Rowlett High School freshman Jacob Pumphrey is a featured model in the Children’s Cancer Fund Gala “An Evening in the Garden.” The gala is Friday, April 26 at the Hilton Anatole Dallas. The event begins with a silent auction and VIP reception at 6 p.m. followed by the dinner and program at 7 p.m.
Chair Kimberly Schlegel Whitman joins longtime honorary co-chairs Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman to kick off the evening. The event is expected to raise more than $1 million to support pediatric cancer research and treatment programs at Children’s Health and UT Southwestern. Staubach who has been involved all 31 years and Aikman, in his 22nd year, will join other celebrities and sponsors as runway escorts for featured pediatric cancer patients who model fashions by Dillard’s.
In September 2017, Pumphrey was diagnosed with a germinoma brain tumor. A germinoma is a type of germ cell tumor that is most commonly found in the brain. Pumphrey underwent proton therapy and is doing well. He continues to have MRIs every three months.
His motto is, “Work hard in silence. Let your success be the noise.” He enjoys sports and working out. His dream is to become a 
professional basketball or baseball player. One day he hopes to go on an African safari so he can see the animals in their natural habitat.
“I am looking forward to the gala and meeting new people,” said Pumphrey.
The gala is sponsored by CBS 11 and features Karen Borta as mistress of ceremonies. Since 1982 Children’s Cancer Fund has donated over $10 million to the childhood cancer cause.
“The Children’s Cancer Fund Gala brings together kids who have been through such hard times, from chemo to radiation,” said Jennifer Arthur, executive director, Children’s Cancer Fund. “No matter where they are in treatment – day one or year 12 – we are celebrating their lives and letting them know they are not alone in this fight. The commitments of our supporters on this special night give us hope of a day when childhood cancer will no longer exist.”
Gala Chair Kimberly Schlegel Whitman has served in numerous volunteer capacities and has won many awards. She is a recipient of the American Heart Association Volunteer of the Year Award and a co-recipient of the Virginia Chandler Dykes Leadership Award.
“After meeting these children at the hospital, I was amazed to see not only their strength and resilience, but also such joy on each of their faces – in the midst of their incredibly hard battles,” said Kimberly Schlegel Whitman, gala chair. “No child or family deserves what comes with a cancer diagnosis. Children’s Cancer Fund is making an impact, and I’m thrilled to help through the gala. I consider each of these special children my new friends in life, and I’m looking forward to supporting them in their fight.”
Children’s Cancer Fund was founded 36 years ago by a coalition of parents whose children were receiving cancer therapy at Children’s Medical Center. The organizers have since been joined by community leaders, dedicated volunteers and health professionals. CCF is one of the nation’s leading fundraising groups in supporting local research toward treatment and prevention of childhood cancers.
Pumphrey’s personal fundraising page: www.childrenscancerfund.com/jacobpumphrey
Tickets or more information: 972-664-1450 or www.ChildrensCancerFund.com>
About CCF: Founded in 1982, CCF champions kids in their fight against cancer through strategic investments in research and care in North Texas. Since its inception, CCF has awarded almost $10 million in grants, and the organization received the 2014 Outstanding Foundation Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals. The group seeks to partially relieve the burden of obtaining and administering funds for pediatric cancer research and treatment at Children’s Health and for research at UT Southwestern Medical Center.