Wee Difference For February: We Do Care

We Do Care is an non-profit organization dedicated to helping children with cancer in the Grand Rapids area.

It was founded by Bob Olson, a Comstock Park man who battled his cancer himself.

He was moved by the brave children he saw going through chemotherapy with him, and vowed to ease their pain one day. We Do Care is the result of that effort.

We Do Care began in 1986 as a non-profit charity aimed at helping children suffering with childhood cancers. "

We Do Care helps out in many ways.

First and foremost, it provides children suffering from cancer with the means to go on trips with their families or have access to computers and games to help ease the boredom of their long hospital stays.

It also helps families with basic living expenses that occur over the course of a child's illness. These can be used to pay mounting medical costs, or to cover additional expenses like food and lodging while staying with their child at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital in Grand Rapids.

We Do Care has touched the lives of many sick children and their families through special gifts to DeVos Children's Hospital's Pediatric Hemotology/Oncology Clinic, such as gift baskets for patients undergoing bone-marrow transplants.

We Do Care's biggest fundraising event of the year is its annual Benefit and Dance coming up March 7. The public event's proceeds -- including from a silent auction and raffle -- go directly to help children in the Grand Rapids area who have cancer.

If you would like to attend, or if you would like to donate, contact Renee Wade mbrswade@sbcglobal.com or Julie Gerke icearenamom3@comcast.net, or call (616) 784-5911.

We Do Care makes a world of difference in many children's hearts and outlooks.

Everyone is comforted when someone cares. We Do Care comforts, cares and helps the children of West Michigan.