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Athletes score big against childhood cancer

October 13, 2010

CLEVELAND - Quinn Clarke was two years old when he was diagnosed with cancer. "One of his friends at the hospital passed away," Quinn's mother, Allison, said, "and I wondered if that mom had a photograph of him."

It was at that moment that the idea for Flashes of Hope was born. The program provides free professional portraits of children with cancer. "It helps their self-esteem. It helps them feel better about the fact that they may have lost their hair. They may be getting used to a diagnosis. It does a lot for the families right in the middle of a crisis. And then obviously if a parent loses a child we can't really put a price tag on those images," Allison Clarke said.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Lake Erie Monsters strutted across the runway Wednesday night in a fashion show to benefit Flashes of Hope and the Children's Tumor Foundation. "This is one of the good things that come along with what we do because as athletes, we have a platform to be able to provide smiles and stuff like that to kids who are going through some tough times," Cavs forward Anthony Parker said.

Flashes of Hope photographs about 50% of the children with cancer across the country. Clarke's goal is to "photograph every child with cancer until the day every child is cured. "

Quinn is 11 years old now, and cancer free.

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