Bonnie Freeman Story

Funding History of Stop Children's Cancer

2023

Renews the commitment of $1,000,000 for five years through 2027 for the Stop Children’s Cancer / Bonnie R. Freeman Clinical Trials and Innovative Therapies and Stop Children's Cancer / Kimberly H. Flaitz Research Grant Fund.


Lyrics for Life renews its commitment for a fourth year at $100,000 for the Lyrics for Life / Stop Children’s Cancer Jeffrey A. Block Research Award.

2022

Continues the commitment from 2018 for the Stop Children’s Cancer / Bonnie R. Freeman Clinical Trials Fund.


Lyrics for Life renews the 2019/20 commitment of a third $100,000 for the Lyrics for Life / Stop Children’s Cancer Jeffrey A. Block Research Award.

2021

Continues the commitment from 2018 for the Stop Children’s Cancer / Bonnie R. Freeman Clinical Trials Fund & the Stop Children’s Cancer / Kimberly H. Flaitz Research Grant.

2020

Continues the commitment from 2018 for the Stop Children’s Cancer / Bonnie R. Freeman Clinical Trials Fund & the Stop Children’s Cancer / Kimberly H. Flaitz Research Grant supporting clinical trials & research through 2022.


Lyrics for Life renews the 2019 commitment of a second $100,000 for the Lyrics for Life / Stop Children’s Cancer Jeffrey A. Block Research Award continues the current work.

2019

Dr. Biljana Horn collaborates with Dr. Lung-Ji Chang to bring chimeric antigen T-cell therapy, a very effective form of immunotherapy to patients. Dr. Giselle Moore-Higgs, manages a Clinical Trials portfolio with over 30 therapeutic pediatric cancer trials and 23 additional studies involving cancer biology and survivorship.

  • $250,000 committed in 2018 was renamed the Stop Children’s Cancer / Kimberly H. Flaitz Research Grant providing seed funding for Dr. Matthew Cascio in developing a tumor vaccine for osteosarcoma. Kimberly passed away from osteosarcoma in 1998 at the age of 24.
  • $100,000 Lyrics for Life / Stop Children’s Cancer Jeffrey A. Block Research Award will fund Dr. Paul Castillo. He is working to develop personalized targeted immunotherapy for T-cell lymphoma and leukemia. Jeffrey passed away from T-cell lymphoma in 1987 at age of 18.

2018

$1,000,000 to continue funding the established Stop Children’s Cancer / Bonnie R. Freeman Clinical Trials Fund through 2023, with donations being allocated:

  • $150,000 per year to continue Stop Children’s Cancer/Bonnie R. Freeman Clinical Trials Fund
  • $50,000 per year for sarcoma clinical trials
  • As of 2018, the number of clinical trials is sixty-eight (68)

$100,000 endowment to fund in perpetuity the Stop Children’s Cancer Sam & Ina Gross Memorial Lectureship

  • $50,000 from Stop Children’s Cancer
  • $50,000 matched by UF Health

2017

The Stop Children’s Cancer / Bonnie R. Freeman Professorship for Pediatric Oncology Research was awarded to Dr. Biljana Horn:

  • Her research focuses on developing less toxic ways to prepare patients for bone marrow transplants
  • The $1,000,001 for this Professorship was given in 2006. The interest earned, while waiting for this position to be awarded, was used to fund additional research.

Completed Commitment from 2010 of $1,050,000 for Clinical Trials.

2014

$20,000 fund for the UF Health Palliative Care program.

2013

$1,500 donated to UF Health Physical Therapy Pediatric/ Oncology Division clinic In honor of Whitney, daughter of Barbara & Whitney Bour, a cancer survivor doing a pediatrician fellowship for neonatology at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

2010

$100,000 funds 3 research grants:

  • $50,000 to Dr. Lizi Wu: studies acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)
  • $25,000 to Dr. Eric Bartee: treatments of high-risk pediatric cancer cells
  • $25,000 to Dr. Padraic Levings: osteosarcomas

$1,050,000 to establish the Stop Children’s Cancer / Bonnie R. Freeman Clinical Trials Fund through 2017, with donations being allocated:

  • $150,000 per year for seven (7) years
  • Supervisor: Dr. William B. Slayton
  • As of 2010, the number of Clinical Trials is two (2).

