GRAMMY-Award Winning Recording Artists to
Perform Purple Songs Can Fly Song for Star-Studded Skating and Music
Show
HOUSTON – (Nov. 11, 2009) – A new element of color is being added to
Kaleidoscope – a holiday variety special featuring Olympic skating
champions and GRAMMY Award-winning music artists. Kaleidoscope
announced today that it will feature Purple Songs Can Fly in the
Thanksgiving Day program. Olivia Newton-John and renowned music
producer David Foster will be joining a group of young cancer
survivors in performing “Hope is Always Here,” written by children
involved with Purple Songs Can Fly – a one-of-a-kind project that
enables kids with cancer to work with professional composers to
write and record their own songs.
“I am very excited about being a part of Kaleidoscope and performing
this very powerful piece of music written by children faced with
cancer,” said Newton-John who is a cancer survivor. “As a cancer
survivor and health advocate, this will be a particularly memorable
performance for me.”
Purple Songs Can Fly provides a creative and cathartic musical
outlet for children at
Texas Children’s Cancer Center. This
exceptional program gives children the opportunity to share their
music with friends and family in the form of individual CD
recordings, a tangible symbol for the hope of healing.
“It is an incredible honor to take the heartfelt lyrics of amazing
and courageous children and turn them into a poignant song with
Olivia [Newton-John]. Performing this song with Olivia and the kids
will be the icing on the cake for a spectacular evening, making
Kaleidoscope a truly unforgettable program,” said Foster.
Kaleidoscope – a celebration of Skating, Song and Survivorship –
will feature the historic return to the ice of the legendary Scott
Hamilton in his first television performance since being diagnosed
with a brain tumor five years ago. Hamilton and Dorothy Hamill will
skate to the music of fellow cancer survivor Newton-John and Foster.
Also performing are Olympic Champion Kristi Yamaguchi, two-time
Olympic Medalist Nancy Kerrigan and Olympic figure skating hopefuls
Johnny Weir, Rachael Flatt and Brandon Mroz.
“David Foster and Olivia Newton-John have had such a meaningful
impact on this project and made one of our songs fly in such a
unique way. We appreciate the support of Mike Burg and everyone
involved with Kaleidoscope, helping bring attention to issues
impacting women and children with cancer,” said Anita Kruse, founder
and executive director of Purple Songs Can Fly.
About Purple Songs Can Fly
Purple Songs Can Fly is a unique project that provides a musical
outlet for the many children being treated for cancer and blood
disorders at Texas Children’s Cancer Center and their siblings. The
children’s songs are copied on purple CDs and flown by participating
passengers, pilots and astronauts to places on earth and into space.
To date, over 145 songs have been written, recorded and flown around
the globe. For more information, visit
www.purplesongscanfly.org.
About Kaleidoscope
Kaleidoscope – presented in part by sanofi-aventis US – is a program
designed to recognize women and the key role they play in the battle
against cancer - as patients, caregivers, and advocates. Its mission
is to address issues surrounding women and cancer by helping educate
women to be proactive with their health and by honoring all cancer
survivors, including the more than 713,000* women who are diagnosed
with cancer each year in the United States. This effort is being
supported by an unprecedented collaboration with 10 nationwide
advocacy partners.
Kaleidoscope from Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. will air
nationally on FOX on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 26) 2009 from 4:00-5:30
p.m. (EST), immediately following the FOX Thanksgiving Day football
telecast. Visit
www.womenandcancer.com for more details.
About Edge Health
Kaleidoscope (the newest incarnation of “Frosted Pink”) is the
creation of Mike Burg, CEO of Edge Health, LLC, who developed the
program after twice winning the battle against Hodgkin's disease.
Edge Health is a Charlotte, N.C.-based multi-media communications
company that develops and delivers critical health-related messaging
interwoven into entertainment platforms nationwide. It is a sister
company to Edge Entertainment, a marketing and production firm that
specializes in entertainment and sports specials for broadcast, and
Olympic sport arena tours. The Edge broadcast portfolio includes the
“Teen Choice Awards” on FOX, the “Kids Choice Awards” on
Nickelodeon, “Ice Wars” on CBS, “Hope Rocks” on FOX, and the “Action
Sports Awards” on FOX. For more information, call 704-335-0051 or
visit www.edgehealth.com.
About Texas Children's Hospital
Texas Children's Hospital is committed to a community of healthy
children by providing the finest pediatric patient care, education
and research. Renowned worldwide for its expertise and breakthrough
developments in clinical care and research, Texas Children’s is
ranked in the top ten best children’s hospitals by U.S. News and
World Report. Texas Children’s also operates the nation’s largest
primary pediatric care network, with over 40 offices throughout the
greater Houston community. Texas Children’s has embarked on a $1.5
Billion expansion, Vision 2010, which includes a Neurological
Research Institute, a comprehensive obstetrics facility focusing on
high risk births, and a community hospital in suburban West Houston.
For more information, visit
www.texaschildrens.org.
* SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2006, National Cancer
Institute.
