The Still Strong Foundation, a nonprofit that assists families whose children are battling cancer, will honor Meridian Bank CEO Chris Annas with its 2022 Still Strong Corporate Responsibility Award at the sixth annual For Our Children Gala on April 1 at The Lucy in Philadelphia.

The bank has been a longtime supporter of the Still Strong Foundation, and its generosity has helped the organization pay more than $95,000 worth of bills for families in the last two years.

“There is no one more deserving of this award than Chris Annas,” said Trish Fulvio, Executive Director of the Still Strong Foundation. “He truly gets it; he understands what a family goes through when a child has cancer. He and Meridian Bank have consistently made a difference for these families by supporting our mission. We are honored to acknowledge the impact that he has made within the pediatric cancer community.”

Non-medical expenses directly associated with a child’s cancer treatment average 38 percent of a family’s gross annual income. Most families with a child with cancer experience work disruptions and are 260 percent more likely to experience bankruptcy. Financial assistance programs for families of seriously ill children are very limited and desperately needed. No one should have to choose between paying rent or their child’s treatment.

“Deciding between keeping the lights on or keeping watch over your sick child is not a choice any parent should face,” said Devon Still, the founder and CEO of the Still Strong Foundation.

Still and his daughter, Leah, created the nonprofit to give grants to families affected by childhood cancer and allow them to spend less time worrying about non-medical bills, like mortgages and utilities, and more time supporting their child to a victorious fight against cancer.

The Still Strong Foundation currently supports families at three local hospitals: Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, and Nemours Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children.

“I’m self-employed, and my income is directly tied to my workable hours,” said the father of a five-year-old girl with leukemia. “Programs like the Still Strong Foundation give us peace of mind and let us focus more on the care of our child and less on working-to-live.”

King of Prussia native Lisa Salters, a graduate of Upper Merion High School and an Emmy Award-winning reporter at ESPN, will emcee the event.

The Still Strong Foundation is still seeking sponsors for the sixth annual For Our Children Gala. For more information, please contact Trish Fulvio at 484-433-7767 or trish@stillstrongfoundation.org.