April 2024 Newsletter
Swifter, Higher, Stronger Together.
Our theme for 2024 is the Olympics!
The motto for the Olympics is “Swifter, Higher, Stronger Together”.
We are a local nonprofit. We can react quickly to meet the needs of our Families.
We aim to provide meaningful support and increase what is provided year after year.
The C.U.R.E. Family is stronger together - working with our Community to meet our Families’ needs and provide love and assistance where they are most needed.
The most important thing with the Olympics is to participate. It’s not necessarily the triumph, but the willingness and strive to work hard together!
Your kindness matters!
We are so grateful for the kindness of our Community that gives us the tools we need to provide meaningful support to our Families. This first quarter has been difficult, with so many new Families being added to our C.U.R.E. Family. YOUR dedication to our Mission has helped us embrace all our Families and provide love and support throughout their experiences.
In addition to the support shown to the right, we have provided toys to Families, hosted three Parents’ Night Out events, hosted two Grandparent Social Hours, celebrated two End of Chemo Bell Ringings and more!
Join our Team!
We are looking for interested candidates to join our C.U.R.E. Staff! The Part-Time Parent Advocate position would be working with our current Parent Advocate, Michelle, to ensure our Families are connected to resources and are supported. The position must be filled by the parent of a Long-Term Survivor.
Click here to review the full job description.
Please send your cover letter and resume to Holly. Click the button below to email your documents!
Congratulations, Evah & Armyni!
We are so excited to be celebrating our Friends’ End of Chemo!
Evah joined us in the office with her sisters, parents and grandparents! We treated her to her favorites: gummies, Scoobie Doo Snacks and Goldfish crackers! Evah and her sisters all received a gift from C.U.R.E. to celebrate her finishing chemo!
Armyni joined us with her family (some even via video chat!) to celebrate finishing treatment. We showered Armyni with love through gifts as well as her favorite treats: grapes and donuts!
Thank you, Joe!
Joe DiFabio joined our Board of Directors in March 2018. He has been a fixture at events and a dedicated advocate for our Families. If you’ve been to…well…any of our events, we’re sure you’ve seen him! We joke that he is like the mayor of events because he not only knows everybody, but makes a point to say hello to everyone as well. His passion for supporting our Families has helped to grow our organization and expand upon the services we provide to our Families. He has not only recruited donors, but has also shared the Mission of C.U.R.E. with so many around him, also leading to individuals joining our Board of Directors. He is an exemplary example of an advocate and board member. Joe, we are so grateful for your leadership, dedication and passion for our C.U.R.E. Families and the work we do here. Thank you for your time, talents and treasure.
Spotlight on: Hudson
Meet our Friend, Hudson.
Hudson is just shy of a year old! He was diagnosed with A.M.L. at 10 weeks old. After undergoing 3 rounds of chemotherapy, he was able to receive a Bone Marrow Transplant. He is now doing great, healthy and able to enjoy more normal baby activities! He has always loved visits from his siblings during treatment. Peek-a-Boo is his favorite! He also loves watching Bubble Guppies, playing with his baby piano and now has his very own ball pit!
Hey, C.U.R.E. Parents:
Did you know we have a private Facebook Group JUST for you? Connect with other parents. Ask questions about treatment, education help and more. Learn from others.
Contact us to learn more!
March Parents’ Night Out at Dice Versa
We had a small group for the March Parents’ Night Out, but it was a fantastic evening. Dice Versa was a great spot for conversation and to share our competitive sides. It was a lot of fun spending the evening with C.U.R.E. Parents and challenging our brains with a new game.
Be sure to watch for Program details in our emails and in the closed Facebook Parent Group. If you do not receive the emails or are not a part of the Facebook group, please reach out so we can make sure you are getting all the information from C.U.R.E.
Resources:
Childhood Cancer Survivor Scholarship and Employment Resources:
Children's Cancer Cause is assisting childhood cancer patients, survivors and families by centralizing most national resources that provide scholarships for survivors of childhood cancer or those with particular effects. The site also has resources and advice relating to employment and applying for these scholarships.
Some opportunities require commitment to a childhood cancer advocacy project while in college, while others make you eligible for you just being you. But you do need to apply! Be sure to read the instructions and qualifications very carefully. Apply in plenty of time to get feedback from family, guidance counselors and others. Board Member, Jacob Adams, would be happy to help if given at least two weeks’ notice. Please contact the office for his e-mail address.
