Beads of Courage has many ways for community members to support children and teens coping with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. One of these is our Carry a Bead program. In each Carry a Bead kit, you will find two handcrafted glass beads on a safety pin.  Take these beads on an adventure or activity that is meaningful to you. Return one to us with a note of encouragement for a child who participates in the Beads of Courage Program.  Please include pictures of your experiences while carrying the bead to share your journey with a child in treatment.  Keep the other bead and the Team Beads of Courage charm as reminders of your impact!  We will send your returned bead and loving note to a child or teen in our program who is coping with serious illness. Your note and bead provide a much-needed boost of encouragement on a rough day of treatment.  Receiving a bead that has been carried is spirit lifting, which can be lifesaving in the moment.  You will be letting a child know that they are not alone in their fight for life!

From July 1 through September 30, the Beads of Courage mascot, Courage Tiger, will travel around the United States for our annual Bead Challenge! Courage Tiger will make his way through all 50 states and will take breaks on each Tuesday (traveling can be exhausting!). We are looking for travel bloggers to share their adventures on these days, through a short (150-200 word) blog post and pictures on social media using #beadstrong, #carryabead, and #traveltuesday! If you are a travel blogger who is interested in supporting our cause, please apply at this form for a chance to receive a free Carry a Bead kit to use on your upcoming travels!