January 2025 Newsletter
Once upon a time, a group of Parents each lost a Child to Pediatric Cancer. They were faced with many challenges but worked together to form C.U.R.E. with the hope of helping future Families who also receive that devastating diagnosis.
Life is not a fairy tale, but fairy tales pose challenges to the characters involved and the Village comes together to try to help overcome the challenges. C.U.R.E.’s mission is to provide loving support to local Pediatric Oncology and Hematology Families. We aim to be the Village of support that wraps our arms around our Families to help them through their challenges.
Every Family’s story is different. C.U.R.E. travels alongside our Families through their unique stories to help wherever we can.
Our theme for 2025 is Fairytales!
Happy New Year!
Hoping your season was merry & bright!
Best wishes for a wonderful new year!
Congratulations, Ayla and Seth!
BIG congratulations to our Friend, Ayla who finished chemo in December! Ayla and her mom joined us in the office to add her handprint to our Handprints of Hope Wall! We celebrated Ayla with some of her favorite snacks: fruit! We also gifted she and her sister toys and stuffies. Please join us in sending love to Ayla and her Family.
Please join us as we celebrate our Friend Seth! He completed treatment and rang the End of Chemo Bell at Golisano Children’s Hospital on Thursday, December 12th!
Spotlight on: Beckham
Meet our Friend, Beckham.
Beckham is 2 years old and currently receiving treatments for a Grade C Retinoblastoma of his left eye. He was diagnosed in April 2024. His care team includes Flaum Eye Institute Ocular Oncology and Golisano Children’s Hospital Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Department. Beckham loves all types of construction and farm equipment, music, and dancing with his two older sisters!
C.U.R.E.’s Annual Holiday Party
C.U.R.E. Families enjoyed a night of fun holiday festivities with Santa, Mrs. Claus and the Reindeer. It was a wonderful evening of smiles and laughter. SIX C.U.R.E. Kiddos came and gave back to other C.U.R.E. Families by volunteering their time. We are so proud of them! We are beyond grateful to everyone in the Community who makes this event happen. There were 84 Families with 183 Kiddos in attendance! Thank you to the many people who gave their time and volunteered and the many Community Partners who donated their services or items to put smiles on our C.U.R.E. Families’ faces. These Kiddos and their Families look forward to this event every year. Thank you to Camp Good Days and Special Times, Shortsville Reindeer Farm, Pirate Toy Fund, Inga Mucha Photography, CURE Bears for Hope and Love, Randy & Lynne Stiefler, Sam & Anita Manuele, Monroe County Parks, Victor Girls Lacrosse Team, The Rochester UD Alumni Community, Barilla, Genetaska, Tamasang Rentals, The Hypebooth and the many, many volunteers who helped prior to the event and during.
Our hearts are overflowing with gratitude for all of you!
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!
90s Night for C.U.R.E.
C.U.R.E. has partnered with the Rochester Knighthawks for their upcoming 90s Night! The game will take place Saturday, January 11th. Jerseys will be themed from the 90s and will be up for auction. Proceeds from the auction will be donated to C.U.R.E.! We have tickets available to our Families for this fun night out. Be sure to check your program emails or email Carol (carol.austin@curekidscancer.com) for more information!
January Parents’ Night Out
C.U.R.E. Parents, check your Program emails to sign up for the Omega Escape Room adventure on Wednesday, January 15th from 6:30-8 pm. Four of the most popular escape room themes are combined into one crazy, busy experience. Let's challenge the clock and see if you can make the grade and get out! This wild, multi-themed adventure is sure to put your head in a spin! This room uses a point system based on the time spent in the room and amount of clues used to determine just how sleuthy you are! RSVP Required.
February Parents’ Night Out
C.U.R.E. Parents - are you ready for a new kind of Parents' Night Out in February? Sign up today for Salsa Dancing Lessons with Melissa on Wednesday, February 26th from 6:15 - 7:30 pm at the Lodge at Buckland Park, 1341 Westfall Road, Rochester.
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.
Cancer for College has provided need-based scholarships to cancer survivors since 1993.
The scholarship application period is November 1 – January 31 each year. Starting November 1, 2024, they’re accepting applications for the 2025-’26 school year.
To learn more, please click the link below or contact CFC at applications@cancerforcollege.org.
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.
Research & Advocacy:
Conquer Cancer in Kids:
make childhood cancer research a priority:
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.
