More than 17,000 children in the United States are diagnosed with cancer each year. The number is staggering and deeply personal to the team at CreekFire RV Resort.
It’s why the Savannah, Georgia, RV campground is raising money and going gold this September. Helping support research to find a childhood cancer cure is easy. All it takes is a $30 donation to the CURE Flag Fundraiser at CreekFire now through September 8, 2025.
Childhood Cancer’s Personal Impact at CreekFire
The September fundraiser is in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and CreekFire Operations Manager, Ashley Shiell, who lost her teenage daughter, Kylie Shiell, to leukemia.
Shiell knows firsthand the devastating impact of childhood cancer.
“Cancer didn’t kill Kylie. Cancer very rarely does kill anyone. It’s the chemotherapy and the terrible side effects.”
Ashley Shiell
Now Shiell makes it her mission to raise awareness and support CURE, the foundation dedicated to eradicating childhood cancer and developing better treatment options. Shiell documented her daughter’s cancer battle in an open letter supporting CURE Childhood Cancer.
How the Annual CURE Flag Fundraiser Works
The annual fundraiser extends well beyond Savannah, GA. It’s a national movement during Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month in September.
The 2025 CURE flags are meant to be displayed outside your home. The 12 x 18-inch flag is ideal for hanging near your mailbox, in a planter, or at your CreekFire RV site.
The flags actually began as ribbons in Georgia. Chris Glavine and Stephanie Shearer were attaching gold ribbons to mailboxes in their neighborhood during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, according to CURE.
Flags were added as the movement grew.
In 2024, the CURE flags raised more than $205,000 across the U.S. Donations support CURE research initiatives to bring safer, more effective childhood cancer cures.
So join the movement and donate today.
The 2025 flag was designed by an 11-year-old cancer patient named Caroline.
“The type of research CURE is funding has an immediate impact on children. We can attest to that because Caroline has benefited from a clinical trial.”
Caroline’s Father, Bob
Aiming to Improve Pediatric Cancer Research
It’s an issue familiar to parents like Ashley Shiell, who are pushing for change in how cancer in children is treated.
“Less than 4% of funds from the American Cancer Institution go towards childhood cancer research,” Shiell explained. “My daughter and millions of other children have been, and are given the same treatment that has been around since the 70s.
How cool would it be if there was a cure for cancer, and we also had treatment options that didn’t kill their immune system?”
Like many children with cancer, Kylie was in remission when she developed an infection her body was unequipped to fight off.
Now, CURE Childhood Cancer flags are helping expedite research aimed at improving childhood cancer treatments.
Support Beyond Childhood Cancer Research
The work at CURE isn’t limited to cancer research. CURE supports young children with cancer throughout their battle. Ashley Shiell said CURE went above and beyond during Kylie’s diagnosis and treatments. Nurses introduced the Shiells to other CURE families right after Kylie was diagnosed.
“I met the nicest, nicest ladies… local moms who knew what I was going through, their daughters knew what Kylie was going through.”
Ashley said the CURE team brought food, donated gas cards, and spoiled Kylie rotten.
Kylie didn’t battle cancer quietly. She gave news interviews, spoke at events, and became a fixture in CURE’s campaign to spread awareness. Every step of the way, Kylie shared a sassy smile and a message of hope.
“I was raised to never give up and always keep going.”
Kylie Shiell in a 2018 Interview
And that’s what Kylie’s family is doing to honor her memory. They aren’t giving up. Help CreekFire spread their message of hope this September.
Donate to the CURE Flag Fundraiser.
If you can’t donate, share Kylie’s story. Every share and donation helps educate others on childhood cancer research, celebrates childhood cancer survivors, and honors those who lost their battle far too young.