Welcome to the TAKfoundation

The primary objective of the TAKfoundation is to provide financial and counseling support to the families of children diagnosed with cancer, especially lymphoma and leukemia. Families incur significant disruptions and difficulties in managing their lives as their child is being treated. Treatment can include chemotherapy, radiation and stem cell transplants and these treatment plans can continue for years.

In some cases, the families have to travel great distances for treatment and must find affordable housing while their child is being treated. The families may not have adequate insurance and funds to cover their medical and living expenses during these treatments.

The TAKfoundation is there to help.

Thomas Alexander Kowick (TAK) is the 21 year old son of Tom and Julie. Alex was stricken with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in February, 2006 and aggressively battled the disease for 2 1/2 years before succumbing on August 1, 2008. His treatments included chemo and radiation treatments at the Children's Cancer & Blood Disorder Clinic at Palmetto Health Richland Hospital in Columbia, SC and two stem cell transplants at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC. Through this experience, Alex and his family saw many struggle through the treatment process in need of much help and assistance. As a result, the TAKfoundation was formed.

Since 2008, the TAKfoundation has helped over 300 families with housing and travel expenses disbursing over $280,000 while their child received medical treatments. 

In addition, 28 scholarships of $1,000 each were awarded to seniors from Alex's high school. Students were recommended by teachers and selected  based on a unique criteria that they had to display personal attributes like Alex; hard worker, kind, respectful, giving and generous. Applications were reviewed and approved by the Board.

The TAKfoundation is an approved 501(c)(3) non-profit organized in the state of South Carolina in 2008. Our EIN number is 26-3093258 and our Board of Directors include 5 family members. 

Members of the Board meet periodically and perform on a voluntary basis; there is no paid compensation. 

The Foundation spends all 100% of its donations on the needs of struggling families and coordinates its assessment activities with the social service staffs of our affiliated hospitals. This ensures that the families with the greatest financial needs are helped. 

Specific detail reports of donations and distributions are maintained for accountability and for audit purposes while protecting the privacy of the families. Annual reports are filed with the federal and state government agencies.

The Foundation may also donate funds to honor the legacy of Alex, such as providing scholarships to graduating students of Alex's high school. Alex’s lymphoma was diagnosed while he was still a senior at Spring Valley High School in Columbia, SC.  With the help of the school, he was able to graduate from Spring Valley and was accepted and attended the University  of South Carolina before being forced to withdraw for medical reasons.