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efore 2013, Rally Pensacola was not 
foreseen as part of Cindi Bonner’s 
future goals. Neither was engaging 
in raising awareness for Childhood 

Cancer.  Rally Pensacola had a very organic 
beginning in the community.  When Cindi’s 
neighbor was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma 
at the age of four, she felt compelled to do 
something to help. They were bombarded with 
questions, texts, and phone calls and needed 
a way to answer everyone’s kind concerns 
while at the same time focusing on their 
daughter. Cindi, being a doer, built a website 
and Facebook page that would help keep 
their people informed. In this process, Cindi 
educated herself about childhood cancer and 
was astounded by what she read and learned. 
Not only is childhood cancer NOT rare, it is 
also severely underfunded for research. Cindi 
commented, “The people I came in contact 
with and the families I connected with and 
watched fi ght the horrible battle, changed me. 
I could no longer turn my back, I knew too 
much and had seen too much. I knew more had 
to be done in Pensacola.” Cindi established 
Rally Pensacola in the fall of 2015 and raised 
$100,000 in the fi rst year of operation. 

Rally Pensacola is an extension city for Rally 

Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research 
(Rally). Each city brings its own uniqueness to 
their city chapter. The organization is working 
together under one 501(c)3 towards the 
common mission to fi nd better treatments with 
fewer long term side-effects and, ultimately, 
cures for childhood cancer. Rally supports 
Rally Pensacola with their expertise and 
leadership. The staff in Atlanta is available to 
help assist when necessary in all departments, 
from marketing, development, special events, 
fundraising, and advocacy. Together, their 
efforts fund the most promising, cutting-edge 
childhood cancer research across the world, 
while simultaneously supporting local families 
affected by this disease. 

Rally Pensacola has established a Family 

Emergency Fund, which offers fi nancial relief 
to families in need. This allows the parent(s) 
to remain more focused on the well being 
of the child. Rally Pensacola will provide 
$1,500 annually towards bills (paying invoices 
directly) to local families who are currently 
fi ghting childhood cancer. The dollars are 
raised through generous individual donors, 
grants, and fundraising events. 

Rally Pensacola is community based, 

community supported, and volunteer driven. 

They serve children right here who are 
fi ghting cancer. There is one part-time staff 
member that was added last year through an 
endowment.  

Rally works at 92% effi ciency, therefore the 

dollars raised are truly being spent on their 
mission. 50% of all funds raised in Pensacola 
go to help local families fi ghting childhood 
cancer through the Family Emergency Fund. 
The other half goes toward research to help 
fi nd safer and more effective treatment options 
for all children battling cancer, and ultimately 
fi nd cures. Only 4% of the National Cancer 
Institute’s fi ve billion dollar budget is spent on 
childhood cancer research. Rally Pensacola will 
continue their fi ght for children and families 
faced with cancer until a cure for Childhood 
Cancer can be found.

Learn more at rallyfoundation.org/our-

team/rally-pensacola.

story by

 

Greg Alexander

 

  |  

photos provided by

 

Rally! Pensacola

RallyKid Isaiah

RallyKid Van

58     |    VIPPensacola.com

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