The “Hopp Children’s Cancer Center Heidelberg” (KiTZ) is a joint initiative of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg University Hospital (UKHD), and Heidelberg University (Uni HD).
“With around 360 participants, more flower shops, garden centers, and nurseries have gotten involved this year than ever before,” says campaign coordinator Frederike Scheurer from the KiTZ fundraising team. “Every year, the campaign shows us what collective commitment can achieve, and for that we are deeply grateful to everyone who supports it.” As in previous years, the initiative was supported by the Professional Association of German Florists (FDF) and Fleurop AG, which once again contributed its own charity bouquet to the campaign. In addition, numerous other companies, associations, and individuals supported the campaign.
Thanks to the donations, concrete projects can be implemented each year that help improve the treatment of children and adolescents with cancer. Within the EU CAN KIDS Alliance—which includes not only KiTZ but also the Prinses Máxima Centrum in Utrecht and the Institut Curie in Paris—the funds from this year’s campaign will go toward a research project aimed at improving radiation therapy for particularly aggressive brain tumors.
“Diffuse midline gliomas are among the most serious diagnoses in pediatric oncology,” explains project leader Maximilian Deng, a researcher at Heidelberg University’s Faculty of Medicine and a physician at KiTZ and the Department of Radiation Oncology and Radiotherapy at Heidelberg University Hospital (UKHD). “They develop in central areas of the brain and are therefore particularly difficult to treat. Radiation therapy is the primary treatment, but many tumors recur.”
To better understand these processes and find targeted ways to overcome them, the research team is using lab-grown mini-tumors to investigate how tumor tissue responds to different forms of radiation and which techniques are most effective.
“Any progress in this area can extend lives or reduce side effects,” Deng emphasizes. “The fact that this project is made possible largely through donations shows just how crucial community support is for childhood cancer research. We are deeply grateful to everyone who supports this campaign.”
The campaign was also visible on social media: Numerous supporters shared their personal motivations on Instagram and raised awareness about childhood cancer. Prominent voices such as TV host Dr. Johannes Wimmer and actress and voice actress Anja Kling, both of whom have been advocates for KiTZ for years, helped the campaign reach a wider audience.
Since its launch in 2021, participants and supporters of “Give Flowers. Spread Hope.” have already raised approximately 586,000 euros in donations. Anyone who would like to continue supporting KiTZ with flowers beyond the campaign period can order the Fleurop Charity Bouquet year-round—and send a message of hope.
