The Valerie Fund Blog

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Janet Keating, who is a member of The Valerie Fund's Leadership Council, poses in honor of the Green Light Initiative.  

Topics: pediatric, childhood cancer, awareness, centers, new jersey, fundraising, nonprofit, volunteer, advocate, give back

Volunteering is a large part of the community driven-action that is so important in keeping a nonprofit organization vital. At The Valerie Fund, there are a variety of opportunities for those interested in giving back. These volunteer profiles illustrate that there are many ways to make a difference in the lives of children battling cancer and blood disorders. 

Topics: Non-profit, Pediatric Cancer, Charity, pediatric, cancer, childhood cancer, awareness, new jersey, fundraising, nonprofit, volunteer, advocate, volunteers, give back

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New Website

In keeping pace with the way people interact with and donate to their favorite causes, The Valerie Fund launched a new website in November. Many hours of preparation were dedicated to making navigation easier for the new and returning donors and for accessing resources available to Valerie Fund patients and their families. The new Valerie Fund homepage promotes all the good work our organization does and includes links to download applications for Camp Happy Times and The Valerie Fund Scholarships. 

Topics: Non-profit, social worker, educational liaison, education, Pediatric Cancer, Blood Disorders, Charity, pediatric, cancer, childhood cancer, scholarship, awareness, scholarship program, centers, new jersey, fundraising, nonprofit, website

Topics: Non-profit, education, Pediatric Cancer, Blood Disorders, Charity, pediatric, childhood cancer, centers, events, community events, new jersey, fundraising, nonprofit, science, art

The 26^th Annual Thanksgiving Ball Gala was an entertaining and elegant evening. The ballroom dazzled with white roses and a soft golden glow. The evening’s honoree, Dr. Steven Halpern, delivered a moving speech that captivated the entire room. The event which featured a live and silent auction, raised almost $450,000 to date. The most inspiring part of the evening was when the ambassadors shared their experiences and educated guests about how The Valerie Fund has cared for and supported them and their families. Below are the final five profiles of the ambassadors who attended this year’s gala.  

Topics: Non-profit, education, Pediatric Cancer, Blood Disorders, pediatric, childhood cancer, caregivers, events, new jersey, nonprofit, ambassadors, The Hilton Short Hills

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Our blog series continues with excerpts from the 2017 Ambassador's profiles that will be in attendance at The Thanksgiving Ball Gala this Friday, November 17th. 

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Gavin, age 7

Topics: Non-profit, education, Pediatric Cancer, Blood Disorders, pediatric, camp happy times, childhood cancer, caregivers, events, new jersey, nonprofit, ambassadors

The 26^th Annual Thanksgiving Ball Gala will be held on Friday, November 17^th, 2017 at the Hilton Short Hills. A special part of the night is the opportunity for guests to meet with current and former Valerie Fund patients both informally and at designated Learning Depots. Along with a caregiver from The Valerie Fund, our ambassadors will educate guests about all the services the organization has to offer. The interaction often turns personal as ambassadors share how a particular service was meaningful in their own journey of battling a life-threatening disease.

Topics: Non-profit, education, Pediatric Cancer, Blood Disorders, pediatric, childhood cancer, caregivers, events, new jersey, nonprofit, ambassadors

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The 4^th Annual 5K Rook Run (and walk) hosted over 3,000 walkers and runners on Sunday, October 8^th in Long Branch, NJ at the Great Lawn Amphitheatre. Despite the soggy weather, supporters came out for a day of food and fun and to raise awareness for children with cancer and blood disorders.

Topics: Non-profit, Pediatric Cancer, Blood Disorders, pediatric, childhood cancer, sickle cell, 5k, walk, oncology, events, rook, rook coffee, new jersey, fundraising, nonprofit, raffle, world subaru, subaru, 2018 subaru forrester

For the first time in seventeen years, a new Valerie Fund Children's Center has opened at St. Joseph's Children's Hospital in Paterson, NJ. The Passaic County-based outpatient facility neighbors the northern New Jersey counties of Morris and Essex where several other Valerie Fund Centers are located. 

The Pediatric Hematology/Oncology division at St. Joseph's Children's Hospital was established in 1996, and treats a diverse population of patients. Much like the population treated at The Valerie Fund's Newark Beth Israel Center, English is not the primary language of patients and their families. At St. Joseph's Center, 60% are Spanish speaking and 10% speak Arabic. 

The Valerie Fund immediately enhanced the existing core services at St. Joseph's, their social work and child life programs and hired a psychologist, educational liaison and financial specialist. This team is led by Dr. Jill Menell, Chief of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, and Bill Copeck, Nurse Manager.  

Topics: child life, social worker, educational liaison, Pediatric Cancer, Blood Disorders, pediatric, cancer, sickle cell, caregivers, awareness, oncology, centers, new jersey, 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