Company charity backs child cancer research

When Chip Madren was 13 years old, he was robbed of his childhood.

The words metastatic anaplastic medulloblastoma sounded like gibberish to his friends, but to Madren, it translated to chemotherapy, months away from school at a time and no more fishing trips with his dad.

The diagnosis was aggressive brain cancer in addition to a rare syndrome that deprived Madren of basic motor functions. While other teenagers were out on ball fields and learning to drive, Madren had to re-learn how to talk and swallow his food.

Last year, 19-year-old Madren, a resident of Sandy Springs, traversed via wheelchair the Oconee County High School track as hundreds of people ran up and down the stadium steps after having donated to CURE Childhood Cancer, an organization that sends research dollars to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and the Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University.

“I never thought this would all happen because of me, but I am so thankful,” he said last year when Lendmark Financial Services raised $280,000. The goal this year is $500,000, which will go toward CURE Childhood Cancer’s goal of $3.5 million for cancer research.

Lendmark employees around the country have held their own fundraisers. Philanthropy has taken the form of golf tournaments, cookbooks and Tshirts.

In Oconee County, hundreds of supporters will come out to the company’s second annual “Climb to a Million” fundraiser Aug. 5 at the Oconee County High School Warrior Stadium. Race registration is at 8 a.m. and should be done by noon. A special walk by Madren and a family picnic follows the race.

Lendmark, which offers loans and retail sales financing services, is based out of Covington, but CEO Bobby Aiken resides in Watkinsville. Running the stadium steps is part of his weekly workout regiment.

“I’ve had several brushes with this terrible disease throughout my life and decided that last year, during Lendmark’s 20th anniversary, was the year that we do something about it,” said Aiken. The climb is representative of the courage, persistence and physical endurance children must possess when battling cancer. Fore more information, visit climbtoamillion.com or email climbtoamillion@lendmarkfinancial.com.