AT NO COST TO YOU, GET FUNDING FOR Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation WHEN YOU:
Buy a Home / Sell a Home / Lease Commercial Property

Learn how it works

Help End Pediatric Cancer with Your Next Home Sale, Purchase or Commercial Lease

The mission of Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation  is to make a positive impact on the lives of children with cancer. As a member of Investing in Communities®, Bear Necessities can receive funding from the real estate transactions of its supporters, at no cost to the supporter or to Bear Necessities. The more supporters use this free platform before engaging a real estate agent, the more resources Bear Necessities has for its mission.

History of Bear Necessities

The foundation was founded in 1992 by Kathleen A. Casey. Since then, Bear Necessities has become one of the top nonprofits for childhood cancer in the Chicagoland area. The organization is named after Casey’s son, Barret “Bear” Krupa, who passed away in 1993 after valiantly battling Wilms Tumor, the most common type of kidney cancer in children. Before the end of his life,  he and his mother came up with the idea to form Bear Necessities. Throughout his time seeking treatment, Bear was especially selfless and cared greatly about other pediatric cancer patients. Bear and his mother both observed the unique and difficult challenges faced by pediatric cancer patients and their families. They also learned of the needs of healthcare facilities and research centers that work tirelessly to treat patients and search for a cure. These experiences have guided Kathleen and the organization as a whole as they have fought pediatric cancer on multiple fronts. Bear Necessities manages Bear Hugs and Bear Discoveries, two programs combating pediatric cancer in different ways.

Bear Hugs Program: Affecting Lives One Experience At a Time

The Bear Hugs program echoes the days when Bear expressed concern and empathy for his fellow pediatric cancer patients. A Bear Hug is a unique experience meant to bring joy to a pediatric cancer patient’s life when they need it most. Any child living in Illinois and currently in treatment can apply through their hospital’s social worker. Bear Hug requests are specialized because every child served is different. They can range from a weekend getaway with their family, to the chance to meet their favorite YouTube star.

Bear Discovery Program: Funding Research To Find a Cure

While the Bear Hugs Program focuses on touching individual lives, the Bear Discovery program has a larger scope, focusing on funding medical research. In recent years alone, Bear Discovery has funded research at Stanford, Baylor University, Northwestern University and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. These researchers are undertaking studies that will lead to advancements in the field that will extend the lives of patients and hopefully lead to a cure. In addition to research programs, Bear Necessities also funds support groups such as Beyond Diagnosis, an informational source for families dealing with pediatric cancer and blood disorders. Without the support of programs like Bear Discoveries there would be significantly less funding towards these breakthroughs. Bear Necessities works tirelessly to raise funds through events such as its annual Santa Hustle 5K Race.

How Your Real Estate Transaction Can Help Bear Necessities

Now anyone who cares about children and their families affected by pediatric cancer  can turn virtually any brokered real estate transaction into funding for Bear Necessities. Generate funding for the cause by using this free platform to choose among real estate agents that are appropriate for your residential or commercial real estate needs. Or use IIC to make arrangements with an agent you already have in mind. For example, the purchase or sale of $300,000 home can result in about $1,300 of free funding, which has a direct impact on our mission. Ready to start?