What will it take to "Unravel Pediatric Cancer?" That's the question three Manhattan Beach parents hope to answer as they host their 4th annual pediatric cancer research fundraiser on October 12 at the Manhattan Beach Country Club.

The event, which begins at 6:30 p.m., will feature dinner, dancing, and giveaways.  Guests are encouraged to wear gold, a color representing support for pediatric cancer research. 

Tickets for the popular event are $110 per person. Those who are interested in attending are encouraged to buy tickets soon; the last three year's events have all sold out weeks in advance.

In just 3 short years, more than $600,000 has been raised at the event with all donations going straight into the hands of research.

The cause is personal to event co-founders and friends Christina Holman, Tara Hackley and Mark Willard. Hackley's son Chinny, who battled brain cancer starting in 2010 at age 2 1/2, is now among the fortunate pediatric cancer survivors. 

According to Unravel Pediatric Cancer, pediatric cancer is the number-one disease killer of children in the U.S., ahead of AIDS, asthma, cystic fibrosis, congenital abnormalities, and diabetes combined. Each day, 36 kids are diagnosed with cancer and 7 kids die. At the same time, fewer than 4 percent of the government's cancer research dollars are dedicated to pediatric cancer research. 

"When you parent a living child you do whatever you can to protect them, and as a parent to a child in heaven you do whatever you can to protect their memory," said Libby Kranz of Unravel Pediatric Cancer on her website. "I hope one day that Unravel will not be needed because change will have happened... but until there is a cure, I will be here.”