August 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!
Welcome, Diane!
We are so thrilled to welcome our newest Staff Member, Diane Valentine, to our Team! Diane joins us as our Bereaved Family Advocate. Her role as our Bereaved Family Advocate will be to provide direct support to our Bereaved Families, exclusive programming for our Families and education for our community.
Diane lost her son Evan in 2021 and has graciously shared his journey with so many people already. Some of you may already know her from Bereavement Group or from talking to her at an event. She is looking forward to connecting with families and providing support in different ways.
Congratulations, Zachary, Alexis & Miranda!
We were thrilled to invite Zachary and his family to our office to celebrate his end of chemo! He was joined by his parents, his grandpa and his sister. Ringing the bell not only meant that he was done with treatment, but he is also cleared to play football for his high school in the fall and is looking forward to snowboarding in the winter. Congrats Zachary!
Alexis celebrated her end of chemo in our office with her Mom! Alexis looked like a princess on her big day and rang her bell loud and proud for everyone to hear. She celebrated with lots of yummy fruit snacks and gifts to bring home!
Miranda also rang the end of chemo bell in our office in July! She was joined by her brother and her parents. We were delighted to grab Miranda’s favorite treats: Doritos and Snickers! Both she and her brother left with gifts from C.U.R.E. and smiles on their faces!
Welcome New Board Members
Donna Antario & Dr. Elizabeth Hohl
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!
September is Awareness Month!
Kicking off the month with a Mobile Blood Drive at West Herr Chevrolet
Get Cheesey with us with our Liquid Gold for C.U.R.E. Challenge
NEW Garden Flags and Lawn signs
LOTS of towns and areas issuing proclamations
Be on the lookout for the flamboyances of flamingos
Spotlight on: Landon
Meet our Friend, Landon.
Landon is 9 years old! He was diagnosed with T-Cell A.L.L. in August 2023. Landon is full of imagination and loves to build Legos and play his XBox. He loves the outdoors and getting dirty. Landon has a heart of gold and loves his two brothers and sister and their pet ferret “Vader”. He continues to stay strong through treatment and is a true Warrior to all his friends and family.
C.U.R.E.’s Annual Survivors’ Day Picnic in June was a wonderful gathering back at our favorite spot at Genesee Valley Park with so many new additions this year. C.U.R.E. Families enjoyed delicious food, many different animal encounters, Olympic games, face painting, clowns, toys, ice cream, bounce houses and more at this event. We are always grateful for our community partners and volunteers that help bring smiles to so many faces on this day. Thank you to ASP Industries, Ahrens Benefits Co., Black Bird Design, Brighton Securities, Catching Dreams Charters, CURE Bears for Hope and Love, Four Winds Chimney, Grease Paint Alley Clowns, Inga Mucha Photography, MicGinny’s On the River, Monroe County Parks, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office: Mounted Patrol, Mott’s, Pirate Toy Fund, RDI Diamonds, R.P. Damico & Associates, RocDog, Rochester Fire Department, Spatola’s Party Rental, Speed Pro, U-Haul of Henrietta, Wegmans, West Herr Cares, Wildlife Rockstars - Bridges for Brain Injury and all our dedicated volunteers. We could not do the things that we do without so many wonderful people in our community. We look forward to next year and seeing all those C.U.R.E. Kiddos and their Families smiling faces.
Join us at the Wyoming County Fair Grand Parade!
Monday, August 12th @ 5:30 PM
Help us raise awareness and pass out yellow glow sticks!
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!
July Parents’ Night Out:
Miniature golf for the July Parents’ Night Out was a great success and lots of fun for all. C.U.R.E. Parents please keep an eye out for Program email for future events and the closed Facebook group. If you have any questions please call Carol at 585-473-0180 or email carol.austin@curekidcancer.com
C.U.R.E. Family Drive-In Night
Last year’s Drive-In Night was so much fun, so we are offering it to our C.U.R.E. Families again this Summer on Friday, August 16th. It is a great way to enjoy a summer evening and meet other C.U.R.E. Parents and Kiddos. Please watch for sign up information in Program emails and the closed parent Facebook group or call Carol at the C.U.R.E. office at 585-473-0180.
