The Valerie Fund Blog

World Subaru presents The 3rd Annual Rook 5K Run on Sunday, September 25th. Fundraising goal of $250,000 to benefit The Valerie Fund. 

Growing company makes a great cup of coffee and is making a difference in the lives of children battling cancer and blood disorders.

 Long Branch, N.J., August 22, 2016 - Nearly 1,500 runners have already signed up to participate in the 3rd Annual Rook Run and the field is expected to grow to over 3,000 by the time the starter gun goes off at 10:00 AM on Sunday, September 25th. More than 150 volunteers and hundreds of supporters will be on hand to watch the USATF certified 5K Run at the start and finish lines along the Long Branch boardwalk adjacent to the Great Lawn Amphitheatre, 10 Ocean Avenue. 

When Valerie’s family and friends sought to honor her memory 40 years ago, most were new to the world of philanthropy and unlikely fully aware of the challenges of raising money.

Since the first Valerie Fund Children’s Center opened at Summit’s Overlook Medical Center in 1976, the extraordinary growth of The Valerie Fund has been rooted in founders Sue and Ed Goldstein’s own heartbreaking experiences and their desire to provide compassionate care close to home. This year we will celebrate the generosity, willingness to give back and tireless efforts of so many.

While there is so much more to do, we can reflect on the 40th Anniversary of the founding of The Valerie Fund and be proud of the fact that thousands of critically ill children and their families were not alone as they navigated the many challenges faced following a devastating diagnosis of cancer or a blood disorder.

We can appreciate the integration of top-notch medical care with a growing range of customized therapeutic services offered by social workers, child life specialists, educational liaisons, psychologists and specialists in integrative medicine and palliative care. We can acknowledge that while rarely covered by health insurance, these social services play a vital role in addressing quality of life issues during the treatment and healing process.

The Valerie Walk and JAG Physical Therapy 5K Run, now in its 11th year, is a fine example of the successful growth of a small community event with a big heart. More than $5,000,000 has been raised since a group of people met at Verona (NJ) Park in 2006 to celebrate the courage and resilience of children being treated for cancer and blood disorders. 

Just as The Valerie Fund began in the living room of founders Ed and Sue Goldstein to honor their nine-year-old daughter Valerie’s memory, the first Walk-a-thon brought an intimate number of supporters together who wanted to show their thanks and raise money for the non-profit organization. The Valerie Fund’s mission is to provide comprehensive health care services to young patients and their families at a most vulnerable time.

Valerie was treated at hospitals in New York City for Ewing’s Sarcoma (bone cancer) for six years until she passed away in 1976. Her parent’s vision was to spare other families with critically ill children the additional suffering associated with traveling long distances to receive state-of-the-art medical care.

As medical science allows us to become more proficient at saving the lives of pediatric cancer patients, their need for survivorship support in adolescence and adulthood has grown. Approximately two out of three children experience at least one long term side effect (late effect) of treatment. These side effects may affect any organ depending on the primary cancer diagnosis and the treatment the child received. These may include damage to the heart, lungs, kidneys, sexual organs, as well as cause psychosocial, emotional effects and learning difficulties. In addition, there may be difficulty in obtaining health and life insurance as well as possible discrimination in adulthood obtaining a job.