Back-to-school calendars feature artwork by Phoenix Children’s Hospital patients

Peter Piper Pizza has launched the sale of commemorative back-to-school calendars that feature creative artwork from Phoenix Children’s Hospital patients. The calendars retail for $5 each, with proceeds benefit the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, and they include more than $140 worth of Peter Piper Pizza perks, including free tokens and coupons.

The designs featured in the calendar are collected through The Art Project, which is the largest fundraiser for the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders and raises urgently needed funds by converting original artwork of young patients with cancer into merchandise. All 33 Arizona locations of Peter Piper Pizza will sell the calendars.

Peter Piper Pizza opened its doors in 1973 with its flagship restaurant in Glendale. Over the years, it has evolved to the leading pizza and entertainment restaurant chain in the Southwestern U.S. and Mexico with 35 company-owned restaurants and 101 franchised locations, including 45 in Mexico. Find a location near you.

Cards designed by kids support Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders

Greeting cards and notepads designed by kids are now being sold through the Phoenix Children’s Kids Art Program. All proceeds go to the kids at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, the largest provider of hematology and oncology care in Arizona.

“Each year we have art workshops that the kids participate in and they create all kinds of artwork, from bugs to Christmas trees,” says Elaine Falkner, development coordinator of Art Project at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. “Art Project has been around for 27 year now at PCH, and has historically focused on holiday artwork, but we decided it was about time we used some of all the other artwork the kids create to introduce All Occasion Cards to our public as another means to raise funds for our Cancer Center.”

Each card is blank inside and features a biography of the child who designed it. The cards and notepads come in various designs such as “Flowers and Bee,” “Gabe’s People,” “Happy Flower,” “Kate’s Flower” and “Shy Bear.” The designs are  selected by a committee made up of corporate sponsors and staff at PCH Foundation.

“The kids love this program. They really like coming to the workshops and they are rewarded by lots of love and praise,” Falkner says. She shared a message she received from one of this year’s young artists, Jazmine Ramos, who wrote, “I like to take my mind off of dancing by doing artwork for the Art Program at PCH. I think that working on artwork is like being creative in my own way, just like dancing. And, I love to think that I am helping the Cancer Center with my artwork because they really did save my life.”

Jazmine has been a dancer since the age of 3, but last year it was discovered that she had bone cancer in her left tibia.

To purchase cards or notepads visit the website at pchkidsart.com or visit the Phoenix Children’s Hospital gift shop.