We are thrilled to announce our upcoming wedding and cannot wait to share our special day with you. As we prepare for our big day, we have been reflecting on the blessings in our lives. One of the things that we are most grateful for is our health and the health of our loved ones.

Unfortunately, not everyone is as fortunate. For those of you who do not know, Denise has experienced firsthand the devastating impact of cancer after losing her brother, Robert, to this disease when he was only 24. Robert had just been diagnosed with cancer as a newlywed at 23. One of her favorite memories of her brother include the time Robert ordered 3 stacks of pancakes thinking they contained only 1 hotcake. Boy, was he surprised when NINE pancakes arrived at their table and he was expected to eat them all!

In 2020, we were introduced to a brave little boy named Connor, and when thinking of how to celebrate our upcoming wedding, we decided we wanted to honor Robert and do something now in hopes of helping future families avoid the grief Denise's family experienced then and the rollercoaster of emotions Connor's family is still experiencing 40 years later. 

Connor was diagnosed with brain cancer when he was just two years old in October of 2020. He has experienced multiple surgeries, numerous hospital stays, and 8 months of chemotherapy. In October of 2021, Connor relapsed and received 6 weeks of proton therapy. Despite his experiences, his spirit remains unbroken. We have been inspired by his courage and resilience, and we want to do everything we can to support him and his family.

That's why, instead of traditional wedding gifts, we are asking our guests to donate to the North Dakota Chapter of The Cure Starts Now, Connor's CUREsaders. This amazing organization, The Cure Starts Now (501c3 Federal Non Profit), is one of the only cancer foundations dedicated to a "homerun" cure for all cancers, starting first with the most deadly and difficult cancers: pediatric brain cancer.

Together, we believe fighting pediatric cancer may in fact provide us the critical first step in winning the battle against all forms of cancer, both pediatric and adult. 

Every donation, no matter how small, can make a difference in the fight against childhood cancer and 100% of the donations go directly to pediatric cancer research. We are so grateful for any support you can give, and we can't wait to celebrate our wedding with you!

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts,

Cindy and Denise

About the charity:
The Cure Starts Now is the largest funder of DIPG research in the world and also provides research funding for other brain cancers such as medulloblastoma.  Children are diagnosed with cancer every day and The Cure Starts Now is in the forefront of finding and funding a cure. This research focuses on innovative researchers, efficient funding and effective results.