Banking on a Cure

Adopt-A-Pig

When Glenmoore’s Rob and Vicki Amand’s daughter, Reagan, was diagnosed with leukemia three years ago, they joined the ranks of hundreds of local families engaged in a similar life-and-death struggle. While Reagan—now 6 years old and in remission—was in the hospital for chemotherapy, the staff gave her a piggy bank to paint and decorate as a fun distraction. That stirred an idea in her dad. “When people hear your child has cancer, it’s unbelievable how giving they are,” says Amand. “Since people were so good to us, we knew we wanted to give back in some way. I knew it somehow would revolve around that piggy bank Reagan painted that was sitting on my desk.”

And so Adopt-A-Pig was born. The concept is simple: Pediatric cancer patients and survivors paint and decorate pigs, which are “adopted” by a sponsor. Every time the bank is full, the sponsor counts the change and sends a check to the charity in the amount collected. “I wanted the pig to serve as a reminder to people,” Amand says. “When they think they’re having a bad day, look at that pig and take a minute to pause and remember that there are so many kids out there who are going through hell fighting this disease.”

Each pig—which has a tag with the first name and age of the artist—can be adopted for $25 or more at Joseph Anthony Retreat Spa and Salon in Glen Mills and Bernie Robbins Fine Jewelers in St. Davids, or through adoptapig.org.

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