2024 Ability Scholarship
Disabilities, whether internal or external, are a daily challenge, and people may never fully overcome them. But, as people adapt, they learn to work with their disabilities. Some break the stigma, play to their strengths, and focus on what they can do, rather than what they cannot.
We have created the Ability Scholarship for students to share their experiences dealing with a disability and how they have overcome obstacles. This is a $1000 scholarship opportunity and we will be accepting applications until May 31, 2024.
YOU can help C.U.R.E. for FREE
Follow us on social media:
Facebook: facebook.com/curekidscancerrochester
Instagram: @curekidscancer_
Twitter: @curekidscancer_
TikTok: @curekidscancer_Write a review about C.U.R.E. on our Facebook Page or on Google.
Write a blog that can be shared on our website.
Contact our Parent Advocate Michelle about doing an Instagram Takeover.
“Like”, Share or Comment on our social media posts.
Attention Campers, the wait is over!
The dates for Camp Good Days’ Summer 2024 programs are here! While registration isn't open yet, you can find out more information on their website!
Conquer Cancer in Kids:
make childhood cancer research a priority:
UPDATE: THE PETITION IS JUST SHY OF BEING ONE OF THE MOST SIGNED PETITIONS ON CHANGE.ORG. THE GOAL IS 15,016 SIGNATURES AND AS OF 2/22/2024, THERE ARE 15,039 SIGNATURES!
We invite our families and supporters to join CNN’s Rene Marsh as she advocates to make childhood cancer research a priority! Sadly, Rene lost her two year old son, Blake, to brain cancer in April 2021. She is now working with CNN and childhood cancer awareness advocates to make a difference!
To review and sign the petition, click the button below.
Petition to the Biden Administration to increase funding for childhood cancer research. This effort was started through awareness from The Ellen Show.
81,056 signatures of 150,000 wanted (as of 2/22/2024)
GRYT Health connects patients and caregivers to others with shared experience and to information relevant to their journey.
Through the GRYT app, we’ve created a platform for people affected by cancer to connect to others with similar experiences, and to tailored information that helps our users become more aware of options specific to their needs or diagnosis – empowering them to make choices that are right for them.
Our community of patients, survivors, medical professionals, researchers and advocates across all 50 states in the U.S. and in more than 100 countries worldwide have participated in almost 1,000,000 interactions to date, inspiring people to live according to their own standards.
Trust from our community is paramount to our success and something we take very seriously. We never share any of our users’ information without their explicit permission. Unlike other apps, GRYT is the first social community that is funded, built, and run by patients and caregivers where users communicate anonymously in real-time and each person is 100% in charge of what happens with their data.
Learn more about Bill A6430B
Creates the Sickle Cell Disease detection and education program
Sponsored by Hyndman
Pi Day Surprise!
A HUGE thank you goes out to our Friends at the Speedway in Clarkson for helping our Families celebrate Pi Day the absolute best way possible: with some pizza! Our former intern, Emily, coordinated with her Supervisor Michelle to donate 20 pizzas for our Families at Golisano Children’s Hospital! We are beyond grateful for their thoughtfulness and to be able to celebrate March 14th in such a fun way! Thank you for thinking of our Kiddos and their Families!
MWI, INC. SCORED BIG!
In the beginning of March, MWI, Inc. hosted their 2024 Graphite Cup - an annual hockey tournament where employees, clients and friends come together to play their favorite sport! This year they dedicated their efforts to raise funds for C.U.R.E. and to help local Families. Altogether they raise $3,000! We are so grateful they chose to benefit C.U.R.E. at an event that has been a tradition for many years.
Thank you MWI, INC. and friends!
Thank you Trivia Night Participants & Volunteers!
A BIG thank you to everyone who joined us at C.U.R.E.’s 8th annual Trivia Night! It was such a fun night filled with facts, fun and great company!
We are so grateful to our volunteers who helped make the night a success - we couldn’t have done it without you!
Whether you were on a team or volunteering, we hope you’ll always remember that the powerhouse of the cell is the Mitochondria😉
More than football…
Our Friends at Raider Nation Football are more than just a Raider loving team - they also love their Rochester Community. The group gathers during football season to watch their beloved Raiders, but also gives back to the Community in a variety of ways. We are blown away by their kindness of over $6,000 raised to support our Mission throughout the football season! They also collected food for local food banks and toys for the Pirate Toy Fund. If you love the Raiders and giving back to the Community, you should definitely check them out!
Emily, you’re sweet!
