Never Too Young to Make a Difference

Led by Greg Klimowicz (second from left), Crusade for Care was a flag football tournament that raised $2,000 for the pastoral-care department at Fox Chase Cancer Center. Sharing in the day's fun were (from left) Pawel Przybysc, Jeff Haviland, Andrew Reinsel, Barbara Klimowicz (Greg's mom and assistant director of pastoral care at Fox Chase), Michael McFarland and Adam Klimowicz (Greg's brother).

Dinnertime at the Klimowicz household is family time. Mom, dad and children take turns discussing the day. When it comes time for mom, Barbara, to share, she talks about all of the special people she meets as assistant director for pastoral-care services at Fox Chase Cancer Center. She follows patients through their cancer experience, tending to spiritual and emotional needs.

Each day, Barbara interacts with strong-willed patients who are balancing families and cancer treatment. Her goal is to make their time at Fox Chase as comfortable and stress-free as possible.

No matter how much she accomplishes for her patients, Barbara always expresses her desire to provide more—more CDs and headphones for listening during chemotherapy, more coloring books for young children visiting parents, more angel bears for patients who need extra comfort.

"I'll talk about the families I meet and I ask my kids to keep them in their prayers," says Barbara.

Realizing how important Barbara's patients are to her, her children, Christine, Greg and Adam, knew exactly what to get their mom on her birthday last June—a donation of $100 in her name to pastoral-care services.

"It was the best gift of my life," says Barbara, who was overwhelmed that her children recognized the power of this donation.

"I saw how much my mom could do with that small donation, and I wanted to do more," Greg says.

Determined to make a difference, this 17-year-old high-school junior organized a flag football tournament to raise money for pastoral care. The event took place last December.

"I wanted to get teenagers motivated," says the young philanthropist. "I wanted to show that you don't have to be older or wealthy to give back, you just have to care."

This sentiment was the inspiration for this fundraiser and for the name of Greg's special fund: Crusade for Care.

Local Children Have
Big Hearts

Young philanthropists were hard at work at a local grade school last fall. The fifth-grade class of Pope John Paul II Regional Catholic School in Philadelphia spent October selling pink bracelets. The children sacrificed their recess to sell the bracelets in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Under the guidance of their teacher, Mary Zawisza, the children raised $200 for Fox Chase Cancer Center.

With little help, Greg marketed Crusade for Care to local businesses and his school, Father Judge, in Northeast Philadelphia. He recruited 90 participants by posting flyers around school and broadcasting the information on Judge's television news program. Greg also personally crafted a brochure for the special fund, filled with inspirational quotes and the event's mission statement.

His advertising garnered sponsors, including Spike's Trophies Limited, Schenk's Family Bakery and New England Pizza. Fox Chase Cancer Center also was represented with a banner and information table.

The event drew approximately 120 people and raised a total of $2,000 for Fox Chase.

Help came from the entire Klimowicz family. Greg's dad, Adam, was a referee; and his sister, Christine, sold specially designed wristbands with the Crusade for Care logo.

Through it all, Greg learned that it's not easy to orchestrate a fundraising event, but if you care enough and pay attention to detail, it can succeed.

"I knew it needed to be fun so teenagers would be interested," Greg says. "Everyone loved the idea, so we are now planning a similar event for high school girls in the area. It shows that if we really want to, we can make a difference and help people with cancer."

"I am touched and inspired by him," Barbara says of her son. "He understands that donations for research help patients tomorrow, but what he is doing will help patients today."

Greg not only plans to continue his fundraising events but also aspires to be a Fox Chase Cancer Center oncologist, so he can care for cancer patients directly.