Fight Night
There’s something magical about a stadium filled with over 1,200 high school students, awake at 3 a.m., fighting for something bigger than themselves. But this isn’t your typical all-nighter fueled by cramming for finals or binge-watching the latest show. This is Night for the Fight—an overnight fundraising event organized by CancerFree KIDS that turns exhaustion into determination, games into inspiration, and, most importantly, dreams into hope for children battling cancer.
This February 15th, the University of Cincinnati’s Fifth Third Arena will once again come alive as students from more than 50 Cincinnati-area schools come together with a single mission: to fund innovative research that could lead to gentler, more effective treatments for pediatric cancer. It’s a mission born of necessity—because right now, less than 8% of federally funded research dollars go toward childhood cancers. That’s not enough. And when not enough is what’s at stake, it’s time to do something extraordinary.
Over its 13-year history, Night for the Fight has raised an astonishing $2.8 million, fueling 14 research grants at prestigious institutions like Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Those grants have, in turn, sparked over $13.5 million in additional funding, leading to multiple scientific breakthroughs—including eight published studies, three patents, and even two clinical trials. These numbers aren’t just statistics; they’re lifelines.
But the heart of Night for the Fight isn’t the numbers. It’s the students. They plan the event. They lead the charge. They stay up all night playing games, taking on challenges, and listening to speakers who share stories of resilience and loss—of courage and hope. It’s a night where laughter and tears coexist, where the line between learning and action blurs, and where young people discover that they have the power to change the world.
Think about that for a second: teenagers, trading sleep for service, turning moments of reflection into momentum. They arrive at 7 p.m., full of energy and anticipation, and leave the next morning with something far more profound—a deeper understanding of the battle against childhood cancer and a burning desire to keep fighting long after the sun comes up.
Night for the Fight isn’t just about raising money; it’s about raising awareness, raising leaders, and raising hope. When students leave the arena, they don’t just walk away from an event—they walk away from an experience that stays with them. It changes the way they think about the world and their place in it. That’s what makes this night so powerful.
So, how can you be a part of this movement? It’s simple. If you’re a high school student in the Cincinnati area, get involved by joining or forming a team. Not a student? No problem. CancerFree KIDS offers plenty of ways to support the cause, from volunteering and sponsoring teams to making donations that directly fund groundbreaking research.
Every dollar raised brings us one step closer to treatments that are as innovative as they are compassionate. Every hour spent at Night for the Fight brings us closer to a world where no child has to endure the harsh realities of cancer. And every person who gets involved becomes part of a legacy that shows what happens when a community refuses to accept “not enough” as an answer.
Night for the Fight isn’t just an event—it’s a call to action. It’s a night where dreams of a cancer-free future don’t just stay dreams—they become plans. And plans become action. And action becomes change.
Are you ready to join the fight?
Visit CancerFree KIDS to learn more about how you can get involved. Because the fight isn’t over, and the next breakthrough might just be one sleepless night away.