February 2020 Newsletter
Happy February from C.U.R.E.
Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. We hope you can attend a program or event or support C.U.R.E. this month. Please share our newsletter on your social media profile to spread the word about C.U.R.E..
A Note from our Executive Director
Hi, Friends!
Wow! I can’t believe we are already through the first month of 2020! It seems surreal how quickly time flies.
As I am hopeful you noticed, with the new website and logo, came a new tagline: Embracing Families at Every Turn. As an organization that is with families from the beginning of treatment and beyond, we support families every step of the way through their treatment in any way we can. We are in the trenches with families day in and day out. We celebrate their good news. We are a shoulder for their bad news. And everything in between. The support of our friends in the community has allowed us the privilege of developing relationships with families so we can assist with their needs, oftentimes anticipating what they may be before they even know.
I implore all of you, our friends, to get involved with C.U.R.E. this year - whether you volunteer at an event, share our posts on your own personal social media account, attend an event, make an in-kind or monetary donation or advocate for our organization in the community. We couldn’t do this without you.
Will we see you at an event this year? Come Along for the Ride. We’d love to see you.
With a Grateful Heart,
Holly
C.U.R.E. Spotlight - Meet Our Spring Interns!
Hello,
My name is Katie Slater and I will be joining C.U.R.E. for an internship starting now until May! I am currently a student at Brockport College studying Public Health. I am finishing my last semester as a college student and look forward to starting my career. In my free time, I love to take my black lab for walks/hikes and spend time with friends and family. I recently became an Aunt for the first time ever, and have two twin nieces that I love to spend time with, they are such a joy! I also know the Rochester area pretty well since I grew up here. I look forward to working with C.U.R.E., and am very excited to be a part of this community!
My name is Allie Mettar and I am a Public Health student at The College at Brockport. I am excited to be an intern at C.U.R.E. Childhood Cancer Association this semester. When I am not at school, I spend most of my time being a nanny. When I graduate in May, I would like to work at an organization that focuses on
improving others’ quality of life. Eventually, I plan on going back to school to become a nurse. This semester, I would like to gain experience communicating
with professionals at organizations and building relationships with others. I can’t wait to see how much I can learn and grow from this internship at C.U.R.E.
Childhood Cancer Association!
Spotlight on: Franky
Francisco “Franky” was born in Puerto Rico in
2002. At the age of three, Franky was diagnosed with the first of three brain
tumors—he endured recurrences in 2013 and 2019. Despite his lifetime of
hospital care and medical treatments, Franky has a contagious spirit of love, optimism and faith. During his many trips to the Rochester community for treatment, Franky accessed the services of C.U.R.E. —where he quickly became a well-known and well-loved champion for the cause. After a six week stay in Rochester for his most recent round of radiation, Franky returned to his home town of Sidney, NY in mid-July of 2019 with his mom, Katiria, dad, Jose, and 12-year-old sister. He loves to color rocks, make puppets, do crossword puzzles and write notes to his friends and family. And, Franky can dance!
It’s time to start thinking about camps!
Camps are FUN!
Camps are FREE!
Camps are FUN!
Camps are FREE!
It is time to sign up.
Many of these camps are taking applications NOW!
We are all about fun at camp, but we are also extremely proud of the indisputable fact that camp goes far beyond giggling, joke-telling and crazy games.
Camp matters.
To read more from Nancy’s List about what camps are available, please continue reading here: Click me!
Congratulations, Gracelyn!
On January 13th, with her family by her side (and a lobby FULL of friends & family), Gracelyn rang the end of chemo bell! We as so happy for you and your family!
Upcoming C.U.R.E. Programming and Events
February Book Club:
A “dazzling” novel that “will break your heart and put it back together again”. The novel is about a young boy who must learn to go on after surviving tragedy.
February Book Club:
Open to all C.U.R.E. parents & caregivers past and present
Meeting:
Wednesday, February 26th at the C.U.R.E. office (200 Westfall Road)
from 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Please let Adella know if you'd like to come!
585-473-0180 or adella.ivison@curekidscancer.com
We would love for you to participate! Can't get the book? LET US KNOW! We will work with you to get you access to a copy!