81,090 signatures of 150,000 wanted (as of 11/25/2024)
Learn more about Bill A6430B
Creates the Sickle Cell Disease detection and education program
Sponsored by Hyndman
Bereavement Group
January Bereavement Group
will be Wednesday, January 8, 2025
7:00 - 8:30 p.m. at the C.U.R.E. office
200 Westfall Road
Rochester, NY 14620
No RSVP is required.
If you have any questions, please reach out to our Bereaved Family Advocate, Diane (diane.valentine@curekidscancer.com)
December Bereavement Group
Last month, we hosted a Bereavement Group outing! We gathered at Rohrbach Brewing Company and partnered with Manicottis Cookies for a cookie decorating class. It was a SWEET evening!
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
Thank you, holiday volunteers!
THANK YOU to all of the volunteers who made this holiday season so magical for our Families!
To our wrappers who helped wrap endless gifts for our Families, to those who helped at our Holiday Party, bringing their holiday cheer and making it a joyous night! We are so thankful for your kind hearts; we wouldn’t be able to do what we do without all of you!
Thank you, Amazon Angels!!
Our hearts have been overflowing with gratitude for the last several weeks, especially with all the Amazon deliveries! To our Friends and supporters who shopped from our Amazon Wish Lists to help support our mission, we appreciate you. You are our Amazon Angels, helping to fulfill the holiday wishes of our Kids. It was so fun opening boxes to see what was being sent for our Families. We are so proud to share we were able to provide beautiful holidays to our Families thanks to these kindnesses.
And don’t worry, we had drinks and snacks out for our dedicated Amazon Delivery People so they knew the depth of our gratitude as well!
A BIG thank you to the Hopson 5k!
We'd like to acknowledge our amazing friends who organized this year's Hopson 5K - Give Cancer the Bird! This past October, the Hopson 5k took place on a beautiful fall day in Honeoye Falls. Over 600 people participated and it ended with a celebration at Birdhouse Brewing Company with vendors, drinks and music! This year, they chose to support C.U.R.E. and presented us with a $20,000 check!
We are so, so grateful for their kindness and support! We are blown away by not only the generosity, but also the kindness of everyone involved. Thank you for being a Friend of our organization and allowing us to be a part of the day!
Serving the community in more ways than one!
When we provide holiday support to our Families, not only do they receive gifts, but they also receive food items to help with their holiday meal, along with all the yummy things a kiddo would want!
This year, the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office was a huge help for our Families and provided over 30 bags of food, which included potatoes, stuffing, gravy, apple sauce, mac and cheese, and so much more! We are so grateful for your generosity and helping hands this holiday season. Thank you for your kindness and protecting our community.
Our Friend, Florence, spreads holiday cheer!
Our long-time Friend, Florence, has paid us a visit again this year! For 35 years, Florence has been bringing gifts to our Community for children to enjoy during the holidays. She has been thinking of C.U.R.E. Kiddos for many of those years! This year, she brought along her friends as they unloaded two cars full of toys, activity books, stuffed animals, and more! Thank you Florence, for your many joyous years of Friendship and for making spirits bright during the holidays!
Wyoming Correctional Makes a Difference!
We are so grateful that the Wyoming County Correctional Make A Difference Committee reached out to C.U.R.E. to make a donation! Holly met up with them in Batavia as they were handing out gift cards to random shoppers at a local Target store before the holidays! What a fun idea! We were so grateful to receive a $500 donation from the group to help further our mission. Thank you for thinking of your Community and truly making a difference.
Snowmen stuffies to melt your heart!
A warmfelt thank you to Anne Bestor! She handmade over 25 snowmen for our kiddos to enjoy! They are perfect for decorating hospital rooms or bedrooms and are sure to bring lots of smiles to our kiddos’ faces. She even made Buffalo Bills ones! We know a few kiddos that might like those ones…
Thank you Anne, for sharing your talents with our Families, your kindness means the world!
RDI’s Fuzzy Drive brings warmth to Families!
Throughout the month of December, RDI Diamonds Inc. hosted a Fuzzy Drive where employees collected boxes of blankets, fuzzy socks, comfy clothes, stuffed animals and of course Squishmallows! We can’t wait to provide these to our Kiddos, especially during the cold season ahead.
RDI Diamonds Inc. always has C.U.R.E. in their hearts and we are so grateful for their advocacy and friendship!
We appreciate you, Rotork Team!
The Rotork team has done it again! Leading up to the holidays, our Friends at Rotork have been collecting & shopping for toys for Families. They brought us games, Barbie’s, robots, hot wheels, Squishmallows (a crowd favorite) and so much more!
