We look forward to seeing you on August 25th for a great day outdoors! Come on out and help raise money and have a great time at the 2012 Aiming For A Cure Fun Run/Walk. This annual event couldn’t take place without the incredible dedication of all our sponsors, participants, volunteers and donors who are helping us gear up to ensure this year’s event is a charity success!

2012 Aiming For a Cure Fun Run/Walk Details

What: 10K/5K Fun Run & 2.5K Walk

When: August 25th, 2012

Where: Pleasant Creek State Park – Palo, IA

March 2012 proved to be another amazing success in the Aiming for a Cure Foundation’s ongoing fight against cancer. Thanks to the generous support of of all the celebrities, volunteers, donors, sponsors, hunters and banquet attendees, Aiming for a Cure was able to raise approximately $200,000 to support pediatric oncology patients and their families at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital through the annual Celebrity Hunt, Banquet and Auction.

A Personal Thanks from the Ries Family

Despite some very difficult financial times, people once again showed their generosity and compassion with their amazing support of this charity inspired by son and brother, Ben Ries. We never cease to be amazed by the incredible effort and support of everyone involved in this charitable mission. Our heartfelt thanks go out to all who contributed to our most recent victory in the fight against cancer.

The Benton Community High School (Van Horne, IA) Leadership Group selected the Aiming for a Cure Foundation as their community involvement project this year. They held several fundraising activities but the largest portion was raised at a girls basketball game between #6 South Tama and #1 Benton Community at the end of the season. Parents and fans donated money for every point that the team or their favorite player scored. Benton Community won the game and finished the regular season undefeated and ranked number 1 in the state. The Leadership group is already making plans for next year to beat this year’s amount. Thanks to the Benton Bobcats for all of their hard work.

Go Bobcats!

We’re pleased to announce that the Aiming for a Cure Foundation has again been blessed with incredible support from an outstanding group of charitable celebrities for our 2012 Celebrity Hunt, Banquet and Auction. We offer our most sincere thanks to these wonderful and giving people who have taken the time from their very busy schedules to support pediatric oncology patients and their families.

New and Returning Celebrities

Our 2012 charity event features a number of returning faces as well as some first time celebrity supporters. To view the full list of celebrities, please visit our full list of celebrities here 2012 CELEBRITIES. We’d also like to give a special word of thanks to NFL Hall of Fame QB Jim Kelly who had to overcome some difficult scheduling conflicts to join us this year. His efforts, and those of all our celebrity supporters, are greatly appreciated.

• What: 24th Annual Wild Game Feast
• Where:
• When: Sunday, March 11, 2012 at 2:00 pm
• Why: Charity event to benefit the Aiming for a Cure Foundation

Come out and enjoy your favorite wild game prepared in a variety of delicious ways! Game includes wild turkey, pheasant, goose, elk, alligator, venison, elk, rabbit, snapping turtle and many varieties of fish.

Article originally appeared in the December 13, 2011 edition of the Central City Linn News-Letter newspaper.

CENTER POINT – This holiday season, most families will enjoy the luxury of a warm house, gifts under the tree, and food on the table. There are some families, however, that will spend the holidays at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital. During the season of giving, the Aiming For A Cure Foundation strives to further help children being treated for cancer and the families who support them.

Jodie and Steve Ries (far left and far right), founders of Aiming for a Cure, are all smiles as they take the children on their shopping spree.

Recently, a few children chosen by the Aiming For A Cure staff headed to Wal-Mart and bought $5,000 worth of toys for the children’s cancer ward. The toys will stay on the floor where all the children undergoing cancer treatment are housed in the hospital.

Local farmer Jerry Squires knows the importance of giving back to the community and chose Aiming For A Cure Foundation when he was given the opportunity to direct a $2,500 donation to a nonprofit organization through America’s Farmers Grow Communities!, sponsored by Monsanto Fund. The $2,500 donation was included in the $190,000 check that was presented to the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital on May 18, 2011. The money will go toward research and is also used to support any child who is treated for cancer in the UI Children’s Hospital.

