Superhero Costume Contest, Grants for Families and Honors for Corporate Support in Fighting Childhood Cancer and Assisting Families Affected GURNEE, Ill., Nov. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- This year you can wear your Halloween costume twice and raise money for pediatric cancer research and families of children with cancer who need help in paying medical bills and other necessities. Hundreds of Chicagoans are expected to turn out in their favorite super hero costumes at this year's Super Jake Foundation Super Jake & Friends Heroes Bash on Nov. 8 at the Northbrook Hilton in Northbrook, Ill. "The five-year survival rate for neuroblastoma is only around 30 percent and that hasn't changes in 40 years," said Ann Fahey-Widman, executive director and founder, The Super Jake Foundation. "Our mission is to find a cure through funding scientific research while also supporting families who need assistance with some of the everyday, basic necessities that can go unattended to because of the resources and time fighting this disease takes." Fahey-Widman and her husband created the 501c3 non-profit organization in response to a promise she made to her son, Jake Widman, on the day he died -- pledging to work to help alleviate the unnecessary suffering from neuroblastoma and other forms of childhood cancer. Jake succumbed to the disease in 2005. At this year's annual costume bash, several families with children suffering from pediatric cancer will receive needs-based grants for necessities such as furnaces, beds and bedding, and medical and household expenses. In addition, Abbott, a global diversified healthcare company north of Chicago will be honored with The Super Jake Super Hero Award for its ongoing corporate support for The Super Jake Foundation since its inception. Finally, a grand prize will be granted to the best super hero costume. The event costs $100 and includes dinner, dancing, open bar, and a silent and live auction. To RSVP, log on to http://www.thesuperjakefoundation.org/. Guests may also pay at the door. The Super Jake Foundation has raised close to $1 million in three years, much of which has been used for research grants. The Foundation also provides resources for families in need of financial support for household and other family needs that have largely gone unmet due to expenses and time related to taking care of a child who has cancer. Event Information Super Jake & Friends Heroes Bash Saturday, November 8, 2008 7:00 p.m. to midnight Hilton Northbrook, 2855 North Milwaukee Avenue, Northbrook, Illinois Why a "Heroes Bash?" Children battling cancer need superhuman strength to get through their ordeal. In Jake's case, his Superman shirt and cape helped him feel like a superhero, giving him strength throughout his heroic battle with cancer. The last photos taken of Jake, just one week before his death, are of him in his Spiderman costume outside the doors of Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago. The Heroes Bash honors his memory, and celebrates the extraordinary courage of all the children currently fighting cancer every day. About The Super Jake Foundation The Super Jake Foundation -- dedicated to helping kids win the battle against cancer -- is a national 501c3 nonprofit organization established to honor Jake Robert Widman, who, at age three, was diagnosed with a rare and deadly form of pediatric cancer called neuroblastoma. Super Jake fought his courageous battle for more than a year, enduring 10 rounds of chemotherapy, four surgeries and three bone marrow transplants. Although physicians said he was in clinical remission in February 2005, he suffered a relapse a month later and died on May 27, 2005. Jake's family then established The Super Jake Foundation to fund and find a cure for neuroblastoma. For more information about The Super Jake Foundation or Jake's story, go to http://www.thesuperjakefoundation.org/. DATASOURCE: The Super Jake Foundation CONTACT: Ann Widman of The Super Jake Foundation, +1-847-625-0436, Web site: http://www.thesuperjakefoundation.com/ http://www.justforjake.com/

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