The Valerie Fund Blog

Many people use music to get through a bad time or to give them the power to fight back. Some people use music to put them in a good mood or to translate what they're feeling. Music Mondays is a recurring series featuring a playlist curated by a Valerie Fund kid, who in their own words, share what these songs mean to them.

Put on your headphones and join us for this month's Valerie Fund Music Mondays as we look at Bella's playlist, "Bella's Beats."

We are all at home during this COVID-19 self-isolation and social distancing, right? Valerie Fund families often know what it's like to quarantine during treatment so they get creative when the days start getting a bit long and you feel you've watched everything there is on Netflix. We put a call out to see how some of our kids and families are weathering this storm and got some incredible examples of ingenuity. 

Many people use music to get through a bad time or to give them the power to fight back. Some people use music to put them in a good mood or to translate what they're feeling. The staff of The Valerie Fund are no different so join us for some of our favorite music that we're using during this COVID-19 social distancing. 

To say that The Valerie Fund's Executive Director, Barry Kirschner, is into music would be quite the understatement. Barry is a lifelong aficionado of many genres of music but has a special affinity for Classic Rock and Blues. During this COVID-19 social distancing time, Barry has gone through his extensive CD and vinyl collection to pick out some of his all-time favorite songs and performances. And kids, if you don't know what "vinyl" means, ask your parents. 

Susan Yarad is a Valerie Fund mom who knows about handling stress and anxiety. She tells the story of her family's own battle with cancer and how the lessons learned might be the key to keeping steady during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

A few weeks ago we provided some tips and tricks from JAG-ONE Physical Therapy about how to safely start training for a 5K. With The Valerie Fund Walk & JAG-ONE Physical Therapy 5K coming up on June 13th, we're continuing our series with some advice on what to keep around - and what to get rid of - to keep your 5K training on track ... or treadmill or street. 

On February 27th, friends and supporters of The Valerie Fund came together at The Mandarin Oriental Hotel in New York City's Columbus Circle. They came to get a deeper understanding of what The Valerie Fund provides to its families as well as to pledge their support for the coming year. Let's take a look at the 9th Annual Taste of Giving and enjoy a gallery of photos from the evening. 

On March 5th, team captains for The Valerie Fund Walk & JAG-ONE Physical Therapy joined us at the JAG-ONE in Chatham, NJ for a Team Captains Kick-Off. If you weren't able to make it but still want the insider info and fundraising tips, keep reading!

Congratulations! You’ve just signed up for The Valerie Fund Walk & JAG-ONE Physical Therapy 5K run to be held on June 13th! With excitement and anticipation flowing through your veins, you just can’t wait to put on your best pair of running shoes and head over to the mercifully flat course surrounding and within beautiful Verona Park. Similar to how an athlete must train for the upcoming season, 5K participants must season their body so they’ll be able to complete the event in its entirety without getting hurt. If it’s your first time participating in a 5K, or you'd appreciate a little refresher, here’s what you’ll need to know to prepare for the big race.

Valerie Fund Social Worker Stephanie Heasman of Morristown Medical Center has seen the power of timely and specially designated financial assistance. She says, “as social workers, we take pride in easing the burden of (a family’s) current situation to allow them to focus on caring for their child. Emergency funds have been crucial to our families, especially during the beginning weeks and months following diagnosis.”