Parents’ Night Out!
The class will be held at Climbing Vines Westside Play
3240 Chili Ave
Rochester, NY 14624
on March 12th from 6PM - 8:30PM
RSVP's are required!
Please contact Adella at Adella.ivison@curekidscancer.com or give the office a call at 585-473-0180
Space is very limited. First come first serve.
Calling all C.U.R.E. Kid Chefs:
Please join us for a fun Fiesta at Gilda’s Club Rochester on Monday, February 17th from 12 - 2PM! We will be working with Chef Kevin O’Toole and learning about how to put together a perfect fiesta meal!
Contact Adella at Adella.ivison@curekidscancer.com to RSVP!!
If you would like to Volunteer to help out at this event, please email Adella.
First come first serve. Space is limited.
Night at the Museum:
The Rochester Museum and Science Center is opening its doors for a C.U.R.E. Family Event on February 18th from 6:00pm - 8:00pm.
If you are interested, please email Adella at Adella.ivison@curekidscancer.com
C.U.R.E. Parents & Caregivers:
Have you ever wanted to try running a 5K, but didn't know where to start?
Let C.U.R.E. help you with that!
We’ll get you ready to run our 5k - because our kids are worth every mile!
If you are interested in doing a Couch to 5K Program in preparation for C.U.R.E.'s 5K and Family Fun Walk (Saturday, April 25th), contact Adella at Adella.ivison@curekidscancer.com by Febuary 19th
Thank You For Your Support:
We were overwhelmed by the support and love we received this part holiday season for our families.
This past holiday season:
- We connected 21 families with Anna’s Wish for sponsorship
- We connected 19 families with private sponsorships (from friends of C.U.R.E.)
- We sponsored 20 families through C.U.R.E.
We absolutely could not have done it without the help of our friends. The kindness you all showed us this past holiday season was incredible. Here are a few of the groups that helped to make the holidays special for our families:
- RocLights of Victor Hills
- Friends & family of Buddy Oderkirk
- Delaney & Preston (asked for items from our wishlist for their birthdays instead of gifts for themselves!)
- Jay with his handmade ornaments
- The Andrews Family (in memory of Grace)
- Monroe County Sheriff’s Office
- Skillsoft
- Kodak Alaris (in honor of Addy Stoll)
- Jared Galleria of Jewelry, Kay Jewelers Batavia, Kay Jewelers Victor, Kay Jewelers Geneseo, Kay Jewelers Greece, Kay Jewelers Webster, Kay Jewelers Outlet in Niagara and Lynne & Randy Stiefler for collecting & donating stuffed bears for our kids
- Rochester Community Accupuncture
- Fight Club of Rochester
- The Home Depot
- Friends & family of Jim Archibald
- EMA Design Automation
- Pigtails & Crewcuts
- The Marsh Family
- Julianne’s Journey
- Residents of Chili Club
Thank you to Chef Michael and Chef Shannon Speranza for the wonderful cooking class!
The menu featured Quick and Healthy Dinners. Check out this Chocolate Yogurt Mousse recipe! Try it for your Valentine!
Chocolate Yogurt Mousse
YIELD: 16 servings
INGREDIENTS & QUANTITY:
Nonfat Vanilla Yogurt 1 qt
Dark Chocolate 4 oz
Cocoa Powder 3 oz
Egg whites 14 oz
Sugar 7 oz
METHOD:
STEP 1: Drain the yogurt in cheesecloth in the refrigerator for 24 hours. After draining, allow the yogurt to come to room temperature
STEP 2: Melt the chocolate in a bowl over simmering water. Combine the chocolate and yogurt
STEP 3: Sift the cocoa powder and fold into the yogurt mixture over warm, simmering water
STEP 4: Combine the egg whites and sugar in a stainless steel bowl. Heat to 135 ° over the simmering water,
whisking slowly. Remove from heat and beat to form soft peaks. Fold the “meringue” into the yogurt mixture,
STEP 5: Place the mousse into molds and chill until ready to serve.