August Parents’ Night Out
A fun night out for C.U.R.E. Parents to challenge each other in go-kart races. Parents’ Night Out is a great way to meet other C.U.R.E. Parents and enjoy an evening out. Please watch for sign up information in Program emails and the closed parent Facebook group or call Carol at the C.U.R.E. office at 585-473-0180.
September Parents’ Night Out
A great night out for C.U.R.E. Parents to enjoy a pedal tour around the City of Rochester and see some of the buildings lit up Gold for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Parents’ Night Out is a great way to meet other C.U.R.E. Parents and enjoy an evening out. Please watch for sign up information in Program emails and the closed parent Facebook group or call Carol at the C.U.R.E. office at 585-473-0180.
Grandparents’ Coffee Hour
Join other C.U.R.E. Grandparents for a morning coffee hour on Wednesday, August 21st at 10:30 a.m. It’s a great opportunity to share information with other Grandparents. Please call the office at 585-473-0180 to RSVP and to get on our grandparent email list or email carol.austin@curekidscancer.com
Morton Family Fun Day
Morton Family Fun Day is coming again this Fall and is such a fun day for C.U.R.E. Families. Morton Baptist Church has hosted this event for many, many years for C.U.R.E. Families. This year it is Saturday, October 5th from noon until 4 p.m. Again this year will be games, prizes, a trip to the apple orchard and pumpkin patch. This is such a fun event. Please watch for sign up in the Program emails or closed Facebook group. Any questions please call the office at 585-473-0180 or email carol.austin@curekidscancer.com
Back to School
Back to school backpacks sign up is coming soon. Watch for Program emails for how to sign up. Please email carol.austin@curekidscancer.com if you have any questions. Dates for pick up will also be announced soon.
Thank you, Catching Dreams Fishing Charters!
Our C.U.R.E. Kids are kicking off nice weather season with some fishing! We are so grateful to Captain Ned and his team at Catching Dreams Charters, Inc. Thank you for treating our Kiddos to some fun on the water and teaching them about fishing. It can be so therapeutic and we are grateful for your compassion for our Kids. Thank you for letting us be a part of your program!
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.
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.
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 7/25/2024, THERE ARE 15,046 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.
81,091 signatures of 150,000 wanted (as of 7/25/2024)
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
Kick Off Awareness Month with our Mobile Blood Drive!
September 5th from 12 PM - 5 PM at West Herr Chevrolet (3850 West Henrietta Road, 14623).
** Please note: Appointments typically take around an hour. You will need to complete a pre-screening before you can donate.
Thank you to RDI Diamonds for their generous donation of $10 of Diamond Dollars for each C.U.R.E. Kiddo and their Family members to enjoy treats at the Red Wings and Wilmot Cancer Center Survivors’ Night game. This was a wonderful addition to this year’s game and we are so grateful to RDI Diamonds for their generosity.
Christmas In July
We are so grateful to our Friends who shopped our Amazon Wish Lists and sent gift cards for our Christmas in July event! Our shelves are starting to be re-filled, gearing up for the holidays. Thank you to our Friends for thinking of our Families and helping us provide meaningful support.
Please give a hand for our Volunteer of the Month….
Mike Broker
Our Board Member, Mike Broker, has gone above and beyond this month! We are beyond grateful for his efforts with our 9th Annual Patrick Carr Memorial Golf Tournament presented by ASP Industries and Brighton Securities. We sent an ask out to the Board to help resolve a challenge that came up just days before the tournament, Mike stepped in and helped in a BIG way with little notice. Additionally, he was our Volunteer Navigator Extraordinaire the day of the tournament - checking on volunteers, transporting them around the course and was also a huge help with tracking one of our contests.
As if being the Golf Tournament Hero wasn’t enough, Mike jumped in and transported a desk from an offsite location to our office for our newest Staff member, Diane.
Mike, you’ve been SUCH a huge help especially this past month. Thank you for stepping in and stepping up when we needed!
Julie Roberts Children’s Memorial Garden Volunteer Opportunities:
Our Garden needs love this time of year and we would appreciate your help! Sign up for a week and come any day that week. Duties include weeding, pruning and cleaning around our special bricks.
