When?
Saturday, 18 April 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Kickin‘ Cancer: a sports day against childhood cancer
Patronage
Patronage
Nino Haase
Mayor of the City of Mainz
At our sports day ‚Kickin‘ Cancer – Every Move Counts‘ you can expect a variety of exciting sports and interactive activities. Whether you want to learn more about the topic or are just curious, the focus is on having fun!
- meet inspiring athletes and be motivated by their stories
- take the opportunity to chat with others, share experiences and discover new activities together
- our sports day is all about community, integration and the joy of exercise
Come along and be part of it!
This event is open to anyone who has or has had childhood cancer. So bring your family and friends along and enjoy an unforgettable day together! Participation is free for anyone – food and drinks will be provided throughout the day. Registration is required.
Participation in the event is free of charge.
A maximum of 400 people will be admitted, including approximately 150 children. Registration is essential for planning and safety reasons.
Background
Our Sports Day Against Childhood Cancer is the official closing ceremony of the FORTEe study – the largest Europe-wide study on how exercise and sport can support children, adolescents and young adults during their cancer treatment. On this occasion, we would like to not only present exciting results, but above all celebrate you! Without your participation, energy and commitment, this project would not have been possible. We therefore cordially invite you to celebrate this success with us and experience what we have been able to achieve together.
Insight into the programme
The underlying concept
Join other (formerly) affected children from Germany and across Europe in discovering a wide variety of exercise stations and collect stamps for your activity pass. Don’t worry: there is something for every age group – if the sporting task does not suit your health or preferences, there is always an alternative in the ‘Entertainment’ or ‘Information’ section. There is also plenty of information and fun for parents and guardians.
Our sports festival has an international character, based on the FORTEe study, which aims to prove the effectiveness of exercise therapy for children and young people with cancer throughout Europe.
Sports Stations
The following sports and exercise activities will be represented at the Kickin‘ Cancer event:
- Tennis
- A tractor obstacle course
- Basketball
- Judo
- The Bum Bum Baller Box from Mainz 05
- Athletics
- Rowing
- Cycling station
- Equipment for sports medical examinations
Entertainment Stations
Had enough exercise for now? Here you can get creative, play and simply have a good time:
- Face painting
- Therapy dogs
- Creative corner
- Circus workshop
- Reading corner
Information Stations
Would you like to learn more about sports, exercise therapy and childhood cancer? Find out more at the following stands:
- FORTEe Project (the world’s largest randomised, clinically controlled study to date on sports therapy for children and adolescents with cancer)
- NAOK (ActiveOncoKids Network)
- Kinderkrebshilfe Mainz e.V. (Mainz Children’s Cancer Aid Association)
- Paraolympischer Sportbund (Paralympic Sports Federation)
- Sportbund Rheinhessen (Rheinhessen Sports Federation)
- Pixformance (manufacturer of digital fitness and therapy equipment)
The stage programme
In addition to an official welcome, there will also be a moderated talk on the topics of ‘Survivors’ and ‘Sport and Childhood Cancer’ on the stage in the Theresianum auditorium, during which athletes and a doctor – all of whom have been affected themselves – will answer questions. More detailed information and times will follow.
Catering
The event is completely free of charge – food and drinks are also largely donation-based and therefore included, so that culinary delights will not be neglected amid all the sporting activities. A few of the food and drinks will be available for a small fee (to cover costs!).
Musical accompaniment
The Mainz band Reno Meno will provide the appropriate musical accompaniment for the sports festival at regular intervals and at various stations – with a repertoire that will appeal to both our youngest guests and the older audience.
‚Parents‘ café‘
With the ‘parents‘ café’, we want to create a place where parents and other relatives can sit down together in a relaxed atmosphere and chat.
What makes the Sports Festival Against Childhood Cancer so special?
Discover sporting activities and new sports
Children and young people have the opportunity to try out new things and get to know different sports in a supportive environment – from classic disciplines to creative exercise programmes.
Information about the positive effects of sport on cancer patients
We want to show children and their families how important physical activity can be during cancer treatment – for both body and soul.
Raise awareness
Together, we raise public awareness of the challenges and needs of affected children and young people. We show how community sports can help overcome barriers.
Who is behind the sports festival for children with cancer?
Kinderkrebshilfe Mainz e.V.
