The U-Haul Self-Storage Affiliate Network is teaming up with the St. Baldrick’s Foundation benefiting childhood cancer research once again! After the success of our charity garage sale  held in partnership with West Phoenix Self-Storage in 2013, we’re excited for another opportunity to show our continued support for this amazing cause.

On September 7,  2014, volunteers of all ages, from states across the United States will participate in the Fifth Annual Human Line of Hope. Participating teams will gather together while each person holds a letter, spelling out the name or phrase of their choice while standing in a line. These names can be in support or memory of a loved one or any words of encouragement that you would like to share. There will also be 50 “secret” words that will make up a message that relates to childhood cancer. Each team will be assigned at least one word. Each team will take pictures and/or video of their team displaying their words to be part of a sideshow that will be created. These photos and videos will be passed on to the events creator Lou Monteleone who will create a video with the compilation of the words of hope.

This year’s goal is to have all 50 states participate in the Human Line of Hope. If you would like to join the Human Line of Hope in your area or have friends or family living in another state that would like to participate please email lineofhope@hvc.rr.com  or  go to register your team using the name Line of Hope – (State).

All proceeds from this event will benefit the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. You are not required to make a donation to participate in this event but every dollar raised helps. This foundation is dedicated to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancer. Since 2005, St. Baldrick’s has awarded more than $103 million  to support lifesaving research making the foundation the largest private funder of childhood cancer research grants. To learn more about St. Baldrick’s and see the difference they are making please go to www.stbaldricks.org.

The U-Haul Self-Storage Affiliate Network is teaming up with the St. Baldricks team not only because this is an amazing foundation that makes a difference in the lives of people all over the world, but also in support of one of our own. In August 2013, Alonna Ross, one of our Operations Analysts for the U-Haul Self-Storage Affiliate Network and her husband Jeff received the news no parent wants to receive. Their 9-year-old son Joshua had a malignant brain tumor that had also spread to his spine.  “There are no words that can express the feelings that you have when you hear that one of your children is sick” Alonna said.  “Although Joshua is my step-son, I love and care for him as if he were my own child. You truly do feel helpless because as a parent all you want to do it take it away for them and you can’t. As parents you have to be the glue that holds not only your child going through this but your family together, in our case our other 4 children, but who holds you together during this time? For me this was the overwhelming support from our family, friends, employers and even strangers. You can’t imagine how much the words of encouragement can mean to a family that is going through this life altering event. We are extremely blessed to be one of the survival stories. Thanks to the advances made through research that is funded by foundations like the St.Baldrick’s Foundation we still have Joshua. We are happy to say that Joshua has hopefully received his last Chemotherapy treatment as of Monday, August 11th 2014.”

Want to learn more about the Line of Hope event? Watch the video here.

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