Valley kids paint hearts to help send cancer patients to summer camp

PHOENIX (FOX 10) - In a special Valentine's fundraiser, Valley children got creative to help others their age facing debilitating illness.

"I love that children are painting and helping other children," said Carrie Curran, owner of Carrie Curran Art Studio.

An act of kindness goes a long way and showing some love can help heal.

"Today the kids are painting hearts for sale that are going to be for sale in the studio and a little boutique in our complex called Dandelion," said Curran.

This group of creative kids gathered at Carrie Curran Art Studio for some fun and fundraising.

"These proceeds will go to send kids from Southwest Kids Cancer Foundation to summer camp," said Curran.

"Statistically kids with cancer with these quality[sic] of life programs they're finding that when kids participate in quality of life programs they see their diagnosis as a speed bump, not a death sentence because they see that they can do things other kids are doing that they can survive the disease they can be ok afterward," said Margaret Anderson with Southwest Kids Cancer Foundation.

Since 1983, Southwest Kids Cancer Foundation has been sending hundreds of kids each year, their siblings and parents, to camp in Payson. It costs $1,000 to send a camper up north, so every donation makes a difference.

"One of the things that's important is a lot of kids are aware that children, that some of their classmates have had cancer, we have kids here a little girl whose brother had cancer," said Anderson.

The campers get to fish, hike, make memories, just like the kids painting did, and that's why they worked so hard.

The studio is holding another class, this one for adults, on February 12 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. All funds raised that night will go to Southwest Kids Cancer Foundation. The event includes painting and wine. Sign up here.