Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation tops $400 million for childhood cancer research

Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation says it has surpassed $400 million raised, marking a major milestone for the childhood cancer charity that started with a 4-year-old’s lemonade stand in 2000. The announcement comes after a record Million Mile campaign and underscores the scale of funding still needed for research, treatment access and family support.

Why it matters: - Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation says the $400 million milestone reflects nearly three decades of funding for childhood cancer research, treatment access and family support. - The charity says childhood cancer remains the leading cause of disease-related death for children under 20 in the U.S. - More than 400,000 new children are affected by cancer every year. - The group says research it has funded has helped push U.S. childhood cancer survival rates from 77% to 85% since 2005. - The organization says FDA-approved childhood cancer treatments have grown from 18 to more than 60 since its first research grant.

What happened: - Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation announced it has officially surpassed $400 million raised. - The milestone follows the most successful Million Mile campaign in the fundraiser’s 14-year history. - The campaign raised more than $2.8 million and logged more than 960,000 miles. - More than 11,000 participants joined the September effort during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. - The foundation traces its origin to 4-year-old Alexandra “Alex” Scott’s front-yard lemonade stand in 2000. - Alex Scott raised $1 million before she died at age 8 in 2004. - Liz Scott and Jay Scott carried forward their daughter’s mission and built the foundation into the largest independent childhood cancer charity in the U.S.

The details: - The foundation says it has funded more than 1,500 research projects at over 150 institutions across North America and Europe. - ALSF says its support includes the first Childhood Cancer Data Lab. - The National Cancer Institute has designated ALSF as a peer-reviewed funder. - The charity says it has committed $35 million to the Crazy 8 Initiative. - Crazy 8 brings together more than 100 leading scientists across eight collaborative teams focused on hard-to-treat childhood cancers. - ALSF says it has awarded more than 300 Young Investigator grants of up to $180,000 each. - The foundation says it backs more than 240 clinical trials each year. - ALSF says it has supported more than 15,000 families through Travel For Care and SuperSibs. - The charity says those programs help cover travel to treatment and support siblings during a cancer diagnosis. - ALSF says it has mobilized millions through Lemonade Days, The Million Mile, L.A. Loves Alex's Lemonade, Great Chefs Event Philadelphia and Great Chefs Table: New York City. - The culinary community alone has raised more than $27 million for the foundation. - ALSF published its first Childhood Cancer Report 2026, which it describes as a free public resource with data and research milestones. - The foundation says the September Million Mile was a record-setting effort for the campaign.

Between the lines: - The milestone shows how a pediatric cancer charity can scale from a child’s local fundraiser into a broad national movement. - The foundation is also using the number as a messaging point: the organization says $400 million is not a finish line, but evidence of what sustained grassroots fundraising can do. - The story centers on a second generation of supporters, including children who survived cancer and are now fundraising themselves. - The foundation’s message also points to the global gap in childhood cancer outcomes, especially in low-income countries where survival can be as low as 20% to 30% for cancers considered highly curable in the U.S.

What's next: - ALSF says it will continue funding research, expanding treatment access and supporting families affected by childhood cancer. - Jay Scott says the organization is not stopping until every child has the chance to grow up. - The foundation is directing readers to more information for details about its work.