The seeds of the Hope & Heroes Children's Cancer Fund were planted in 1996 when a teenage cancer patient wrote to Tino Martinez, then playing first base for the New York Yankees. A friendship ensued and Martinez invited her to watch him at training camp. He then pledged to help fight childhood cancer by making a donation for every RBI he recorded. Picking up on the story, Mike Lupica, a New York Daily News sportswriter, dubbed it "Hope & Heroes."



In spring 2007, our division became the largest pediatric oncology program in the tri-state area (New York State Department of Health, SPARCS statistics). To meet the needs of our patient populations, we raise money from grateful families and friends, community organizations, foundations, corporations and concerned individuals.

Our mission is profound in scope. Our division does not turn anyone in need away. As a community program, we reflect, in a very real way, the needs and health of the population we serve. Providing care at the level of excellence we are known for includes non-reimbursable expenses—and in the current climate of government, hospital and insurance funding, divisions such as ours cannot be sustained without ongoing philanthropy.

As the preeminent institution of its kind in the world’s greatest metropolis, our division continues to strive for better treatments and possible cures for childhood cancers. Our ability to continue doing that is dependent on the generosity of people like you. We are truly grateful.