‘We have been funding the sports project at the Paediatric Oncology Centre at Mainz University Medical Centre since 2011. It is also very important to us to support Kickin‘ Cancer – to raise awareness of this cause, which is entirely dependent on donations.’
(Katja Schreiber, managing director)
FORTEe Project
‘It has already been proven that specially adapted physical training during cancer treatment has a wide range of positive effects in adults. FORTEe aims to scientifically prove the effectiveness of this exercise therapy in children and adolescents as well.’
(Elias Dreismickenbecker, sports scientist)
Network ActiveOncoKids (NAOK)
‘In my work with children, I often see how they perceive exercise and sport as a resource. It’s wonderful to see how they leave behind their role as patients and experience a sense of achievement.’
(Gabriele Gauß, network coordinator)
Sports therapy team at the Paediatric Oncology Department in Mainz
‘The therapies and everyday life at the clinic can often be very stressful for children and young people. It is therefore wonderful to see how they not only leave the daily training sessions with renewed energy and a smile on their faces, but also gain noticeable strength and endurance.’
(Mareike Kühn, sports scientist)
FAQ: The Kickin‘ Cancer sports day at a glance
I would like to support the Kickin’ Cancer sports festival - what can I do?
Whether it’s volunteering on site, organising a programme item, moderating, donating goods, food and drinks – we are grateful for everything that makes our sports day a little bit more special. Major donors are also essential for ensuring the highest standards, from technology to safety. Please feel free to contact us!
Financial donations can be made to our donation account under the reference ‘Kickin‘ Cancer’:
Kinderkrebshilfe Mainz e.V.
Volksbank Darmstadt Mainz
IBAN: DE13 5519 0000 0200 2000 20
BIC: MVBMDE55
We will of course issue donation receipts for these donations.
I’m not from Mainz - where can I stay overnight?
We recommend the following hotels, which offer discounted special rates for the Kickin‘ Cancer weekend (subject to availability):
- Holiday Inn – the niu, Mood Mainz: Mombacher Straße 6 in 55122 Mainz
- Me and All Hotel Mainz by Hyatt: Binger Straße 23 in 55131 Mainz
- Leonardo Hotel Mainz: Augustusstraße 6 in 55131 Mainz
Please contact info@kinderkrebshilfe-mainz.de for further information and the respective discount code.
Other recommended accommodation options (at regular rates) based on location and/or room rates are as follows:
- ibis Mainz City: Holzhofstraße 2, 55116 Mainz
- Rhein-Main-Jugendherberge Mainz: Otto-Brunfels-Schneise 4, 55130 Mainz
- H2 Hotel Mainz: Rheinallee 46, 55118 Mainz
Getting there and parking – how do I get to the sports festival?
There will be a gated, free car park at Mainz Volkspark (above the park on Göttelmannstraße) for participants in our sports day . This includes the row of parking spaces to the left of Café Vivo and the grass verge, where cars can be parked sideways. You can find the parking location on Google Maps here.
Families with limited mobility or participants who are wheelchair users are kindly requested to contact info@kinderkrebshilfe-mainz.de. On request, we can reserve parking spaces for you directly at the event location.
If you are travelling by public transport, we recommend taking bus line 62 to the Mainz Volkspark stop. From there, it is a 5-10 minute walk. Alternatively, you can take line 76 to the Martin-Luther-Straße stop, which is also a 5-10 minute walk away.
What kind of catering will be provided?
Refreshments in the form of drinks and food will be provided throughout the day, mostly free of charge. There will be various food stations, such as a crêpes stand, an ice cream van, a coffee cart and a food truck serving hearty meals. In addition, there will be a large lunch with salad, main course and dessert in the Theresianum canteen.
Is there a specific dress code?
When participating in the sports programme, we recommend comfortable (sports) clothing and suitable footwear. Indoor shoes are required for activities in the hall.
Will the event take place even if the weather is bad?
Definitely! An indoor alternative is planned for all programme items that are intended to take place outdoors.
What about accessibility on site?
The venue is fully accessible.
Will there be photo and video recordings, and are these permitted?
To make the day truly unforgettable, we will take care of professional photo and video recordings. When registering, you can explicitly state if you do not want to be recognisable. Of course, the General Data Protection Regulation is our top priority. If you have any questions about this, please contact our team in advance or on site.
(How) can I cancel my registration for the event if something comes up?
If there is a change to your plans, you can of course cancel your registration. To do so, please send an email to: info@kinderkrebshilfe-mainz.de.
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