Happy Birthday, Angelina!
Thank you to our dear friend, Angelina, for celebrating her birthday by remember out C.U.R.E. kids.
Instead of asking for presents for herself, she asked for her gifts to be things off the C.U.R.E. Wish List to help out the C.U.R.E. kids.
What a remarkable young lady!
Thank you, Monroe County Sheriff Department!
During the month of December, members of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department could opt to not shave, as per uniform protocol, if they made a donation to C.U.R.E. Boy did they make a donation! A total of just over $6,000 was collected through this event. Thank you for caring for our community!
My Pocket People
Thanks to a wonderful friend of C.U.R.E., we are able to take orders for these AMAZING support tools for our C.U.R.E. kids!
If you are interested in getting My Pocket People for your C.U.R.E. kid or sib,
please contact Adella at Adella.ivison@curekidscancer.com
Upcoming Fundraisers
Annual Trivia Night
Gather your smartest group of friends and join us for our annual Trivia Night! Registration now open for teams of 8! Don’t have 7 friends? That’s ok! We’ll pair you up!
$40/person includes buffet dinner from Carrabba’s, 8 rounds of Trivia, Raffles and Prizes!
Silent Auction, Live Auction and Cash bar.
Hope to see you there!
Section V Senior Select Hockey Game
Come check out the best Senior Hockey Players in Section V at Bill Gray’s Regional Ice Plex at 7PM on March 11th! Tickets are $6 each and 100% of the proceeds are donated to C.U.R.E.!
Ad book purchases available, too!
Exclusive C.U.R.E. merchandise!
BIG NEWS!
We have partnered with Love Your Melon to offer these EXCLUSIVE, LIMITED QUANTITY beanies! They’re one size fits most and super high quality! Support children battling cancer with your purchase: for every one hat purchased, Love Your Melon sends one to a child battling!
Worth Every Mile…
Calling all friends! That’s right - ALL friends. You don;t have to be a runner or a walker to make a difference to our families. You can be a fundraiser, too!
We hope you’ll come Along for the Ride on Saturday, April 25th as we host our 11th Annual 5k and Fun Walk presented by Cornerstone Wealth Management.
Chip in FORE Kids
At the 5th Annual Patrick Carr Memorial Golf Tournament presented by Brighton Securities and ASP Industries!
Monday, July 20, 2020 at Deerfield Country Club
$150/person ($600/foursome) Space is limited!
To learn more, click below!
Awareness Coffee
Our friends at Awareness Coffee are helping to spread awareness about Pediatric Cancer with their coffee made from a specialty bean out of Peru, and roasted to perfection with subtle floral and chocolate notes.
A portion of proceeds will be donated to C.U.R.E., Golisano Children’s Hospital and Camp Good Days – your choice at checkout!
Buy the coffee here!
Mermaid Tail Headbands
Who doesn’t want to be a mermaid?
By purchasing your C.U.R.E. Mermaid Headband, you will provide one for a child going through cancer treatment and you get to keep one for yourself!
Headbands can be mailed to the purchaser!
KidCents Rite Aid Round Up Program
By rounding up, you are helping us to reach our goals by simply shopping at Rite Aid. Feel free to invite your friends and family to participate in the program. Imagine the change that your change can make!
See the steps to enroll here! for information on this fundraiser
Baby Boomer Baseball
Our friend, author Robert Kravetz, will be donating $10 for every book purchased to C.U.R.E.!
Want to check out this wonderful book full of stories and stats? Contact him today: rkravetz@brightonsecurities.com or sfasciano@brightonsecurities.com
We Want to Hear From You!
We are looking for volunteers for upcoming events in 2020!
If you are interested, please contact Adella at Adella.ivison@curekidscancer.com
We know it can hard to make ends meet with the expenses of the holidays. We at C.U.R.E. want to help! Please contact the office if you would like to stop by and pick up a food bag. We have staples like peanut butter and jelly and mac and cheese that we hope you’ll find helpful!
Please call the office (585-473-0180) or e-mail adella.ivison@curekidscancer.com to set up a pick up time!
We are currently looking for interns for Summer 2020!!