2009

$150,000 funds 3 research grants:

  • $50,000 to Dr. Eric Laywell: pediatric brain cancers
  • $50,000 to Dr. Shoudong Li: acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)
  • $50,000 to Dr. Daiqing Liao: neuroblastoma

2008

$150,000 funds 3 research grants:

  • $50,000 to Dr. Xingming Deng: ALL
  • $50,000 to Dr. Jianrong Lu: ALL
  • $50,000 to Dr. Daiqing Liao: neuroblastoma

2007

$750,000 matched by the State of Florida Trust Fund for Major Gifts of the $1,000,001 donated in 2006.

$25,000 to Dr. David Muir: test photodynamic therapy treatment of neurofibromatosis tumors

2006

$1,000,001 established the Stop Children’s Cancer / Bonnie R. Freeman Professorship for Pediatric Oncology Research.

2004

$92,000 funds 3 research grants:

  • $50,000 to Dr. Stephen Hunger: leukemia
  • $26,000 to Dr. Amir H. Shahlaee: evaluation of IDO expression in lymph nodes
  • $16,000 to Dr. Susan Staba: quality of life following pediatric stem cell transplant

2003

$100,000 funds annual 9-year commitment for future grant applications.

  • $100,000 funds 3 research grants:
  • $50,000 to Dr. Stephen Hunger: leukemia
  • $25,000 to Dr. C. Parker Gibbs: osteosarcomas
  • $25,000 to Dr. Mingli Yang: osteosarcomas 

2002

$50,000 funds 2 research grants:

  • $25,000 to Dr. Bloom: continue 2nd year study of Malignant Glioma 
  • $25,000 to Dr. Yang: continue 2nd year study of Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia

2001

$100,000 funds 3 research grants:

  • $50,000 to David Bloom, M.D.: Distinguished New Investigator
  • $25,000 to Promising New Investigator
  • $25,000 to 2nd Promising New Investigator

2000

$10,000 funds Department of Orthopaedic Surgery: for Ewing’s Sarcoma:

  • In honor of Greg Goldfaden
  • In memory of Juan DeLaRua

$6,000 funds 2nd Annual Visiting Scholar:

  • Dr. Jonathan Finlay of Hassenfeld Cancer Center, NYU with Seminars & Grand Rounds

1999

$50,000 funds 3 research grants:

  • Research for Pediatric Cancer projects

$6,000 funds 1st Annual Visiting Scholar:

  • Dr. Curt Civin, Director of Pediatric Oncology Service at John Hopkins University School of Medicine: presented Seminars & Grand Rounds to faculty & students

1998

$20,000 funds to furnish the Activity’s Room at North Central Florida Hospice House

1996-97

$122,000 funds 3 research grants:

  • Studies on ALL, Glioma Brain Tumors, Pediatric & Adolescent Osteosarcoma

1995-1996

$80,000 funds 2-year fellowship:

  • Dr. William Slayton: Pediatric Hematology/ Oncology program

1994

$60,000 funds 2 grants:

  • Umbilical Cord as source of Transplant Material
  • Tumor Invasion of Nervous System
  • Graft vs. Host Disease in Leukemia
  • Patient L-Asparaginase Resistance & Sensitivity

1992

$150,000 funds grant to establish:

  • Southeastern Brain Tissue Bank in the Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Division

1991

$100,000 funds research grant:

  • Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology: Stem Cell & Tumor Biology

1990

$100,000 funds research equipment to enhanced efficiency in research process:

  • Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology: Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorter Epics II Flow Cytometer and a Gene Machine

$54,000 matched by State of Florida Trust Fund for Major Gifts of $100,000.

1985-1989

$400,000 funds 4 research grants:

  • $150,000 for scientific equipment and cancer research
  • $50,000 to pilot project using Magnetic Bead Process to extract cancer cells from bone marrow, a major breakthrough in the fight against leukemia
  • $200,000 to establish 4 Laboratories at $50,000 each

1987

Stop Children's Cancer permitted Stop Children's Cancer of Palm Beach County, Inc. to license the name.

1981-84

Fundraising begins in order to serve our mission.

1981

Stop Children's Cancer was established by Bonnie R. Freeman and her family.

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