Chain of Balloons is a sponsored bicycle tour by young (ex) cancer patients and their brothers and sisters. The cyclists want to prove that there is life after cancer and they want to raise money. Chain of Balloons is a hundreds of kilometer long bicycle ride that aims to give children with cancer and their families hope, good courage and cycling fun and that raises money for a good cause. Participants are between 15 and 25 years old and with their performance they raise money for the VOKK, an association of parents of children with cancer.

Necklace of Balloons

Chain of Balloons is a sponsored tour that draws attention to children with cancer, encourages children and their families and raises money for a good cause. It is a project of the Parents, Children and Cancer Association (VOKK).The first edition of the Chain of Balloons bicycle tour took place in 2008. The sponsored bicycle tour takes you past the seven pediatric oncology hospitals in the Netherlands. The cyclists get off at the hospitals and visit the oncology departments. The event takes place once every five years. The fifth edition was in 2012. The sixth time that the young people with a history of cancer will make the trip is in 2018.

Sponsored tour with bicycles

The bike ride aims to give hope to children and young people with cancer and their families. Completing the tour is a personal victory for many participants after a difficult period. Moreover, it is a sponsored bicycle tour, so that money is also raised for the VOKK. The Chain of Balloons tour lasts a week. The participants look for sponsors themselves. That sponsorship money is spent on children who are in hospital and have or have had cancer. It goes to buddy projects, KanjerKetten and activities such as camps and outings are organized. The cyclists collect tens of thousands of euros. Sponsors are large companies, small companies and family and friends of the cyclists.

Cycling tour of Hope

The cycling event is also called the Cycle Tour of Hope .

VOKK

The Parents, Children and Cancer Association is an interest group that was founded on November 17, 1987. The VOKK wants to guide and support families with a child with cancer. She does this in various ways:

• telephone helplines
• discussion groups
• mentoring program
• website with discussion area
• magazine Attent
• magazine Lef
• books, brochures and video
• KanjerNecklace
• teaching cases
• symposiums
• website VOKK
• website Koesterkind
• advocacy

The VOKK is for it

• cancer patients
• brothers and sisters
• parents and caregivers
• grandparents
• former childhood cancer patients

KanjerNecklace

One of the VOKK projects is the KanjerKetting . Patients receive a bead with each treatment, which can be strung on a chain. For each treatment it is a different color, different shape, different size. With the bead necklace the child can show what he or she has endured: the beads tell the story as a kind of diary, where the child can tell when he or she got which bead and how it went, what he noticed at the time and how he felt about it. since the day of that bead perished. The KanjerKettingen make beautiful colorful necklaces. The necklace is a precious keepsake for parents whose child has died.

Bead sponsors

Anyone who wants to support the Kanjerketen initiative can adopt a bead via the website www.kanjerketen.nl. There are various possibilities:

• adopt some beads (from 5 euros per year)
• adopt a Kanjernecklace (80 euros per year)
• adopt a unique KanjerKraal (1,500 euros per year)

Contact

VOKK

• Chimney 2b
• 3431 JB Nieuwegein
• Telephone: 030-242 29 44
• email: [email protected]
• website: www.vokk.nl

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