In 2023, as part of our initiative to increase our impact, Law Rocks has begun offering a new award for each Law Rocks show: The Hustle & Heart Award. This award is given to the band that has the highest number of unique donors contributing to the “Donation” category (separate from sponsorships or ticket sales). Law Rocks makes an additional donation to the winning band's charity of choice.
Law Rock celebrates grassroot, community efforts, and The Hustle & Heart award is meant to encourage donations for each band’s nonprofit pick. We are thrilled to increase our support of small, local nonprofits who would otherwise not be receiving this funding.
Today’s spotlight is on Chance For Hope Foundation, the winner of the Hustle & Heart Award at the Third Annual Law Rocks Houston. Chance For Hope Foundation was the chosen nonprofit of Hustle & Heart Award Winners Pro Hac Vice, featuring legal talent from Akin; Locke Lord; The Law Office of Travis W. Earp; Enterprise Products Partners; The Friedkin Group; and Orrick.
2023 was the third year Pro Hac Vice has rocked the Law Rocks stage in honor of Chance For Hope, and they have a very personal connection to the organization. Scott Davidson (Chance for Hope Co-Founder, Member of Pro Hac Vice, and Vice President - Chief Legal Officer of The Friedkin Group) shared his story:
My wife Andrea and I established the Chance for Hope Foundation in 2014 following the loss of our dear son, Chance, to brain cancer at the age of 13. Through our experience as parents of a child battling cancer, we had an intimate understanding of the challenges faced by pediatric cancer families and wanted to establish a charity to provide a variety of much-needed support services, as well as fund critically important research initiatives. It is through the good works of the Foundation that Chance continues to touch the lives of others.
The other members of Pro Hac Vice were already aware of Chance’s story and the charity we founded to honor his memory. When they approached me with the idea of participating in the Inaugural Houston Law Rocks, they proposed selecting Chance for Hope as the band’s chosen charity, and their dedication to supporting our mission in the years since has been truly remarkable. It has been one of the greatest privileges of my life to play alongside these talented musicians and professionals in support of a cause that means so much to me, and to the pediatric cancer families we serve.
Scott and his bandmates took the name of the award to heart. When asked how they successfully mobilized their community to help win the Hustle & Heart award, Scott responded:
Hustle, Hustle, Hustle! The effort had several facets, all of which contributed to the success of our fundraising campaign. First, every member of the band worked tirelessly to spread the word about Chance for Hope and its mission to friends, family, work colleagues and law school alumni. Our sponsors also played a huge role in soliciting donations, including one partner who agreed to match the contributions of fellow lawyers at his firm. Also, the band organized a fun t-shirt giveaway to help generate donations for the cause. It was truly an amazing community effort.
Their hustle (and heart!) paid off— Pro Hac Vice was able to raise $22,628 for Chance For Hope Foundation, which earned the organization an additional $5,000 from the Hustle & Heart Grant from Law Rocks.
See below for our spotlight interview with Andrea Davidson, Chance for Hope Co-Founder and President.
1. Can you tell us a little about your organization and its mission?
The Chance for Hope Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization formed in April 2014 to honor the legacy of Chance Davidson, a thirteen-year-old boy who lost his battle with brain cancer in October 2013. The charitable mission of the Chance for Hope Foundation is to provide support services for children with cancer and their families, funding for pediatric cancer research and treatment, and educational resources to the general public regarding pediatric cancer. Support services provided by the Foundation include the following:
Residence Program: Temporary housing adjacent to the Texas Medical Center provided free of charge to pediatric cancer families at one of our six furnished apartments.
Meal Delivery Program: Semi-monthly meal deliveries to inpatient families of children receiving cancer treatment at two local pediatric cancer hospitals.
Chance for Hope Snack Cart: Free snacks provided daily to children undergoing treatment at four outpatient cancer clinics.
Back to school gift cards: Gift cards provided to children undergoing inpatient treatment.
Enchanted Night: Annual dance and related social programming provided exclusively for teenage cancer patients.
Going Gold Fun Run: Annual 5K/10K fun run to raise awareness for childhood cancer.
Cancer Research: Grant funding and oversight to support groundbreaking research initiatives targeted specifically at finding a cure and improving treatment protocols for pediatric cancer diagnoses.
Importantly, all of our Foundation representatives are volunteers who do not draw a single dollar in salary, which means all financial support directly serves our mission.
2. What is one success story you’re really proud of?
At a time when most teens are learning to drive, playing sports, participating in after-school activities, and dating, the lives of teens with cancer center around hospital protocols, long hours of treatment, and fear of the future. Due to their immune deficiency, many cannot attend school with their peers. Addressing social isolation leading to depression is a common but critically important component of cancer treatment and survival. In 2018, the Foundation introduced Chance for Hope Enchanted Night, a magical and exciting evening of music, dancing, and socializing for teenage cancer patients. Each fall, this special free-of-charge event benefits teenage cancer patients of Texas Children’s Hospital. Our objective is to create an environment where teens can be teens. We know all too well that kids with cancer can feel isolated, and that sometimes socialization can be challenging. Our goal is to help these teens break down some of those barriers, and boy do they! At Enchanted Night, there is a transformation that is so special – kids making new friends and breaking out of their shells. It is such a beautiful sight to see.
3. What programs and initiatives do you have scheduled for the upcoming year?
This year, we will continue with our current programs which include our Chance for Hope Residence Program and regular meal deliveries at Texas Children’s Hospital and MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital. We will also be delivering back to school gift cards to inpatient children in the fall. In September, we will host our annual childhood cancer awareness event, the Chance for Hope Going Gold Fun Run, which will host approximately 500 participants and volunteers. Additionally, we are thrilled to once again be hosting our Enchanted Night dance in October. This year will be a Halloween themed event. In 2023, we are proud to support over 20,000 individuals through the programs we provide to pediatric cancer families.
Learn more about the Chance For Hope Foundation here.