ABOUT BITE ME CANCER Bite Me Cancer was formed as a nonprofit foundation in September, 2010, by Nikki Ferraro, who was 17-years old at the time. Nikki was diagnosed with a rare form of thyroid cancer in April 2010 when she was a junior at Chantilly HS in Virginia. Bite Me Cancer’s mission is to fight cancer through research, education and inspiration. The foundation is an all-volunteer organization. BITE ME CANCER'S GOALS 1. To provide support and inspiration to teenagers with cancer especially through our nationwide Teen Support Bag program Nikki believes that it is very important to support teens with cancer because she didn't find much support when she was diagnosed and in treatment. The pediatric and adult programs didn't address her needs, and she knew that other teens would have the same experience. Over 9,500 teenagers have received bags in over 175 hospitals in all states and DC! The foundation continues to grow! 2. Raising research dollars and awareness about thyroid cancer. The foundation funds direct thyroid cancer research. Currently, there are limited treatment options for thyroid cancer patients and Bite Me Cancer hopes to change this. As of January 2022, the foundation has funded 8 research grants. Now, we raise funds for our 9th grant! CREATING THE FOUNDATION Nikki was determined to lead a Relay for Life team just two weeks after her diagnosis. She named the team Bite Me Cancer and experienced immediate success, including being the #1 online fundraiser is the 8-state southeast region of American Cancer Society. Following that Relay in June of 2010, Nikki was determined that she wanted to keep the Bite Me Cancer name alive to use the great support she received for a bigger purpose.