The Valerie Fund Blog

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The 4th Annual Rook Run (and walk) will be held on Sunday, October 8th, 2017 on the Long Branch boardwalk.

The high energy community event benefits children in our area battling cancer and blood disorders and has already raised over $500,000 to date. Thanks to the incredible generosity of Lead Sponsor World Subaru, a raffle drawing has been added this year and a 2018 Subaru Forester SUV will be given away to one lucky ticket holder on October 8th. 

Joe Wajda, Executive Manager of the Tinton Falls dealership decided to step up World Subaru's charitable efforts at the Rook Run (and walk) after seeing firsthand the top notch care patients were receiving at The Valerie Fund Children's Center located within Monmouth Medical Center.

Topics: Non-profit, Pediatric Cancer, Blood Disorders, Charity, childhood cancer, 5k, walk, walkathon, sponsors, oncology, run, events, rook, rook coffee, new jersey, fundraising, raffle, world subaru

The 2017 Valerie Fund Walk & JAG Physical Therapy 5K Run was a wonderful success! On Saturday, June 10th, 4,500 people joined us at Essex County's Verona Park for a day of remembrance, hope and strength. 

New supporters of the event this year included samples from Yasso frozen yogurt, Philly Pretzel Factory, and a visit from the Montclair Art Museum (MAM) mobile art studio. Long time supporters and WCBS-TV's very own John Elliot and Vanessa Murdock conducted live interviews with Valerie Fund patients. 

Earlier on CBS Sunday Morning, Communications Director, Bunny Flanders, and Valerie Fund patient, Matthew, promoted the Walk and The Valerie Fund's mission to the station's vast audience. Gallant Entertainment returned this year for a crowd-pumping drumline performance at the start of the Walk. 

 

 

Topics: Blood Disorders, Charity, childhood cancer, 5k, verona, walk, walkathon, sponsors, run, new jersey, 40 years, fundraising, nonprofit

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On Sunday, May 21st, almost 400 Valerie Fund patients, their parents and sibilings attended this year's Morgan Stanley Recreation Day at Funplex in East Hanover, NJ. "Rec Day" is a day of fun activties for Valerie Fund patients and their families. The Morgan Stanley fundraising campaign supports two fantastic Valerie Fund activities: Rec Day and Camp Happy Times. Rec Day gives Morgan Stanley first and second year analysts the opportunity to meet and interact with the kids as they volunteer for the day.

Topics: Non-profit, Blood Disorders, Charity, camp happy times, childhood cancer, awareness, events, community events, new jersey, 40 years, fundraising, nonprofit

On Wednesday, April 12, 2017, Morgan Stanley's annual Valerie Fund campaign to support Camp Happy Times kicked off at the firm's office in New York City. Former Valerie Fund patient, Sierra Spriggs, a three-time cancer survivor and Camp Happy Times veteran, shared her journey from her first diagnosis at age five until now. Sierra will graduate from Colombia University with her Masters in Social work this May.

Topics: Blood Disorders, Charity, camp happy times, childhood cancer, awareness, philanthropy, events, community events, new jersey, 40 years, fundraising, nonprofit

New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital is renowned for its pediatric healthcare services, and is currently home to the only Valerie Fund Children's Center outside the state of New Jersey. According to U.S. News & World Report, New York-Presbyterian consistently makes the magazine's Honor Roll as one of the best hosptials in the nation. The hospital's pediatric hematology-oncology department is led by Dr. Julia Glade-Bender alongside a multidisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, psychologists, educational liaisons, child life specialists and social workers. Dr. Marie Barnett recently joined The Valerie Fund family as the Center's psychologist. 

Topics: child life, social worker, Blood Disorders, pediatric, cancer, childhood cancer, sickle cell, caregivers, awareness, oncology, centers, new jersey, nonprofit

In 1977, Overlook Medical Center in Summit, NJ, was the first hospital to support Sue and Ed Goldstein in their mission to provide comprehensive health care to children in our area with pediatric cancer and blood disorders. Forty years later, their dream has come to fruition with the expansion of seven Valerie Fund Children's Centers.

In their book, "Where They Are Now: The voices that cancer & blood disorders couldn't silence," Sue and Ed reflect, "The Valerie Fund Children's Centers- in New Jersey, New York City and the Philadelphia area- evolved into what we had hoped for: institutions delivering expert medical expertise, unconditional support and loving kindness for the children under their care."

Topics: child life, social worker, Blood Disorders, pediatric, cancer, childhood cancer, sickle cell, caregivers, awareness, oncology, centers, new jersey, nonprofit

Our next series of blogs will feature each of the seven Valerie Fund Children's Centers located in hospitals throughout the tri-state area. With multidisciplinary teams of doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals, these centers focus on the physical, mental and emotional well-being of the 6,000 patients that are treated each year by The Valerie Fund. This care starts at the time of a patient's diagnosis to well after their treatment has ended. 

Topics: child life, social worker, Blood Disorders, pediatric, cancer, childhood cancer, sickle cell, caregivers, awareness, oncology, centers, new jersey, nonprofit

#GivingTuesday is a social media initiative that encourages people around the world to get involved in their communities, use their talents to help others and give back. #GivingTuesday has been celebrated on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving for the last five years and follows the frenzy of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This worldwide day of giving marks the start of the charitable season, and is a reminder to give back during the whirlwind of the holiday season. 

 

Topics: Holiday Giving, Non-profit, Charity, childhood cancer, awareness, community events, fundraising

The 25^th Annual Thanksgiving Ball Gala is just a week away!

The Thanksgiving Ball Gala will be held at the Hilton Short Hills and has historically been an unforgettable and very successful fundraising event. This year, the live and silent auction items will include tickets to the smash Broadway musical Hamilton, a week’s stay at the Ritz-Carlton in St. Thomas, exciting autographed memorabilia and much more. Advance bidding on the silent auction items will begin Monday, November 14^th and you will be able to follow your favorites live from the Thanksgiving Ball Gala the evening of Friday, November 18^th .

The Gala has a new addition this year with four Learning Depots hosted by members of the Valerie Fund multidisciplinary team and a Valerie Fund Patient Ambassador. These Learning Depots give guests the opportunity to understand the core services and programs patients and their families receive at the Valerie Fund Children’s Centers. The team includes social workers and psychologists, Child Life specialists, Educational Liaisons, specialists in Palliative Care and Integrative Medicine and Camp Happy Times staff. Bringing The Valerie Fund Center to our guests is a unique way to recognize the 40^th Anniversary of the founding of The Valerie Fund and 40 years of caring for critically ill children and their families from our area.

Below are the profiles of our final four Ambassadors for this year’s 25^th Annual Thanksgiving Ball Gala.  

Topics: Charity, childhood cancer, survivor, events, community events

Last week, we introduced five of our Valerie Fund Ambassadors for this year's Thanksgiving Ball Gala. These Ambassadors represent the thousands of patients throughout the tri-state area that receive multidisciplinary care at our seven Valerie Fund Children's Centers. In honor of the 25^th Anniversary, here are four more of our Ambassadors participating in this year’s Annual Thanksgiving Ball Gala.

Topics: Charity, childhood cancer, survivor, events, community events