Our Former Intern Emily was back again at the end of March to deliver snacks and treats for our Families on 7 North! The generous customers at the Speedway in Clarkson donated snacks and candy especially for our Kiddos up on 7 North. We will be adding these sugary goodies to our Snack Cabinet we have on the floor - equipped with microwavable food, chips, fruit cups and now sweets - for when those cravings or steroid induced hunger times our Kiddos experience while undergoing treatment.
Please give a hand for our Volunteer of the Month….
Jen Gendron
Jen Gendron has been a dedicated volunteer and advocate for C.U.R.E. for over 10 years. She’s coordinated decorations for our Recipe for a C.U.R.E. Sunday Brunch, drove in a snowstorm to provide crafts for our Kiddos at our Holiday Party and has made lots and lots (and lots!) of bows for auction baskets. She’s also donated items for our auctions, including pieces from her business that she hand-crafts herself. Most recently, Jen volunteered at our Trivia Night. She assembled floral centerpieces for our guests to enjoy as well as serve food, clear tables and clean up. She’s also been busy making bows for this year’s Recipe for a C.U.R.E. Sunday Brunch (yes, already!). Thank you, Jen, for your dedication to our Families!
Come join us at the 5k!
Not a runner or walker, but still want to participate at this year’s 5k? Come volunteer with us!
We will need lots of volunteers this year helping out with registration, the food/water distribution, on the course cheering on participants, overseeing the games and more! If you have any questions, please reach out to Sammi Jo - SamanthaJo.Uhrmacher@curekidscancer.com
Help coordinate your favorite events!
We are looking for volunteers to join committees for both our Golf Tournament and the Sunday Brunch! The Golf Tournament consists of participants from various backgrounds that help organize, solicit donations & sponsors, and work closely with the events coordinator on day of details.
The Sunday Brunch has multiple committees you can join based on your interests: PR & Marketing Committee, Live Auction Committee, Registration Committee and the Dining Room Committee (the last two must be able to volunteer the day of).
Please click the buttons below if you are interested!
Join our Board of Directors!
We have some Board positions opening in the very near future! Interested in applying?
The Board meets monthly for 1.5 - 2 hours (Currently the third Wednesday evening of the month from 5:30 - 7:30)
Board members must attend two of the three main fundraisers (5k & Fun Walk, Golf Tournament, Brunch)
Board members are on at least one sub-committee
Board members make a monetary donation for the Board sponsored Live Auction package for the Brunch
Applications can be emailed to:
cureboardapplications@gmail.com
We want to connect!
If you served on the Board of Directors for C.U.R.E. Childhood Cancer Association, we would love to stay connected! Please email Holly Dutcher to connect!
holly.dutcher@curekidscancer.com
Are you a business who wants to partner with us?
We also have partnerships available for each event. Please click the button below to chat with Sammi Jo and learn more!
On your mark… get set... GOOO!!
REGISTER TODAY!
We hope you’ll join us for our 15th Annual 5k and Fun Walk presented by Cornerstone Wealth Management!
We will be hosting the event at Meridian Centre Park on Saturday, April 27th.
Registration opens at 8AM and the Run begins at 9AM with the walk starting shortly after. There will be a shorter alternate walk route available.
Afterwards we will have Olympic themed games, face painting, a DJ and more!
Check out below for all the ways you can participate and fundraise this year!
Have you seen our 5k fundraising prizes?!
All participants who sign up BY APRIL 8th will receive a commemorative race T-shirt. All other prizes are awarded to C.U.R.E. Champions who raise $50+, $100+, $250+, $500+, $1,000+, $2,500+ and $5,000+!
Join our T-Shirt Parade!
This year, we are inviting all Teams with custom tees to join our T-Shirt Parade! After the 5k, each team will select a representative to join the parade and show off their shirt and the crowd will cheer for their favorite. Which ever team wins will get cookie cake for their team from Shelly’s Sweet Shoppe!
We encourage you to dress your best - team headbands, tutus, funky socks, you name it! The more spirit the better!
You can create your custom Team T-shirt through Bonfire! You design the front with your Team Name and Information and share with your Team Members. Shirts get shipped directly to them AND a portion of the sale is donated to C.U.R.E.!
Honor your C.U.R.E. Kiddo!
Warrior walkway signs are available for purchase and are a great way to honor or remember your kiddo as participants finish the race strong.
Click the link below to purchases yours:
Million Penny Drive
Do you want to join forces with C.U.R.E. and participate in our Annual Penny Drive? We make it easy! We can decorate and deliver jugs for your to facilitate your collections. We will also pick up your donations. No change rolling or counting required! Contact our office if your school or business would like to participate!
