We started with… a buddy. This is a photo of the early days of our Superheroes and Sidekick program. It's of Jillian with her hero, Mireya. Mireya was four years old when doctors diagnosed her with severe aplastic anemia. It was a life-threatening illness whose only cure was a bone marrow transplant. Jillian volunteered for our Superheroes and Sidekick program shortly after it started in 2010. Watching our hero families struggle with the ups and downs of a child with cancer, we realized that brothers and sisters are struggling too. We created the program so volunteers could be a buddy to all members of the family. Thanks to a grant from the Altria Companies Employee Community Fund, the idea became a reality. So far this year, our volunteers spent 220 fun-filled hours as sidekicks. 

Funding for our Superheroes and Sidekick Programs allows us to train a volunteer as a buddy to a hero or his/her sibling. You commit to spending at least four hours a month with him or her doing fun things like going to the movies, a baseball game or spending an afternoon at the park. To volunteer in this wonderful program, tell us about yourself by filling out our application.