“I think it’s absolutely tremendous that a huge corporation like Monsanto is giving money to organizations like Aiming For A Cure Foundation in the farmer’s name. The donation goes a lot farther because it is given locally,” said David Tatman, Aiming For A Cure vice president. “In the last eight years, we have raised more than $1,000,000 with 100 percent of proceeds going straight to the cause.”

The mission of Aiming For A Cure Foundation is to raise funds to benefit pediatric oncology patients and families served by the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital. Their goal is to improve the quality of care and the quality of life for the children through the funding of research and patient care. Tatman knows Jerry and wife Sherri Squires personally, as Sherri has previously gone through cancer treatment.

For a rural community, $2,500 can go a long way in providing organizations, such as Aiming For A Cure Foundation, with the funds they need to help their communities. Visit www.growcommunities.com to learn more about America’s Farmers Grow Communities. The program is part of a broad commitment by the Monsanto Fund to invest in farm communities in order to highlight the important contributions farmers make every day to our society.

This December, farmers in 1,245 counties across 39 states will be awarded a $2,500 donation, which they can give to any nonprofit organization in their county. The Monsanto Fund, the philanthropic arm of the Monsanto Company, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the farm communities where farmers and Monsanto Company employees live and work. Visit the Monsanto Fund at www.monsantofund.org.

Benjamin Joseph Ries was born to Steve and Jodie Ries on October 4, 1992. He was a good-natured and happy kid with normal boy interests. Ben had a love for baseball and hunting and was a big fan of the Iowa Hawkeyes and Chicago Cubs. Overall, Ben was a pretty typical kid with a normal family life.

While in the 1^st Grade, though, Ben’s typical life changed dramatically. That was the year Ben was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a type of brain tumor. As he battled cancer, Ben left a lasting impression on the people around him with his positive spirit. From his classmates to his fellow patients, Ben often seemed much more worried about others than for himself. In spending so much time at University of Iowa Children’s Hospital, Ben became increasingly concerned about other pediatric cancer patients and their families.

With Ben as an inspiration, the Ries family started the Aiming for a Cure (AFAC) Foundation in 2004 as a way to fulfill Ben’s desire to help his fellow cancer patients. To honor Ben’s love of hunting dogs, they conceived an annual benefit that would bring together celebrities, dogs and bird hunters at Highland Hideaway Hunting in Riverside, IA. Through the incredible passion and support of many friends and volunteers, Aiming for a Cure became an instant success.

On June 1, 2005, after a courageous five year battle with cancer, Ben went to be with the Lord. While his physical time on earth came to an end far too soon, his spirit continues to live on and provide a positive impact on the lives of many people through the Aiming for a Cure Foundation.

Now in its 8^th year, the Aiming for a Cure Foundation has raised more than a million dollars to support cancer patients and their families at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital. Because the Foundation is completely run by volunteers, it has virtually no overhead and is able to dedicate all contributions directly to the Mission of helping children and their families.

Through the addition of new sponsors and additional events, the reach and contributions to the Foundation continue to grow. For those helped by the Aiming for a Cure Foundation’s efforts, Ben’s life and his compassion for others was no accident and no coincidence. Although Ben has now moved on to a better place, his legacy remains and continues to provide hope and comfort for others through the Foundation he inspired.

Front row: Katlin Hora, Holly Dresselhaus, Katie Seaton, Kayla Schneider, Mariah Freel, and Katilin Hawkins. Middle row: Bridget Murphy, Jordan Peterson, Alison Sojka, Haili Hunter, Ashley Stout (assistant coach), Ryan Giannini, Carrie Wieland (head coach), Morgan Fisher, Taylor Vonhamme, and Taylor McDole. Back row: Jordan Rath, Courtnee Hahn, Katie Springer, Bailey Walsh, Kelsey Doreo, Morgan Craig, Paige Wieland, and Cassie Vazquez.

Not pictured: Anna Walker and event chairs, Teri Fisher and Trisha Walsh.