Community celebrates two decades of the healing power of art through holiday card and gift program at Roswell Park

(Buffalo, NY) Pediatric cancer patients, survivors and their families gathered today at Roswell Park Cancer Institute to officially unveil the 20th anniversary collection of The Paint Box Project®, a holiday card and gift program featuring artwork created by young cancer patients and their families. The Paint Box Project is presented by lead sponsor Upstate Pharmacy, LTD.

This year’s anniversary celebration will bring together adult survivors of childhood cancers; pediatric patients who are still in the fight; and the families of those who lost their battles with cancer but whose memory lives on through the artwork they created. Since its inception, The Paint Box Project has raised more than $7.4 million for research and patient care at Roswell Park.

Current and former pediatric patients and RPCI leadership staff were on-hand at the kick-off event to help unveil this year’s collection, which features the most beloved works of art created by patients throughout the program’s history. In addition to holiday cards, the collection offers gifts including handmade jewelry, L.L. Bean® tote bags, gourmet Choco-Logo chocolates, Build-A-Bear® “Hope for a Cure” Teddy bears, and more.

“The Paint Box Project’s twentieth anniversary is a major landmark in the program’s history,” said Candace Johnson, PhD, Deputy Director, Chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics and the Robert, Ann and Lew Wallace Chair for Translational Research at Roswell Park. “The funds that have been raised through this program have made a significant impact on cancer research and care for patients everywhere. We appreciate everyone’s continued support this year to help save lives and find cures.”

Visit www.PaintBoxProject.com today to shop online and easily customize your cards for family or business distribution. Dedicated volunteers from Classifieds Plus, Inc. are also standing by at 1-800-959-5931 to take orders or to provide gift ideas. Or, visit Tops and Wegmans locations throughout Western New York or the Roswell Park gift shop to purchase cards and gifts. 

Roswell Park Cancer Institute, founded in 1898, is the nation’s first cancer research, treatment and education center. The Institute was one of the first cancer centers in the country to be named a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and remains the only facility with this designation in Upstate New York. RPCI is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers; maintains affiliate sites; and is a partner in national and international collaborative programs. For more information, visit RPCI’s website at www.roswellpark.org, call 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724) or e-mail askrpci@roswellpark.org.

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