Children’s Cancer Research Fund (CCRF) is proud to announce the recipients of the 2024 Dream Maker Award: R.J. and Liz Shook of Boca Raton, FL.

Over the past four years, SHOOK Research and the Shook family have raised nearly $3.5 million in pursuit of cures for rare and hard-to-treat childhood cancers. SHOOK’s partnership with CCRF first began when CCRF was selected as the philanthropic beneficiary of the 2019 Forbes/SHOOK Top Advisor Summit, a conference of the nation’s top-ranked financial advisors held annually in Las Vegas.

Led by SHOOK Research Co-Founder and President R.J. Shook, their support of CCRF has enabled groundbreaking progress on treatments that were otherwise stalled due to a lack of funding. The 2019 event raised nearly $1 million for a pediatric brain tumor clinical trial led by the University of Minnesota and the 2022 event raised over $1 million for a rare childhood leukemia treatment being developed at Fred Hutch Cancer Center in Seattle, WA.

In 2023, Forbes/SHOOK Top Advisors were introduced to Leo and Lily. Both are facing one of the deadliest forms of cancer: relapsed high-risk neuroblastoma. Kids with this type of cancer face a less than 5% chance of survival. Until recently, there were no proven treatment options for kids like Leo and Lily.

Thanks to the SHOOK community, kids like Leo and Lily now have hope for a cure with new immunotherapies in clinical trial at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. During the 2023 Summit, SHOOK Top Advisors generously contributed over $1.3 million to develop lifesaving immunotherapies for kids with high-risk neuroblastoma. With this funding, researchers can ensure that these therapy options are safe, healthy, and available to children who need it.

The Dream Maker Award is CCRF’s highest honor, given selectively to a supporter who has shown outstanding commitment, dedication and generosity in our battle against childhood cancer. R.J. and Liz Shook and family and the SHOOK Research team have demonstrated an extraordinary passion for finding cures.

Children’s Cancer Research Fund will officially present the 2024 Dream Maker Award to R.J. and Liz Shook on May 4, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota at Dream, CCRF’s signature annual gala. You can learn more or purchase tickets at Dream.ChildrensCancer.org.