JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2014 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.<\/p>\n
Each participating family received up to $2,000 worth of groceries to help ease everyday living expenses during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The event supports the broader mission of the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund, which provides practical, financial and emotional assistance to families facing childhood cancer.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The Jay Fund reported that 93% of new families experience a decrease in household income following a child\u2019s diagnosis. <\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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