It makes cents.
Become a C.U.R.E. Ambassador!
The Support Doesn’t Stop When Treatment Stops…
Because of YOU and your kindness.
Support our mission year-round by becoming a C.U.R.E. Ambassador! A C.U.R.E. Ambassador is a donor who commits to our mission through a monthly donation of his/her choosing. Whatever level you are comfortable with makes a difference!
Embrace the Difference
Did you know that we partner with Reeds Jewelers on their Embrace the Difference campaign? With Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Graduations coming up, we hope you’ll consider grabbing a gift from Reeds Jewelers Embrace the Difference Collection and make a difference to our Families (all while giving a beautiful gift!).
Round Up for C.U.R.E.!
We are thrilled to share that we are now part of the Walmart Spark Good program! You can select “C.U.R.E. Childhood Cancer Association” as your charity of choice and round up your purchases! The rounded up change will be donated to C.U.R.E.!
STEP 1: Visit walmart.com/sparkgood and sign in to your Walmart.com account.
STEP 2: Search for a favorite charity.
STEP 3: Once you choose a charity, go to the Round Up box and click "Select this Charity"
STEP 4: Review the FAQs and the Terms of Use.
C.U.R.E. Partners:
You can now return your cans and bottles to Alpco Recycling and Bottle & Can Retrieval Centers! Let them know you’d like to support “C.U.R.E. Childhood Cancer Association” and a donation will be made to us!
Alpco Recycling is located at:
846 Macedon Center Road, Macedon, NY 14502
Bottle & Can Retrieval Centers located at:
509 Spencerport Rd, Rochester
2199 East Henrietta Rd, Rochester
2374 Chili Ave, Rochester
More ways to help:
Hailey and her Family have been saving aluminum can tabs for C.U.R.E. for many years now. The photo is Hailey standing in an oil drum of tabs surrounded by 14 oil drums FILLED with can tabs! They bring the drums to the scrap yard and then donate the proceeds to C.U.R.E. Those proceeds are then applied to the cost of parking vouchers for our Families.
You can bring your can tabs to our office at 200 Westfall Road, 14620 during business hours and we will collect them for Hailey and her Family.
We hope you think of Hailey and her program while you are at family gatherings, picnics and other fun summer activities this summer that may include aluminum cans!
Rock C.U.R.E. Elite Sport Socks!
These super comfortable and supportive sport socks are HERE! What a great way to show support for C.U.R.E. and small businesses, they are made in the USA! Rock them while you are working from home or out exercising. Sandal season is over, rock these cozy socks today!
It’s Beanie Szn!
Keep your head warm and your heart full this season with our EXCLUSIVE Love Your Melon + C.U.R.E. Beanies. One beanie is given to a child battling or who has battled cancer for every one that is purchased. Even better? Funds from purchased merch help further our mission and help us support local Families battling.
These make AMAZING holiday gifts as well. We hope you’ll keep us in mind this gift-giving season!
C.U.R.E. has joined the PayPal Giving Fund. Please consider adding us to your account to Shop, Donate and Raise Awareness for our families.
PayPal Giving Fund expands our fundraising reach through direct integration with PayPal, eBay and GoFundMe.
Bereavement Group
The April Bereavement Group will be held at an offsite location. Please reach out to Carol Austin at carol.austin@curekidscancer.com or Michelle Magin at
michelle.magin@curekidscancer.com with any questions.
Did you know? For children who have experienced the death of a sibling from childhood cancer, SuperSibs offers additional mailings through the Grief and Loss Mailing Program.
This program includes...
💛 Grief support and resources specifically for parents
💛 4 mailings per year for two years with activities designed to help SuperSibs to cope with their grief and feelings
💛 A special remembrance on the anniversary of their sibling’s passing
Learn more about this free program for siblings:
Click Here To Check it Out
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:
A cure for childhood cancer, blood diseases and brain tumors!
- SQUISHMALLOWS! ALL SIZES! The kids love them!
- Universal phone chargers with long cords
- Journals for Kids and Teens
- Gift cards for Wegmans, Tops, Wal-Mart, Target and gas cards
- Gift cards for GrubHub, McDonalds, Wendy’s, Burger King, Moe’s, Chipotle, Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks
- Crafts for young adults and children
- Items for teens or young adults
- Toys (Please look at our Amazon Wish Lists:
Under $20: https://a.co/hlW4hCO
$20 - 50: https://a.co/eHiQcV2
$50+: https://a.co/bVDujCy)
We ask that all items be new and recently purchased. Thank you!