JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Ten local families supported by the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund participated in a surprise grocery shopping spree Tuesday at the College Park Winn-Dixie in Jacksonville.
Each participating family received up to $2,000 worth of groceries to help ease everyday living expenses during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
The initiative was sponsored and funded by Winn-Dixie, the Winn-Dixie Gives Foundation and The Players Championship. The Players Championship also provided Winn-Dixie gift cards to other local Jay Fund families who were unable to attend the event in person.
The event supports the broader mission of the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund, which provides practical, financial and emotional assistance to families facing childhood cancer.
Jacksonville Jaguars All-Pro punter Logan Cooke and All-Pro long snapper Ross Matiscik attended as Jay Fund celebrity ambassadors to help participating families fill their grocery carts during the event.
The shopping spree addresses widespread financial challenges linked to pediatric cancer care. Studies indicate food insecurity affects a significant portion of families with pediatric cancer patients, including 53% of Jay Fund families in Jacksonville.
A 2023 Oncology Times report on families with children diagnosed with leukemia found that 21% experienced food insecurity, which increased to 25% six months into treatment.
The Jay Fund reported that 93% of new families experience a decrease in household income following a child’s diagnosis.
Furthermore, 73% of new families surveyed reported non-medical expenses increased by at least $250 a month, largely due to special dietary requirements such as organic foods and high-calorie nutritious shakes.
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