Kans for kids is a nonprofit organization that helps children in our community who are facing the battle of childhood cancer. It provides a support system for the child and their family. Over the years, they have raised thousands of dollars through recycling aluminum cans.

Recycling your Kans

Providing financial support to these families is something that you can do easily. All you have to do to impact a family’s life is start saving your kans. Instead of throwing them away, put them to the side in a separate bag, when you fill the bag, you can take it to one of the four drop offs in town and recycle your kans. 

Locations

East of Best Western, 10th Street

ACME Pipe and Steel, 700 Frey Street

Waters True Value, 1649 State Road 96

Pour House, 2801 Main Street

The Families 

In all they have helped 34 families in our local areas. One of them attends our high school and is named Kadin White. Throughout the organization, six of these children have lost their battle. They are Dade, Gael, Kristin, Garett, Adam, and Nova. The kans for kids website uses the quote 

“Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal.”

Personal Stories

My family was one of the 34 families who have been helped by Kans for Kids. My Brother Kadin, is a cancer survivor. Kadin was diagnosed with leukemia in October 2012. He was 10 years old when he first started his cancer battle. he is now 19 year old’s and is cancer free. He is in the 18-21 program and still helps out at our school. being personally helped by kans for kids, I can truly say they are an amazing organization that has helped my family in so many ways. Weather that’s financial support or mental support, they are there. I also talked with Drew Dewitt. He is a junior at our high school who is the brother of Dade. Dade was five years old when he started his battle. At that young age he was diagnosed with leukemia in April of 2009. He relapsed a total of five times before he lost his battle in 2018. Dade was strong and always puts others needs before himself. No matter how sick or how much pain he was in, he always found away to make sure everyone around him was happy. Drew quotes “They have helped me and my family personally with our hopes and morals along the way. They have helped with the physical things like meals and gifts” I asked him if he could say one thing to them right now, what would it be and he said “Thank you  for everything you have done, it has made it so much easier and I am sure my family would say the same thing and probably more”. i also asked him his favorite part about this organization and he said “the people that are apart of it are the nicest people you will ever meet. I think its a great organization to donate to because it helps so many different people with a bunch of different things”

How It Started

Kans for kids was started by  11-year-old Sarah and 8-year-old Shane Reif of Hoisington. They wanted to help their 10 month old cousin with the medical expenses. After helping their cousin, they wanted to make a bigger impact and spread to form Kans for Kids Fighting Cancer Foundation. 

Radio thon

The 11th Annual Kans for Kids Fighting Cancer Radiothon will take place on Friday, March 25. You can tune into the radio station and listen as the kans for kids survivors and their families tell their stories. This will be happening from 8am to 6pm. Throughout the day, they accept and air calls for donation pledges or you can stop by one of the locations mentioned above to stop and give your donations or kans in person. While these are the Great Bend Locations there are over 10 more in different local towns around the area. 

Overall, kans for kids’ is an amazing organization who deserves the support from our locals. They are here, to support our small county’s in are area. We are lucky to have an organization right here in front of us to support these families who have been affected by something so huge. I challenge you, to go online and donate at the Kans for Kids website or if you cannot donate cash,  to start collect your kans to donate without having to give up your money. .