and dedication ceremonies kick off this week at Banner Thunderbird Children's Medical Center in Glendale, AZ, on Nov. 13, and at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, in Milwaukee, on Nov. 15. The philanthropic activities, serving more than 5,000 children in total, will continue over the next few weeks in Phoenix, Tucson, Miami, Los Angeles and Albuquerque, culminating on Dec. 11 in Houston. The complete list of donations and dedications include: 

Milwaukee

• Thurs., Nov. 15 - Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee
  • Starlight Fun Center Dedication and ALSF Travel Fund Announcement

Phoenix

• Tues., Nov. 13 - Banner Thunderbird Children's Medical Center  in Glendale
  • Starlight Fun Center Dedication
• Wed., Nov. 28 – Phoenix Children's Hospital in Phoenix
  • Starlight Fun Center Dedication and ALSF Travel Fund Announcement

Albuquerque

• Fri., Nov. 30 – University of New Mexico Children's Hospital in Albuquerque
  • Starlight Fun Center Dedication  

Miami

• Tues., Dec. 4 –  Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital in Hollywood
  • Starlight Fun Center Dedication  
• Early Dec. –  Miami Children's Hospital in Miami
  • Starlight Fun Center donation and ALSF Travel Fund Announcement
• Early Dec. –  Chris Evert Children's Hospital at Broward Health in Coral Springs
  • Starlight Fun Center donation

Tucson

• Wed., Dec. 5 – Diamond Children's Medical Center in Tucson, AZ
  • Starlight Fun Center Dedication  

Los Angeles

• Sat., Nov. 24 – UCLA vs. Stanford at the Rose Bowl
  • Starlight Great Escapes
• Sat., Dec. 8 – Winter Wonderland, CBS Studios in LA
  • Starlight Great Escapes   

Houston

• Tues., Dec. 11 –  Hobby Center Theatre Under the Stars in Houston
  • Starlight Great Escapes   

In the midst of these philanthropic activities, the Northwestern Mutual Foundation will launch a digital holiday campaign on Dec. 3 to raise additional awareness and funds for the fight against childhood cancer. Driving the digital campaign will be a dedicated Facebook tab featuring a holiday card created by a child with cancer. For each "share" the digital holiday card receives, the Northwestern Mutual Foundation will donate $1 to ALSF and Starlight, up to $25,000. The campaign will run through Dec. 30 and is part of the Foundation's larger commitment to the fight against childhood cancer.

For more information about Northwestern Mutual and its Foundation, visit www.northwesternmutual.com.

About the Northwestern Mutual Foundation
The mission of the Northwestern Mutual Foundation – the largest corporate foundation in the state of Wisconsin – is to build strong, vibrant communities that serve as a legacy to future generations. The Foundation's giving is designed to create an impact on the communities where the company's employees and financial representatives live and work. In fiscal year 2013, the Foundation will contribute $16.9 million to nonprofit organizations across the country.

About Northwestern Mutual
The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company – Milwaukee, WI (Northwestern Mutual) – among the "World's Most Admired" life insurance companies in 2012 according to FORTUNE® magazine – has helped clients achieve financial security for more than 155 years. As a mutual company with $1.3 trillion of life insurance protection in force, Northwestern Mutual has no shareholders. The company focuses solely and directly on its clients and seeks to deliver consistent and dependable value to them over time.  Northwestern Mutual and its subsidiaries offer a holistic approach to financial security solutions including: life insurance, long-term care insurance, disability insurance, annuities, investment products, and advisory products and services. Subsidiaries include Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC, broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, member FINRA and SIPC; the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company, limited purpose federal savings bank; and Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Company; and Russell Investments.

About Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation
Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) emerged from the front yard lemonade stand of cancer patient Alexandra "Alex" Scott (1996-2004). In 2000, 4-year-old Alex announced that she wanted to hold a lemonade stand to raise money to help find a cure for all children with cancer. Since Alex held that first stand, the Foundation bearing her name has evolved into a national fundraising movement, complete with thousands of supporters across the country carrying on her legacy of hope. To date, Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, a registered 501(c)3 charity, has raised more than $60 million toward fulfilling Alex's dream of finding a cure, funding over 250 pediatric cancer research projects nationally. For more information on Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, visit AlexsLemonade.org.

About Starlight Children's Foundation
When a child is diagnosed with a serious illness, the day-to-day joys of childhood take a back seat to the rigors of treatment and hospitalization. Starlight Children's Foundation™ is a leading global health and education charity working to embrace, empower and enrich the lives of children from illness to wellness.  Since 1983, Starlight has been improving the quality of life for children with serious medical conditions through programming that helps kids cope with the experiences of prolonged illness.  Starlight's innovative programs have been proven to distract children from their pain and lessen the need for pain medication, help young people better understand and manage their illness, and connect families with others facing similar challenges so that no one feels alone.  Each year Starlight enriches the lives of more than 4.5 million children globally by providing ongoing support to children, parents and siblings through a network of partner hospitals, staff and volunteers in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Israel. To learn more visit www.starlight.org.

SOURCE Northwestern Mutual