If you are interested, please email adella.ivison@curekidscancer.com
Tell us your story.
Has C.U.R.E. helped you? We would love to hear stories about how C.U.R.E. has helped you and your family. These stories will be shared with grantors, donors, on our website and social media. We want the community to know their contributions are making a difference! Submissions can be sent to staff@curekidscancer.com.
What programming would you like to see at C.U.R.E.? We are working on developing more Parents’ Night Out events (where would you like us to set one up??) as well as joint programming with other local organizations. What would you like to see us work on? Please send suggestions to staff@curekidscancer.com
Young Professional Committee
Email Brittany Charles Gold in you are interested in learning more about C.U.R.E.’s new Young Professional Group!
charlebc11@gmail.com
Bereavement Corner:
Wish List Items Needed
We are so grateful to the community for all of the wonderful donations we receive throughout the year. We could not service all the families we do without this generous support. If you or a community group you belong to is looking for something to do for a charity, please consider donating items from C.U.R.E.’s wish list so that we can continue to provide for our families.
Items Needed:
A cure for childhood cancer, blood diseases and brain tumors!
- Gift cards for Wegmans, Tops, Wal-Mart, Target and gas cards
- Gift cards for McDonalds, Wendy’s, Taco Bell, Burger King, Arby’s, Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks
- Weighted blankets
- Essential oils
- Mini diffusers
- Heating pads
- Crafts for young adults and children
- Paper towels and toilet paper
- Facial Cleansing Wipes and body wash
- Items for teens or young adults
- Word searches, adult coloring books and crosswords
- Legos
We ask that all items be new and recently purchased. Thank you!
We all know the importance of giving blood, but did you realize approximately 5,000,000 blood transfusions happen a year in the US. If you average it out that is 13,968 blood transfusions a day!
Please donate blood to the American Red Cross if you are able!
Support
Are you looking for someone to help tutor your child?
Are you looking for someone to help tutor your child? C.U.R.E. Childhood Cancer Association works with Boost to provide supplementary tutoring for children with cancer and other chronic diseases, which may prevent normal educational development. The group of teachers at Boost Tutors, will not supplement the tutoring being provided by the school, but will act as a “boost” to a child by helping him/her better understand material being presented at the child’s grade level. The tutors use their teaching expertise to fill the gap left when traditional schooling is not possible. The group is currently in need of volunteer tutors, also. For more information please contact Adella Ivison, Program Coordinator for C.U.R.E. at 585-473-0180 or Adella.ivison@curekidscancer.com and she will make a referral.
Educational Consultant Services from C.U.R.E.
Do you have questions and concerns about your child’s schooling after diagnosis of cancer, brain tumor or blood disorder? C.U.R.E. can help. Kathryn Wissler, M. Ed is available for educational consultation with Pediatric Hematology Oncology Patients seen at Golisano Children’s Hospital at Strong. If you would like to speak with Kathy Wissler either in person or via phone, please contact Adella Ivison, C.U.R.E. Program Coordinator, at 585-473-0180, or Adella.ivison@curekidscancer.com and she will make a referral. This service is provided free for C.U.R.E. families.
Facebook Live
Kiersten Kunick and Michelle Magin, Parent Advocates, go live on Facebook.
They can answer any questions during this time, share upcoming news, provide support and connect parents with other parents.
Have a topic you’d like to hear about? Feel free to reach out to Kiersten at kiersten.kunick@curekidscancer.com or Michelle at Michelle.Magin@curekidscancer.com
They will do their best to answer your questions and address topics you’d like to hear about!
Brian Bisgrove Home of Courage
The Brian Bisgrove Home of Courage, located an hour away from Rochester, is a retreat and respite home for families with children who have life-altering conditions. Children and their families are invited into the beautiful, handsomely-appointed log cabin for a 3 or 4 day stay and rest and repose, all completely free of charge. At the Home, medically fragile children can experience a different kind of healing, one of the mind and the spirit. It’s a place to let go of anxiety and stress and focus on the family.
The website, with more detailed information on the Home and the application is: www.homeofcourage.com.