Edie Gilger, 7, poses with her parents, Nick and Emily Gilger. Edie and Emily fought cancer diagnoses together, and the family will ride on Northwestern Mutual’s Rose Parade® float to raise awareness for childhood cancer.
Northwestern Mutual, a Milwaukee-based financial services mutual organization, will be fielding a float that supports the company’s fight against cancer among children at the 128th Rose Parade on Monday, January 2, 2017.
This will be Northwestern Mutual’s third year as presenting sponsor of the Rose Bowl Game. The sponsorship extends through 2020, according to the company, with the Rose Bowl Game serving as the College Football Playoff semifinal in 2018.
“The Rose Bowl Game embodies how teamwork, planning and commitment can lead to shared success,” says Conrad York, Vice President for Marketing at Northwest Mutual. “These qualities form the foundation of how Northwestern Mutual helps people live with confidence – and without anxiety – when they know what financial security is and are doing what it takes to achieve it.”
The 2017 Rose Parade theme is “Echoes of Success,” which celebrates the selfless contributions of individuals and organizations and how their inspirational gifts affect those around them.
Northwestern Mutual’s float, created by Fiesta Parade Floats, will highlight the company’s national commitment to childhood cancer research and family support. Since 2012, Northwestern Mutual has been committed to the fight against childhood cancer. To date, the company’s Childhood Cancer Program has raised more than $12 million, funding over 130,000 hours of research.
The float design will celebrate the joy of being a child and will demonstrate how success cannot be achieved alone by showcasing a story of childhood cancer research, support and survivorship.
Northwest Mutual said the float will feature Edie and Emily Gilger of South Carolina, Dr. Yael Mossé from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and Steve Guinan, a Northwestern Mutual managing partner in Pennsylvania.
When 7-year-old Edie Gilger was six months old, she was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a cancer that commonly appears in and around the adrenal glands. The doctors knew that neuroblastoma is hereditary, and after testing, it was confirmed that Edie’s mother, Emily, also had neuroblastoma.
Dr. Mossé, an experienced researcher in childhood cancer, developed a breakthrough neuroblastoma treatment that saved both Edie and Emily’s lives.
“The Gilger family is an unbelievable example of strength in challenging times, and we are thankful to be able to tell their story and bring awareness to childhood cancer at the 2017 Rose Parade,” said Eric Christophersen, Northwestern Mutual Foundation president. “A child with cancer is still a child, and we see a day where children and their families can move beyond a cancer diagnosis and enjoy all the joy and happiness of life.”
Steve Guinan is a Northwestern Mutual managing partner in Pennsylvania, whose team have supported the fight against childhood cancer research through the Northwest Mutual Foundation.
