Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation is a national organization founded in 1992 and has been actively contributing to children stricken with cancer. Bear Necessities' mission is to eliminate pediatric cancer and to provide hope and support to those who are touched by it. The foundation has two main programs: the Bear Hugs Program is designed to brighten the lives of pediatric cancer patients by granting special requests to them and to ease the burdens of the families through assistance with some of the immediate needs that they may be facing while fighting this physically, emotionally, and financially devastating disease. Each year the Bear Discoveries program awards medical research grants nationally, primarily to junior investigative researchers who make meaningful advancements and discoveries towards finding a cure and therapies for various types of pediatric cancer.