Northwestern Mutual Expands Support to Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation in the Fight Against Childhood Cancer

MILWAUKEE, Oct. 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Every day, children and their families bravely battle childhood cancer, sometimes requiring travel far from home to receive treatment. This year alone, about 11,630 children in the United States under the age of 15 will be diagnosed with the deadly diseaseⁱ.

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Northwestern Mutual is committed to easing the financial and emotional burdens for families fighting childhood cancer by increasing its support for the cause. Today, as part of its second-year philanthropic commitment, the Northwestern Mutual Foundation is giving Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) more than $700,000 for research grants, family travel expenses and awareness activities that will bring us closer to finding cures and better treatments for kids with cancer.

ALSF, one of Northwestern Mutual's nonprofit partners, supports cutting edge projects by researchers who have dedicated their careers to finding life-saving treatments and cures for all childhood cancers. The Northwestern Mutual Foundation will provide monies for these critical research projects.

"Childhood cancer is an overwhelming diagnosis that robs children and families of precious quality time together and threatens their futures," said John Kordsmeier, president, Northwestern Mutual Foundation. "But every day and every dollar that we spend fighting this disease will help secure a brighter outlook for kids and their families. That's why Northwestern Mutual is pleased to partner with Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, so we can continue to help families and fund research projects to improve outcomes for childhood cancer patients."

In addition, Northwestern Mutual will sponsor the inaugural Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation Young Investigator Summit in Houston, October 23-25. The Summit will provide an opportunity for ALSF's Young Investigator Grant recipients to foster scientific collaboration and interact with the leading researchers in the pediatric oncology field.

Earlier this year, the company announced funding four young researchers in the field through Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation to identify new ways to fight and cure childhood cancer. The Young Investigator Awards are designed as start-up funds for new scientists who have either completed their fellowship training, or are in the early stages of their research career. Additional monies will be provided to continue funding these projects in the upcoming year.

The company will also expand support of ALSF's Travel Fund, which enables families to receive vital, specialized treatments from pediatric cancer hospitals by covering costly travel and lodging expenses.

Northwestern Mutual's philanthropic efforts to-date have contributed more than $2.2 million in the fight against childhood cancer, which includes helping more than 200 families travel and stay together during their children's cancer treatments and funding about 20,000 hours of critical research projects.

Facebook Campaign Exceeds Fundraising Goal

During National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month 2013 (September), Northwestern Mutual launched its second Facebook campaign, Heroes for a Cure, to raise awareness of the critical need for funding research.

The campaign centered around sharing a video of Brooke and Tony, two children who are battling high-risk, stage four neuroblastoma, a cancerous tumor that grows in the nerve tissue of infants and very young children, and the researchers who are dedicated to finding breakthrough cures.  Consumers and Northwestern Mutual's national field force rallied strong for Tony, Brooke and their doctors, generating 31,000 shares of the video resulting in the Northwestern Mutual Foundation donating more than $62,000 to fund more than 1,250 hours of research through Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation.

For more information about Northwestern Mutual and its philanthropic efforts, visit www.nmfoundation.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.

About Northwestern Mutual
Northwestern Mutual is among the "World's Most Admired" life insurance companies in 2013 according to FORTUNE® magazine and has helped clients achieve financial security for more than 156 years. As a mutual company with $1.4 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 is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, Milwaukee, WI, and its subsidiaries. Northwestern Mutual and its subsidiaries offer a holistic approach to financial security solutions including: life insurance, long-term care insurance, disability income 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; 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 $65 million toward fulfilling Alex's dream of finding a cure, funding over 350 pediatric cancer research projects nationally. For more information on Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, visit AlexsLemonade.org.

ⁱ http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancerinchildren/detailedguide/cancer-in-children-key-statistics

SOURCE Northwestern Mutual