Marsh McLennan Agency’s Commitment to Corporate Responsibility Transforms Families’ Lives Inside and Outside the Office
The 2023 Marsh McLennan Agency (MMA) Charity Classic, benefiting the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, will take place on Wednesday, September 27, with an auction and live broadcast, followed by their annual Cocktails & Cornhole event on October 24.
Over the past 19 years, employees from Marsh McLennan Agency’s Southeast region have impacted the lives of thousands of families in need. Every year, they pour countless hours into working with the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation to provide financial relief to families facing the devastating news of a child’s brain cancer diagnosis.
Pediatric brain cancer is the United States’ most commonly diagnosed childhood cancer and deadliest childhood disease, and this health crisis is only growing. More children under the age of 19 are now diagnosed and dying from brain cancer than ever before, while adult brain cancer patients are experiencing declines in mortality rates and incidence of diagnosis.
Yet the challenges and barriers families face often go unseen. Federal funding for pediatric brain cancer research and legislation to improve families’ access to care aren’t keeping up with the growing need, and many states don’t include guidance for the needs of childhood cancer patients in their CDC-funded cancer resource plans.
Because of the lack of awareness and resources, the economic burden of a pediatric brain tumor diagnosis can be catastrophic. One in four caregivers of a child with cancer lose more than 40% of their median annual income because of work disruptions related to treatment.*
Marsh McLennan Agency started their Charity Classic in 2004 to ease the distress so many families face. Their financial support offers a lifeline – providing parents and caregivers a moment of relief so they can focus on the care of their child, not the bill that’s due in two days. All funds raised will go towards the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation’s Butterfly Fund, which provides emergency financial assistance to families of children in treatment at partnering medical facilities.
Through the creativity and commitment of their employees, Marsh McLennan Agency’s Charity Classic has grown from a golf tournament that raised funds for a handful of families at one hospital into the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation’s single largest fundraiser: a multi-day auction, live broadcast and cornhole tournament that raises funds for families in 21 hospitals across the country.
Marsh McLennan Agency is not only making a larger impact in families’ lives than ever before; their support of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation’s mission has become a cornerstone of their corporate culture and their engagement with employees on a personal level. Outside of the event, individuals and teams from across the organization volunteer with the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation throughout the year. Recently, employees across 11 offices organized a gift card drive to help families pay for gas to their child’s treatment and put food on their tables.
“Marsh McLennan Agency’s dedication to our community transcends what you think of when you think of ‘corporate responsibility’ with incredible compassion and determination,” says Courtney Davies, President and CEO of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. “Even though most of MMA’s employees have not been personally impacted by childhood brain cancer, they take personal responsibility for the hours they dedicate to our mission and show an unwavering commitment to children and families they’ve never met. We are incredibly grateful for their partnership.”
For more information about the Marsh McLennan Agency Charity Classic program and the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, visit mma-pbtfcharityclassic.com and curethekids.org.
About the Pediatric Brain Tumor FoundationSince 1991, the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation’s research funding, advocacy, and family support have led the way in ending the childhood cancer community’s biggest crisis. Dedicated wholly to addressing this rare, but devastating disease and guided by the experiences of patients, survivors, their parents, and siblings, the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation is the only organization to meet families’ needs along every step of their cancer journey.
The largest patient advocacy funder of pediatric brain tumor research, the foundation also funds and advocates for innovative projects that lead to vital discoveries, new clinical trials, and better treatments – all bringing us closer to a cure. We’re able to do that because of people and partners committed to supporting families and ending childhood brain cancer. Learn more at www.curethekids.org.
About Marsh McLennan Agency
Marsh McLennan Agency provides business insurance, employee health & benefits, retirement, and private client insurance solutions to organizations and individuals seeking limitless possibilities. With 10,000 colleagues and 170 offices across North America, Marsh McLennan Agency combines the personalized service model of a local consultant with the global resources of the world’s leading professional services firm, Marsh McLennan (NYSE: MMC).
* Source: Disparities in household material hardship, financial toxicity, and income loss in pediatric cancer, July 2023
The Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation (PBTF) proudly announces an infusion of $1 million to help researchers, led by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s Drs. Pratiti (Mimi) Bandopadhayay and Rameen Beroukhim, launch a study into a novel therapeutic target and expand their research into overcoming treatment resistance and rebound growth.
Recently, the Accelerating Kids' Access to Care Act gained significant momentum in Congress when Charlie, a 12-year-old brain tumor survivor and advocate with the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, testified to the U.S. Senate Finance Committee about the hurdles families face when seeking treatment for their child. Now, to see it become law requires your immediate action.
