When I first heard about the Coalition Against Childhood Cancer (CAC2), I remember thinking — this is what our community has been waiting for. A place where collaboration replaces competition, where advocates, families, and professionals can come together to share what they’ve learned and build something bigger than any one of us could do alone.
Although I wasn’t directly involved in CAC2’s earliest organizing efforts, the organization I founded was proud to stand among its initial members. From the very beginning, we believed in CAC2’s mission — to amplify awareness, strengthen connections, and empower every organization doing this vital work. That belief has only deepened over time.
Since officially incorporating in 2013, CAC2 has grown from a small group of passionate advocates into a national coalition with more than 150 organizational and individual members. Together, we’ve built trusted tools like the Childhood Cancer Fact Library, a go-to source for accurate, evidence-based information, and the Survivorship Toolkit, which helps families navigate life after treatment. CAC2 has helped raise awareness, shape national policy, and connect the voices of those who care most about children with cancer.
“Hope grows stronger when we stand together — and even stronger when we bring others with us.”
Today, that same spirit of collaboration is fueling exciting national progress — including the new Childhood Cancer Registry Staging Program, launched by the National Cancer Institute’s SEER Program and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR). For the first time, cancer registries across the U.S. will collect standardized, stage-at-diagnosis data for pediatric cancers. This change will help researchers, clinicians, and advocates identify patterns, promote earlier diagnoses, and improve outcomes for children everywhere. It’s a perfect example of what can happen when data, policy, and advocacy move forward together — the kind of alignment CAC2 has championed since its founding.
Now, as I step into my role on the CAC2 Board, I’m reminded that this coalition’s greatest strength has always been you — our members. Your collaboration, creativity, and compassion make CAC2 what it is. Each partnership, each shared resource, and each conversation between peers adds momentum to a movement that continues to grow stronger each year.
As we look to the future, I invite you to help us extend that momentum. Share CAC2 with others who could benefit from being part of this community — organizations, researchers, and advocates who share our mission. Every new connection expands our reach, strengthens our voice, and helps shape the next decade of progress in childhood cancer.
About the Author
Annette Logan-Parker is Founder and Chief Advocacy & Innovation Officer of Cure 4 The Kids Foundation (C4K), Nevada’s first and only tax-exempt childhood cancer treatment center. Logan-Parker served as CEO since founding C4K in 2006. She is known for pioneering and directing her efforts to transform the way children with cancer in Nevada receive healthcare by creating the original mission and vision of C4K in 2006.
