Flashes of Hope is a non-profit organization that has raised millions of dollars for childhood cancer research for over 15 years.  But they are known for the most unique aspect of their business – taking portraits of children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

Flashes of Hope has chapters in 55 cities, but they originated and are based in Cleveland, Oh. These chapters consist of hundreds of photographers that volunteer their time and equipment to photograph thousands of children each year – in fact, nearly 50,000 so far.

Many might wonder how taking photos of children with cancer benefits them in any way. But what they fail to realize is that for their families, these portraits might be the last captured moment of their child’s life. For others, it is a glimpse into a point in their lives that they can begin to work past and build strength from.

The fact of the matter is that 25% of the children photographed by Flashes will not survive. Doctors are being forced to use outdated drugs, as an alternative has yet to be found. That is what Flashes of Hope has set out to change.

Program manager at Flashes of Hope, Karen Neimeister, is very dedicated to making a difference in these children’s lives. She manages their photography program.

“Flashes of Hope raises funds to accelerate a cure for children’s cancers while honoring the unique life and memories of every child fighting cancer. We are a volunteer-driven organization solely focused on children,” Neimeister said.

Flashes of Hope is continuing to grow. Most recently, they have begun the process of opening up a brand new chapter in Royal Oak, Mi, raising their number of chapters to 56.

“This expansion is a really important step for us,” said Allison Clarke, founder of the organization. Clarke founded Flashes of Hope in 2001 with her husband Kip after their child was diagnosed with cancer.

“Flashes of Hope was founded during our 2-year-old Quinn’s first battle with cancer. One of his friends at the hospital passed away and I wondered if his mother had a beautiful portrait of him. A few weeks later, we held the first shoot…to create beautiful portraits of children undergoing treatment,” Clarke said.

Clarke is dedicated to reaching as many people as she can and making as much of a difference as possible with Flashes of Hope. “It was important to us that we reached every child we could, not just those in Cleveland; that’s why we continue to expand our operations across the country,” Clarke said.

They have raised millions of dollars to put towards cancer research through fundraising events such as Big Shots and Little Stars, a high-end event put on at Quicken Loans Arena with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Another event put on by Flashes that has been incredibly successful is the Kick-It program. The program is a reoccurring dodgeball tournament that has raised nearly $4 million to date.

“When our son was nine, he got another kind of cancer and wasn’t expected to survive [thankfully he did!]. He asked if we would hold a kickball game to raise money for research and that was how Kick-It began,” Clarke said.

Senior Tori Kraven feels strongly about Flashes of Hope’s mission. “Loving kids as much as I do, I think it’s really great what Flashes of Hope is doing to help fund research for [pediatric] cancer,” Kraven said.

Flashes of Hope is continuing to expand and make a difference in the lives of many children battling cancer.