We are overwhelmed with gratitude for the Rotork Team and their support over the last several years. Thank you for bringing joy to our Families this year!
Rick Borrelli & Team made spirits bright!
Our Friends from the Rick Borrelli Team- WCI Reality put together a holiday gift basket in December that benefitted C.U.R.E.! They raffled of tons of goodies that showcased local businesses like Rockcastle Florist, Cobble Creek Farm and Agatina’s Restaurant. Thank you for thinking of our Families during the holidays, you’ve certainly made a difference!
Rochester Press-Radio is dedicated to our Community!
We were so pleased to join the Rochester Press-Radio Club for their Holiday Luncheon recently. C.U.R.E. is among a number of non-profits they support within three areas: Families in Need, Special Needs, and Adaptive Sports. We received a donation for $2,000! Thank you for continuing to support the work we do here at C.U.R.E.!
NRG Agrees: Dessert is good for your soul!
Our Good Friends at the Networking Referral Group of Rochester baked up some sweet treats in November for their annual Dessert Auction. Led by Auctioneer Extraordinaire, Bruce Chapman, the group collectively donated nearly $1,500 by purchasing donated baked goods. NRG matched the donation and a total of $3,000 was donated to C.U.R.E.! We are grateful for your thoughtfulness, continued kindness…and for advocating that dessert can be good for your soul!
Please give a hand for our Volunteer of the Month….
Rachael Gootnick!
Rachael has been volunteering with C.U.R.E. for quite some time, and we especially look forward to seeing her around the holidays! When the holiday volunteer sign up was sent, we were thrilled to see Rachael’s name not once, but twice on the list! Last month, she took time out of her day to come help us wrap gifts for Families at the office - and may we say, her skills are straight from the North Pole! Rachael also volunteers at the holiday party every year! This year she spread holiday cheer by passing out stuffed animals to kiddos!
Thank you Rachael for making the holidays special for our Families, we are so grateful for your kindness and helping hands!
Join our Board of Directors!
We have some Board positions opening up! Are you 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
Super Bowl Squares!
We are again offering Super Bowl Squares for C.U.R.E. in 2025! Squares will cost $25 each. Once you make your donation, you will be assigned a random square. When the board of 100 is full, we will use a random number generator to assign numbers to rows and columns.
The winner is decided by looking at the last number in each teams' score and then matching those digits on the grid to see where the squares intersect.
Payout will be as follows:
Winner of the 1st Quarter: $150
Winner at Halftime: $200
Winner of the 3rd Quarter: $150
Final Score Winner: $300
Winners will be notified after the game.
TRIVIA NIGHT IS BACK!
SAVE THE DATE: Thursday, March 6th!
Please join us on March 6th at Comedy @ the Carlson for a our 9th Annual Trivia Night. It’s sure to be a good time with food, drinks, raffles, friends and of course, TRIVIA!
Stay tuned for more details!
Qualified Charitable Distributions:
To transfer funds from your IRA to C.U.R.E., please follow these step-by-step instructions:
(1) Contact your financial advisor or representative at the financial institution that holds your IRA.
(2) Tell your representative that you wish to make a QCD from your IRA to C.U.R.E.
(3) Request a check made payable to “C.U.R.E. Childhood Cancer Association” and indicate that it is a “qualified charitable distribution from the account of (your name).
(4) For wire transfers, contact request transfer instruction from C.U.R.E.
(5) Tax ID information: C.U.R.E. Childhood Cancer Association Federal Tax ID: 51-0215037
(6) Please contact C.U.R.E. and let us know to expect a payment.
Please note that the maximum QCD is $100,000 per year per person, with married couples with separate IRAs eligible to give up to $200,000 per year. Transfers to donor-advised funds, supporting organizations, private foundations, charitable remainder trusts, and charitable gift annuities do not qualify. The transfer is tax-free and is not included in your adjusted gross income (AGI), thus there is no charitable deduction. A transfer is not subject to AGI limitations on charitable deductions. C.U.R.E. recommends you consult with your estate attorney and/or financial advisor prior to requesting a QCD to C.U.R.E.
It’s Beanie Season!
The temps are cooling down outside. Be sure you’re prepared by purchasing one of our exclusive Love Your Melon + C.U.R.E. Beanies available in three options!
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 the holidays approaching, 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!).
We also have exclusive bracelets here at C.U.R.E. with our logo on them that make beautiful gifts!
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!
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.
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!
- 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!