During cookie season, Girl Scouts learn to make decisions, manage money, demonstrate confidence, use ethics and make goals while selling Girl Scout Cookies. This season, the girls of Troop 1027 decided to donate the profits from the cookie sale to the Kate Amato Foundation to support pediatric cancer research. They called their project “Cookies for Kate.”
Kate’s mother, Lisa Amato joined the troop one night to answer questions and share Kate's story with the girls. “They asked great questions and seemed eager to help,” Lisa said. “They enjoyed hearing stories about Kate and loved looking at the scrapbook and photo albums of Kate when she was a girl scout.”
This week, Troop 1027 surprised Amato with a $900 check made to the Kate Amato Foundation. The Troop also wants to be ambassadors for foundation by spreading awareness about childhood cancer and the urgent need for research funding to develop safer, smarter treatments for kids.
“We’re blown away by these girls’ commitment, determination and enthusiasm,” Kate’s father, Jeff Amato said.
Troop #1027 includes Lauren Barksdale, Danielle Baum, Alexa Clutter, Lorena Clutter, Lauren Kate Davis, Isabella Howell, Annabel Jones, Estelle Jones, Rosie Jones and Maura Waller, with Shauna Davis as the Troop Leader and Wendy Waller as the Cookie Leader.
Kate’s parents are overwhelmed by the community’s continued support for Kate’s foundation and are especially grateful to the families who are teaching their children about Kate and encouraging kindness and compassion in the next generation.
Kate Amato Foundation
Cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in children. For those who survive, the side effects of treatment cause long-term health problems. The Kate Amato Foundation was formed in 2017 in honor of Kate Amato, who battled cancer for over 2 years.
At the young age of nine, Kate was diagnosed with stage IV alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, an aggressive soft tissue cancer that attacks skeletal muscles. Despite painful treatments and a terrible disease, Kate continually radiated kindness, joy and beauty. She was a special soul that touched all who came to know her. Though Kate is no longer with us, her loving and resilient spirit lives on in the work of The Kate Amato Foundation. Through Kate’s illness, we learned how severely underfunded research is for childhood cancer, resulting in outdated, highly toxic treatments and low survival rates for many children.
Kate’s Foundation is dedicated to finding safer, more effective treatments for children with cancer, by fundraising and supporting innovative science that accelerates the pace of progress and saves lives. For more information, visit www.KateAmatoFoundation.org.
Follow the Kate Amato Foundation on social media at TeamKate on Facebook and @kateamatofoundation on Instagram.
