A portion of the sales of each ornament will support the Killian Foundation  

Grove City, Pennsylvania – September 15, 2014: Wendell August, premier metal giftware manufacturer, announces the launch of a  cancer awareness ornament to support the Killian Foundation, which helps children suffering from pediatric cancers travel to Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh to receive research treatments.  The ‘Faith, Love & Believe’ Ornament was created in support of the cause, and 50% of its sales will be donated to the Killian Foundation.

The Killian Foundation, a non-profit organization, was created after Christine and Scott Killian’s 10-year old daughter was successfully treated for a malignant brain tumor at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.  Following their own experience, they were inspired to help other children and their families after witnessing children enduring treatment alone or families who missed out on the experimental “last hope” treatments because they could not afford the traveling involved.

 “We are always interested in supporting our community and causes that we are passionate about.  The Killian family is a close friend of the Wendell August Family and their foundation holds a special place in our hearts.  The idea behind creating this ornament was to not only help support the organization financially, but to spread the word about their mission to help families of pediatric cancer afford the treatment their children deserve,” says Will Knecht, Wendell August President and Board Member for the Killian Foundation.  “We hope this awareness effort will help inspire others reach out in support of this worthy cause.”

Ornaments will be available for sale on www.wendellaugust.com or through Wendell August’s three retail stores.  For more information on the Killian Foundation, visit www.killianfoundation.org.

About Wendell August Forge

A time-honored tradition of hand-crafted elegance for 91 years, Wendell August makes heirloom-quality personalized metal giftware and jewelry to celebrate life’s special moments. Our American-made high-quality, functional gifts fit within any budget and can be found at store locations, www.wendellaugust.com and more than 500 gift shops nationwide.  For more information, visit www.wendellaugust.com

Hermitage, PA – May 21, 2014 – The Killian Foundation announced today the successful completion of its inaugural charity golf tournament at Tam O’Shanter Golf Course on May 17th.

The event was supported by 68 players, 97 corporate and individual sponsors, and 31 volunteers including 2 groups from Kohl’s Cares. The event raised nearly $14,000 to benefit pediatric cancer patients and their families at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC (CHP).

“The cold and windy weather couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm or the support we received from the community,” said Chris Killian, Director of The Killian Foundation. “We are extremely grateful for the tremendous participation we received from sponsors, players and volunteers.”

About The Killian Foundation

The Killian Foundation is a Pennsylvania (501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 2012 to provide financial assistance to families with children receiving cancer treatment at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Most of the families we help are traveling from out of the area to receive potentially life saving research treatments. Our assistance is focused on helping the most needy families where travel is a severe financial hardship.

For more information on the Killian Foundation and the 2014 Charity Golf Tournament, or for media requests, please visit our website at www.killianfoundation.org or contact:

Chris Killian
(724) 813-7771 chris@rivercurve.com

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The Killian Foundation announced today the successful completion of a month-long holiday fundraising initiative to benefit pediatric cancer patients and their families at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC (CHP).

The 9th floor at CHP is dedicated to pediatric cancer patients, many of whom will be receiving treatment during the holidays. CHP Child Life Specialists and social workers identified patients and their families who are under the most severe financial hardship this holiday season. The Killian Foundation raised $8,500 in cash and donations to provide gifts and assist with basic living needs for these families.

“Although this particular fundraiser was outside the scope of our Foundation’s core mission, we were presented with a need and our community responded in a big way,” said Chris Killian, Director of The Killian Foundation. “Our original goal was to focus on pediatric cancer patients, but the sheer volume of generosity shown by our community allowed us to extend this to other patients.”

Gifts were purchased for 24 specific CHP patients and their immediate family members. An additional 300 gifts were provided to CHP staff to distribute directly to hospital patients.

Nearly 1000 handmade cards and letters of encouragement were produced by grades K-7 Hermitage school district students and community members. Hermitage middle and high school students and staff also produced video cards for distribution.

“This was only possible due to the spirit of cooperation we received from our local community,” said Killian. “Over 70 people rolled up their sleeves to help wrap the gifts including several Hermitage school district principals and Superintendent Dan Bell. When the challenge of how to transport this many items to Pittsburgh was surfaced, Elite EMS (a local ambulance service) stepped in with two vehicles to deliver them.”

“I know firsthand what it means to be on the 9th floor. I was diagnosed with a brain tumor at CHP in 2011 and I continue to receive treatment there,” remarked 7th grader Lauren Killian whose own experience with cancer and the subsequent outpouring of support from her community inspired her family to establish the Killian Foundation in 2012. “If we can bring a little holiday cheer or put a smile on a kid’s face for even a moment, then we’ve accomplished our goal.”