The 34th Annual Children’s Cancer Fund Gala Features Troy Aikman and Dak Prescott As Honorary Chairs

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The 34th annual Children’s Cancer Fund gala, themed “A Knight to Remember,” will take place on Friday, April 19, at the Hilton Anatole. A Real Life Fairytale’s Emberli Pridham is chairing this year’s gala, with Troy Aikman and Dak Prescott serving as honorary chairs. But another star appearing at the gala is the hospital’s beloved service dog, Canter. 

In 2022, local non-profit organization Children’s Cancer Fund (CCF) created the Pet Therapy Endowment, which brought Canter to Dallas to work with pediatric cancer patients and ensured continued funding for future facility dogs. 

Canter works 40 hours per week, primarily on the sixth floor of Children’s Medical Center with oncology patients. She also makes visits to the neurosurgery floor, where her handler works, as well as the intensive care unit. On many days, the most important work that Canter does is snuggle with young patients atop their hospital beds. There is a healing power to the warmth of a dog with silky ears in your lap. Even for employees at Children’s Medical Center and UT Southwestern Medical Center, Canter shines light. She provides comfort and tail wags to doctors and nurses every day, but especially on the hardest and darkest days when the team experiences a loss on the pediatric oncology floor.

For parents like Julie Duncan, CCF fulfilled an essential need. “The therapy dogs bring so much joy to the children going through cancer. CCF stepped up and funded pet therapy as soon as they knew there was a need. This is what CCF is known for, always providing the best for patients who are in need,” she said. 

CCF’s funding of the Child Life Program aims to address the whole child and not just the illness they are facing. Trained Child Life specialists help young patients cope with stressful and traumatic events. Whether it’s by utilizing art therapy, music therapy, or pet therapy, the Child Life specialists bring out the emotions of the child they’re working with, allowing them to express their thoughts and minimize their anxieties. These supportive therapies help children cope so when they finish their treatments and are in remission, they can successfully return to their lives. 

Treating children with cancer is a multidisciplinary approach, and the money that Children’s Cancer Fund raises directly benefits pediatric cancer research and treatment programs. By addressing the full spectrum of childhood cancer, CCF invests in the well-being – body, mind, and spirit – of pediatric cancer patients in North Texas. 

You can support this important work by attending CCF’s gala on Friday, April 19. Cheer on Dallas royalty like Troy, Dak, and Canter as they join our city’s bravest cancer patients for “A Knight to Remember.” 

Event proceeds benefit Children’s Health’s Child Life program, which includes pet therapy from Canter. For more information or to purchase a sponsorship package for A Knight to Remember, click here.