Rocky Mountain Candlelighters for Childhood Cancer (Candlelighters) enhances the lives of children with cancer and their families by providing hope, emotional and practical support, patient advocacy and education.

Description:
Candlelighters provides direct services to more than 1,100 families with children with cancer in five western states: all of Utah and parts of Wyoming, Nevada, Idaho and Montana. These services are provided in the hospital and at home. Our hospital based services are provided at Primary Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake City, where 95% of all children with cancer in this area are treated. These services include Carebags for those newly diagnosed to make hospital stays a little brighter and a pantry of items for future hospitalizations. Our community-based services include: Emotional support provided through individual and group counseling, financial assistance for transportation, seasonal activities including a family picnic at Lagoon, an Angel Family Tribute for those who have recently died of cancer, our Quarterly newsletter Candlelighters Chronicles, Ticket-line for individual family outings, Community Education and Family Financial education on debt and financial management.

History:
Candlelighters was begun in 1978 by a concerned group of parents who felt that the traditional cancer agencies did not meet their needs as parents of children with cancer. This group provided paraprofessional support and other peer services until 1996 when the group incorporated as Rocky Mountain Candlelighters for Childhood Cancer, affiliating with the national Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation. Rocky Mountain Candlelighters received its tax-exempt status from the IRS as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity in 2001. For the past twelve years, Candlelighters has been increasing its services to families with children with cancer, covering the same large territory covered by Primary Children's Medical Center, the local children's hospital. Candlelighters is an active member of the Utah Cancer Action Network and has received awards for its advocacy for children's issues among cancer agencies.

Contact person: Richard Starley, Executive Director, (phone), (email)
Office fax number: (801) 487-7845

Address:

124 South 400 East, Suite 340 Salt Lake City, UT 84111 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.childhoodcancer.org

Directions:

The office is located midway between 100 South and 200 South on 400 East in downtown Salt Lake City.