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Hope Street Kids Receives $35,000 in Support of Pediatric Cancer Research from The Scotts Company

Funding will Support Neuroblastoma Research at Dana Farber Cancer Institute

Columbus, OH, May 21, 2004 — Congresswoman Deborah Pryce (R-OH-15) and Randy Walker, Founders of Hope Street Kids, were pleased to receive a $35,000 gift from The Scotts Company in support of research studies in the area of Neuroblastoma at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

The Scotts Company, headquartered in Marysville, Ohio, is the world's leading supplier of consumer products for lawn and garden care. Scotts corporate caring initiative, Give Back to Grow, supports numerous outreach programs both locally and nationally, with an emphasis on children and education.

"Hope Street Kids is taking the lead as the champion for kids with cancer," said Jim Hagedorn, Scotts CEO. "It is our privilege to support them in their great work."

"The Columbus community is very fortunate to have such generous and compassionate companies like The Scotts Company who are concerned about the future of our children," said Congresswoman Pryce, HSK Co-Founder. "Pediatric cancer research is the key to providing hope for future generations free from childhood cancer. The Hope Street Kids Pediatric Cancer Research Program continues to lead this fight because of generous supporters like The Scotts Company."

Hope Street Kids' mission is to eliminate childhood cancer through cutting-edge research, advocacy and education. The organization was founded by Congresswoman Pryce and Mr. Walker after losing their nine-year-old daughter, Caroline, to Neuroblastoma in September of 1999.

Childhood cancer continues to be the number one cause of death by disease in children, as more than 12,500 new cases are diagnosed each year. One-third of all children who are diagnosed with cancer will not survive.

"The Scotts Company, our corporate neighbor and friend here in Central Ohio, has generously committed a $35,000 grant for Neuroblastoma research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute," said Randy Walker, HSK Co-Founder. "Neuroblastoma is one of the most common and life-threatening of all solid tumor types. It has an alarmingly high mortality rate and all of us here at Hope Street Kids are grateful to The Scotts Company for their support of this cutting-edge research."

At Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Drs. A. Thomas Look and Rodney A. Stewart are establishing a model in order to study Neuroblastoma. The disease is one of the most common solid tumors in children and is the leading cause of cancer death in children ages one to four. Despite great advances in the treatment of all childhood cancers, the long-term survival rate for those diagnosed with Stage IV of the disease remains below the 20 - 30 percent mark.

As a result, researchers are establishing a model in zebrafish, whose central nervous systems are similar to humans. The central nervous system can be observed as it develops, thereby providing a unique opportunity to see how Neuroblastoma develops in its early stages.

According to Dr. Look, "This innovative approach to Neuroblastoma research will have an enormous impact on developing effective therapies for this devastating childhood cancer."

Hope Street Kids awarded a two-year fellowship grant to this team of researchers in 2003, during its third round of funding. Since inception, Hope Street Kids has awarded $1.9 million to cutting-edge childhood cancer research studies all across the country. In the 2003 round of grants, awards were also made to support research at The Children¡¦s Hospital at The Cleveland Clinic, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, University of California at San Francisco, Emory University, Upstate Medical Center in New York and Baylor College of Medicine.

Hope Street Kids adheres to a grant review process accepted by the National Institutes of Health. A panel of the country's top experts in the field review all grant submissions. Hope Street Kids hopes to award $870,000 in new grants in July of 2004.


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Contacts
Hope Street Kids Contact: Robin Stock, 614-228-4820, rmstock@rrohio.com
The Scotts Company Contact: Dianna Keller, 937-578-5655, dianna.keller@scotts.com

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