BY MADISON MCGHEE

 

There's no shortage of worthy causes to support. They're everywhere—on billboards during the morning commute, in the newspaper, on social media. But to donate to or get involved with organizations, you usually need to take the time to write a check or commit the time to volunteer. However, if you want to support childhood cancer research, you don’t have to change anything about your daily lifestyle.

      In spring 2014, Mike and Erin Lee went took their 2-year-old son, Sam, to the hospital because he had been experiencing blurred vision and slurred words. They left four hours later with devastating news: Sam had been diagnosed with an incurable brain tumor.

      In addition to the horror of the overall situation, the Lees were stunned to learn that  the treatment and medication prescribed to Sam weren't any different than what would have been prescribed six years earlier.

      All types of childhood cancer combined receive only 4 percent of U.S. federal funding for cancer research, according to Amanda Mahaffey, associate director of special events at MUSC Children’s Hospital. Plus, "About 60 percent of all funding for drug development in adult cancers comes from pharmaceutical companies, and almost none of that is for pediatric cancer, because childhood cancer drugs are not profitable," says Mahaffey.

      This sparked a fire in the Lees to create a non-profit organization to change that. They started With Purpose to find simple ways to raise money for this forgotten cause.

      A close friend of the Lee family, Leigh Moscowitz, was determined to help them make a difference in a unique and engaging way. They came up with the idea to partner with local businesses to put on a series of awareness events in the community with a portion of proceeds going to With Purpose.

      “We are really trying to get consumers of any age to incorporate charitable choices into their everyday lives," explains Moscowitz. "So  you can do the things you normally do and enjoy the things you normally enjoy, but with purpose. We are trying to build charitable choices into everyday decisions.”

      Moscowitz, who teaches in the Communication Department at the College of Charleston along with Mike Lee, explains that the events benefit the business partners as well as the charity. "Not only are {the businesses} supporting a cause, but we drive people to their business," she says.

      This way of fundraising has caught on in the community, according to Moscowitz. "Cancer funding itself is nothing new, but this concept of fundraising is new. I don’t feel like this generation is full of check-writers and gala-attendees. That’s not how people of this generation want to give.”

      The organization has raised almost $60,000 in a few short months because With Purpose events are activities people would already participate in. For example, it hosted a “Pose with Purpose” event at Pure Barre in downtown Charleston. The studio held a special class and donated 100 percent of the fees to With Purpose.

      The concept is simple and effective. "If I went to a bar, and there were 100 choices on draft and one of those gave me the option to donate $1 to cancer research, I would make that choice every time,” says Moscowitz.

       With Purpose's goal is to raise $500,000 in the next year, and it's looking for suggestions for events. “People are coming up with their own ideas because literally anyone can get involved," says Moscowitz.

      To learn about upcoming events or ways to get involved, visit www.with-purpose.org.