Alexa Bolton derives so much comfort from the fluffy character towel she brings from home when she is hospitalized, she wants to share that soft touch of childhood with other kids at the Upstate Golisano Children‘s Hospital.

So Alexa, who is 10 and lives with her parents in Baldwinsville, hosted a charity run in July called “Alexa‘s Friends Run.” It raised $11,000, money that will pay for fluffy character towels that Alexa will give to each pediatric cancer patient upon admission.

Alexa was diagnosed with an advanced bone cancer called Ewing sarcoma in October 2014. She has required multiple hospitalizations during her treatment, which caused her to lose all of her hair.

The run took place at Onondaga Lake Park in Liverpool and asked for a minimum donation of $15. “People were very generous,” said Suzette Bolton, Alexa‘s mom. Gifts are still being accepted to the Alexa‘s Friends Fund.

Are you grateful too?

When patients are inspired to give back to the hospital where they received quality and compassionate care, the Upstate Foundation receives those gifts into any of 800 funds, each representing a program or health concern handled at Upstate. For example, Friends of Upstate Cancer Center is a designated fund to help with needs for cancer patients of all ages and their families.

* You may send a “thank you” to someone on staff at Upstate or a family member through a tribute gift. The recipient will receive notification of the gift (but not the amount) along with your message.

* You could offer friends and family an alternative to any gift-giving celebration by instead collecting donations for a special occasion tribute gift to Upstate.

* You can transfer stock shares or other securities as a tax-deductible gift to Upstate.

* You may have other ideas. Run them by a foundation member by calling 315-464-4416 or emailing [email protected].

This article appears in the fall 2015 issue of Cancer Care magazine.

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