Brunch Volunteer Help Needed!
Come help us at our biggest fundraiser of the year! We will need a TON of volunteer help on Sunday, September 22nd the day of the event. This includes registration and check-in, dining room set up, dining room service, silent auction duty, clean up and truck loading.
We will be at a larger venue this year which means more help is needed than ever before! If you are interested in helping, please click the button below or reach out to Sammi Jo for more information. Thank you!
Brunch Baskets Needed:
It’s time to get creative, Friends! We welcome gift baskets of all kinds for our upcoming Silent Auction. Gather your friends, create an Amazon shopping list, build the BEST basket around.
Support local businesses and purchase gift cards.
Assemble baskets of all kinds. Lottery tickets ALWAYS do well.
We have some kid themed baskets, but would love Bluey, Pokemon or Lego themed baskets
Alcohol baskets are great as well: margaritas, craft beer, Moscow Mules…the sky’s the limit!
We also could use golf, movie, coffee and winter/fall themed baskets!
Kindly deliver auction items to the C.U.R.E. office by August 28th, please.
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
Congratulations, McColley’s!
As we edge closer to September (we know, we know…summer JUST started here in WNY), we would like to recognize our 2023 Mac Daddy Liquid Gold for C.U.R.E. Challenge Winners: McColley’s in Spencerport!! Not only did they have so many ooey gooey delicious mac and cheese options, they also worked so hard all month to raise awareness of childhood cancer!
They’ve confirmed they are participating in 2024! Who else wants to join them in raising awareness and offering some really incredible mac and cheese dishes?!
Lawn Signs & Garden Flags Available for Purchase!
Join us for the 16th Annual Recipe for a C.U.R.E. Sunday Brunch! There will be LOTS of yummy food prepared by our friends at the American Culinary Federation with the help of our C.U.R.E. Kiddo Chefs, the spectacular LIVE auction packages and always great company. And don’t forget the virtual silent auction, with 200+ baskets and items to bid on!
We are excited to be at a new venue this year - Arbor Midtown in Downtown Rochester! With a new location AND an amazing culinary experience, you don’t want to miss this!
Tickets will be on sale August 14th… stay tuned!
9011 County Road 15b
Canaseraga, NY 14822
3rd annual Get Lost in the Middle of Nowhere Poker Run on Saturday, August 24th!
We are welcoming all vehicles again this year! SXSs, Motorcycles, Cars and Trucks!
Registration 10 am-Noon (pre-registration will be available at the Inn)
$20 per vehicle/driver, $10 per passenger
Registration includes meal and live music at the end of the ride.
Score Sheets due back to The Birdsall Inn by 6pm
Top 6 Score Sheets Will Play A Hand Of Poker For The Cash Prize!
MoJo Blue playing from 5pm-9pm
50/50 * Amish Made Polywood Table & Chairs Set Raffle * Yeti Tundra Cooler Raffle * Side Raffles
The proceeds from this year's ride will go again to two groups out of Rochester, NY - 13thirty Cancer Connect and C.U.R.E Childhood Cancer Association. These groups provide tremendous support for kids, their parents and their families during and after their difficult journey with Childhood Cancer.
4th annual Hopson 5K- Give Cancer the Bird.
Run, Walk or Soar at the Hopson 5k! Located in the Hamlet of Honeoye, you will experience beautiful fall foliage throughout the entire course without the dangers of vehicle traffic.
Post race event at Birdhouse Brewery includes live music, a complementary pint of Birdhouse beer and a good time with friends and family!
This year, the Hopson 5k has chosen C.U.R.E. as their beneficiary and we are so honored!
33rd Annual Race With Grace 5k & 10k
Join us again this Thanksgiving morning for the annual Race with Grace 5k or 10k! New this year, the 10k race is recognized as one of the races in the Rochester Runner of the Year series. All proceeds, once race expenses are deducted, go to support C.U.R.E. Childhood Cancer Association.
Date: Thursday, November 28th
Time: 8:30 am
Location: Lakeshore Community Church
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!
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 August Bereavement Group will be held at the C.U.R.E. Offices at 7:30 on Wednesday, August 7th.
Please reach out to Diane Valentine at diane.valentine@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!