Lisa Flaxman, President and Founder of musiKids® and cancer survivor, made her second donation of CDs and portable CD players to the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center on Friday, September 1st. The donation comes through “musiKares,” a CD drive launched by Flaxman in summer of 2006 to accept donations from the public to benefit cancer patients.

After a whirlwind day that started with a 6 am interview for Fox Channel 5, Flaxman brought more than 300 CDs and ten portable CD players to Lombardi. Nancy Morgan, director of Lombardi's Arts and Humanities program, and Phyllis Chesley, the clinic administrator, accepted the donation from Flaxman.

"There was a inpatient here this week in an area of the hospital under construction. I brought him a player and some CDs and he was very grateful to be able to listen to soothing music. Having the music made a big difference in easing his distress," said Morgan.

The catalyst for the musiKares program began in June of 2006 when Flaxman donated more than 300 CDs and eight CD players to the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. The donation was so well received by patients undergoing cancer treatment and staff that Flaxman is encouraging the general public to get involved.

As a breast cancer survivor who underwent treatment at the Lombardi Cancer Center, Flaxman knows the importance of using music as a means to help get people through a very hard time. “I have been singing my entire life, but I stopped when I went through chemotherapy. After chemo, still bald, still tired, I sang to the Lombardi Cancer Center patients and doctors with all my heart. It gave me strength to begin again, to gain hope that there would be more days I could make people happy through music.”

To participate in the musiKares program, individuals dropped off music CDs or CD players to the Bethesda and Rockville locations of musiKids®. musiKids® is a unique music and movement program created by Flaxman in 1998 to offer the highest quality original programs for infants and children up to five years in age. Donors of at least five CDs earned a $10 musiKids® coupon good for Fall classes.

More information about musiKids®can be found at http://www.musikids.com/.