Fall/Winter 2025 Updates
Thank you for your continued partnership in our mission to bring brighter days and better treatments to children with cancer. Read on to discover the magic you’ve made possible!
Threads of Gold 2025
Our 5th Annual Threads of Gold Gallery Night was a glittering success, with 800 works of art on display and over 1,000 guests in attendance! All artwork was inspired by gold – the representative color for childhood cancer awareness, and a material laden with symbolic significance across cultures and history. Artists included elementary, middle, and high school students from across Houston ISD, as well from five new districts in the Threads of Gold program: Aldine, Alief, Fort Bend, Harris County Department of Education, and Pasadena. Thank you to Dr. Chandel Bonner-Hancock (Harris County Department of Education) for helping us grow five-fold in our fifth year! Thank you to Asia Society Texas for once again hosting this magical evening. Learn more about Threads of Gold here.
Childhood Cancer Research
One of the core principles of our childhood cancer research investment strategy is a commitment to building new knowledge. A recent publication based on findings from the phase 1 clinical trial supported by The Faris Foundation reveals new insights for CAR T cell efficacy, and points to strategies that can optimize immunotherapy in the hardest to treat pediatric cancers. We are grateful to Dr. Bilal Omer and team for their contributions that are cumulatively advancing the field and bringing us closer to less toxic and more targeted treatments for children with cancer.
Art Is My Life
We celebrated the spirit of gratitude and self-expression at our November Art Parties, held at Texas Children’s Cancer Center outpatient clinic and Ronald McDonald House Charities Greater Houston. Patients, siblings, and caregivers came together to create their own magical gratitude jars. Thank you to our wonderful volunteers for sharing their time and creativity with the children we serve!
New Year’s Eve Celebration Kits
Every year, we create and distribute our New Year’s Eve Celebration Kits to patients at Texas Children’s, MD Anderson, and Ronald McDonald House Charities Greater Houston, and to our Good JuJu families nationwide. From our own experience, we know how important it is for families to celebrate every day –and especially the New Year, with all the hope it brings. Thank you to our volunteers from The Dinerstein Companies and Prime Communications for helping us prepare hundreds of kits to ring in 2026!
Good JuJu
We are on track to send over 500 Good JuJu Care Packages to children with cancer this year! This milestone is a testament to the golden spirit of our community: each and every care package has been lovingly wrapped and prepared by volunteers. In 2025, over 300 volunteers participated in our Good JuJu wrap parties. We are grateful to all our volunteers and corporate partners who have invested their time, energy, and creativity to spread Good JuJu.
2025 Brighter Days Golf Classic
The Faris Foundation’s 5th Annual Brighter Days Golf Classic was our brightest and best yet! Thanks to the generosity and steadfast support of our sponsors, we raised a record-breaking amount: over $1M to bring brighter days and better treatments to children with cancer. We are especially grateful to our presenting Knight in Shining Armor sponsor AT&T, to our incredible host Andy Shibley, and to all the volunteers who served with hearts of GOLD. Thank you to the golfers for playing hard and doing their part to help advance our mission. Congratulations to the Sharpe Team (Iain Sharpe, James Sparks, Chris Holder, and Travis Henson): our tournament champs and winners of the coveted Golden Jacket!
The Faris Foundation Brave Knight
Meet The Faris Foundation Brave Knight: a cuddly companion with a heart of gold. This one-of-a-kind plush toy is ready for cozy snuggles and big adventures, and every hug is a reminder of just how magical you truly are. Brave Knight wears a cape emblazoned with The Faris Foundation logo, and carries a shield that bears Faris’ words: “Be the magic.”
For a limited time, Brave Knight ships for free! Click here to order your very own Brave Knight today.
Dimensions: approximately 14.5in x 12in x 5in
Opportunities to Shine Bright with The Faris Foundation!
Chevron Houston Marathon
January 9-11, 2026
Volunteer with us at Houston’s largest single-day sporting event: the Chevron Houston Marathon! Once again, The Faris Foundation is an official, platinum-level charity partner of the Chevron Houston Marathon. Join us at our super-sparkly Hoopla station and cheer on our team of runners who are helping kids with cancer cross the finish line. Contact Carrie Hassall (carrie@thefarisfoundation.org) to learn more.
Signing Off with a Twinkling Thought
“For there is always light if only we’re brave enough to see it, if only we’re brave enough to be it.” – Amanda Gorman
Gold Star: The Dinerstein Companies
The Dinerstein Companies (TDC) have been a stellar partner in our mission all year long! From Good JuJu wrap parties at their corporate headquarters, to GOLD awareness-raising events at their residential properties across the US; from volunteering at our Art Parties, to serving behind-the-scenes and assembling hundreds of celebration kits – our friends at TDC always show up with hearts of gold, ready to support wherever there is a need!
Glow Baby Glow
We’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas! Come visit or drop a line at info@thefarisfoundation.org. Help us to share the magic by inviting others to join our glowing community.