In this current school year, 10 CCC college students are attending school with a little help from the Empowering Scholarship program. The Ockenfels Family Foundation leads the way in donor contributions to this key CCC support program.
“In 1972, my sister Debbie (pictured at left) passed away from cancer at the age of 17,” said Andy Ockenfels. “The American Cancer Society (ACS) assisted our family during this time both physically, with special needs equipment and emotionally helping the family deal with issues involved in fighting cancer.”
Inspired by the help their family received, parents Mort and Marcy Ockenfels started recycling programs and donated the profits to ACS. In the 1990s, the next generation started the Ockenfels Family Foundation. With proceeds from an annual charity golf outing, they created an endowment program for assisting children’s cancer programs. When ACS later changed its mission to focus on research and curing cancer, the Foundation put all its funds toward childhood cancer-related scholarships and camps.
“By funding these programs, we stuck with our family goals to support children’s cancer programs,” Andy said. “As a family of 11 kids, we recognize the financial and emotional stress brought on by a sibling fighting cancer. We wanted to be sure our donations assisted both childhood cancer patients and their siblings.”
CCC is proud to offer the Empowering Scholarship program to both oncology and sibling applicants.
“If you are looking for a direct way in assisting kids with cancer and their siblings, I strongly encourage donations to this scholarship program,” Andy said. “Cancer does not just affect individuals, but the fight to cure it affects entire families.”