MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Every summer, West Virginia University Children’s Hospital throws a party and provides cancer patients, cancer survivors and their siblings the opportunity to just be kids and forget about cancer for a little while. Though the party is held during the summer, it has a winter twist – those who attend design holiday greeting cards called Cards of Hope.

The cards are the main funding source for the Cure Kids Cancer Fund, a project of WVU Children’s Hospital that ensures patients are provided state-of-the-art medical care, as well as psychological and social support for them and their families. Card sales also benefit the Beads of Courage program, which allows pediatric cancer patients the opportunity to tell their cancer stories through strings of beads.

The 2010 Cards of Hope artists are:
•    Adam Brode, 9, Rawlings, Md.
•    Michael Carroll, 13, Wheeling, W.Va.
•    Becky Diller, 16, Oakland, Md.
•    Claire Helmick, 3, Weston, W.Va.
•    Glendon Koon, 12, Westover, W.Va.
•    Jaya Pillai, 15, Morgantown, W.Va.
•    Ally Quigley, 9, Grafton, W.Va.
•    Saige Sprouse, 7, Shinnston, W.Va.
•    Savannah Stalnaker, 14, Buckhannon, W.Va.
•    Cody Sullivan, 17, Oakland, Md.

Cards are sold in packages of 20 with 21 envelopes. The holiday cards can be purchased in packages of one design or the collection package, which contains two of each card.

There is also a collection of cards drawn by Brogan Raddish of Fairmont, who passed away in November 2009, after a lengthy battle with cancer. Brogan’s Collection has nine cards, most of which feature angels. The collection is sold in packages of 18 cards with 19 envelopes.

Another special feature of this year’s edition of Cards of Hope is a card drawn by Tyler George, 20, of Elkins, W.Va. His card, called “With a Little Hope,” was chosen by the office of WVU President James Clements as the president’s official holiday card. Tyler’s card can be purchased in a collection of 20 cards with 21 envelopes.

In addition to the holiday cards and special collections, an all-occasion package is also available for purchase. Each package contains five cards of each design. The cards are blank inside.

All packages of cards – either single designs or collections – are $15. Cards can be purchased online at www.cardsofhope.com or by phone at 304-598-4346 ext. 2.

For more information about WVU Children’s Hospital, see www.wvukids.com.