July 2021 Newsletter
C.U.R.E. has been here.
From the day of diagnosis, throughout treatment and beyond:
The support doesn’t stop when the treatment stops.
And we are so thankful for our friends who make our support possible.
Thank you, Sean.
Sean O’Brien is rolling off our Board of Directors after dedicating the past 6 years to our families. His tireless dedication and leadership have helped to propel C.U.R.E. into the organization we are today: with expanded programming and increased support to our families as well as increased visibility in the Rochester Community.
We are so thankful for his service and appreciate his efforts.
Don’t be a stranger, Sean!
Spotlight on: Patrick John Carr
This month we honor his memory and his brave fight against cancer
Patrick was diagnosed on August 22. 2008 with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma. He had a tumor on his Adrenal Gland at the age of 4. During Patrick's fight, he went through several rounds of chemo, blood transfusion, radiation, a stem cell transplant, four major surgeries, several admission in the hospital that lasted from 3 - 15 days, plenty of trips to MSK in NYC and to CHOPS in Philadelphia. In June 2011, during routine scans, doctors found the Neuroblastoma had returned. Patrick never went back into remission. He fought and fought till the day he passes on June 6, 2015. Patrick loved to stay busy playing travel hockey, travel baseball, basketball, swimming, golfing, fishing, and riding bikes. The qualities that Patrick developed in such a short life were what drew so many people to him. He made friends everywhere he went! Patrick’s sense of compassion and always thinking of others, his charisma, his courage, his perseverance, his generosity, his leadership, his attitude to stay positive, and his smile, made Patrick who he was!
July Parents’ Night Out
We hope you’ll join us at Blue Barn Cidery as we partner, once again, with the talented Tonja from Lucky Heart Designs! She’s created a special awareness tray for our parents to display in their homes during September (Childhood Cancer & Sickle Cell Awareness Month) - or all year long, if you’d like!
RSVP is required to attend! Please email Laurie by July 1st to reserve your spot!
Click here to email.
August Parents’ Night
(actually afternoon outing)
Enjoy an afternoon paddle on the Genesee River! Don’t forget the sunscreen! To register, just email Laurie Streb (Program Coordinator) by clicking this link.
Save the Date
Morton Family Fun Day is fun for the whole family - apple picking, horse rides, games and more ….
For Parents of Pediatric Oncology Patients:
“Our lockdown started a solid six months before the rest of the country’s. In October of 2019, my 6-year-old daughter was diagnosed with leukemia. By the time the rest of the nation began to close schools and work from home, my daughter and I had been living the pandemic lifestyle for quite some time. While the rest of the family still went to work and school, overall, we stayed put beyond the necessities. COVID-19 simply brought another layer of protection for us: now we had a “nobody in, nobody out” policy. A bubble of five people…”
To read more from a fellow oncology mama, please click here.
Donate Blood!
Many of our children depend on blood transfusions and blood products in the course of their treatment. With the recent pandemic, blood drives have been halted. Our children are still in need of blood products. Please consider donating blood if you are well enough to. Visit redcrossblood.org to set up an appointment time. They are adhering to social distancing guidelines to fulfill the need.
YOU can help C.U.R.E. for FREE
1) Follow us on social media:
Facebook page: facebook.com/curekidscancerrochester
Instagram: @curekidscancer
Twitter: @curekidscancer_
(2) Write a review about C.U.R.E. on our Facebook Page or on Google
(3) Write a blog that can be shared on our website.
(4) Contact our Parent Advocate about doing a Facebook Live or Instagram Takeover
(5) “Like”, Share or comment on our posts on social media!
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.
CAMP OPEN ARMS
Camp Open Arm’s day camp is sponsored by Gilda’s Club Rochester and open to children ages 5-12 that have been affected by cancer or sickle cell anemia. With the new location change, they have so many great activities for the kids all day long including rock wall climbing, zip line, swimming, hiking, crafts, and more! In addition to traditional camp activities they will have time for children to process feelings related to their or a loved ones illness. Camp is being held at the Sunshine Rotary Campus in Rush NY from August 2-6 from roughly 8:30am-3:30pm. Transportation will be provided from a central location to and from camp each day and we will also serve our campers lunch daily.
Families can register a child by following the instructions below:
Complete the online registration form https://hipaa.jotform.com/211164037688155
Print off the following forms and mail to us or scan and email to cadams@gildasclubrochester.org
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.
Thank you, RDI Diamonds!
We are so appreciative of our friends at RDI Diamonds, especially the Sales Team! They selected our organization to raise money for during the month of May. Our friends pictured, Tom & Cameron, were the top Sales Earners for the month and presented us with this check! Thank you for thinking of our families!
Thank you to Friends of Jason for hosting another great Chicken BBQ to raise money for C.U.R.E. and the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Rochester! They put together an incredible event every year, including a delicious chicken BBQ (the homemade sides are just as good as the chicken!), gift basket raffle and the most delicious homemade chocolate candy you’ve ever had! thank you, also, to chris for this awesome collection of toys and gifts for our kids! We love going to Hornell every year for this event and are sincerely grateful for the support Anne, James, Chris and the whole Friends of Jason Crew put forth to honor Jason’s memory and advocate for our families.
We would LOVE your help!
We are looking for help with raising awareness in September and could use some help and new ideas!
Some areas of involvement are:
- Contacting local towns and villages to recognize Awareness Month through Proclamations and/or gold ribbons around town
- Helping to “Flock” people’s yards with golden flamingos
- Promoting businesses to light up their exteriors for the month
- Promoting the “Liquid Gold Challenge”
Interested in helping? Email Holly. (Click here to email)
Share your talents with our entire C.U.R.E. family by joining the committee to help plan the
Recipe for a C.U.R.E.
Sunday Brunch
Presented by West Herr Cares
In partnership with the American Culinary Federation: Rochester's Professional Chefs & Cooks Association
Please contact Jonathan if you would like to help in the planning and execution of the year’s largest fundraiser.
We are looking for volunteers who are interested in theming/decorating, the dining room experience, live auction, and overall event logistics.
If you are interested (Click Here) to let Jonathan know!
Annual Motorcycle Poker Run
We are looking for volunteers from 9 AM - 12:30 PM and from 1 PM - 5 PM on Sunday, August 29th!
Click here to sign up!
MORE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER!
The Rush Creekside Inn hosts a Cruise Night every Wednesday at their restaurant. They host a 50/50 to raise funds for C.U.R.E. weekly.
They are in need of volunteers on Wednesdays:
2 PM - 4 PM: Set up for the night
5 PM - 7 PM: Parking Lot Attendants/help
Please email by clicking here if you want to sign up to help for a week!
Looking for Volunteers!
Our Julie Roberts Children’s Memorial Garden wouldn’t be as beautiful without the TLC from our wonderful volunteers! Sign up for a week to care for our garden this year!
Garden TLC involves weeding, trimming bushes/trees, pruning the garden and watering the garden.
Sign up here.
Join C.U.R.E.’s YPC!
We are re-energizing our YPC (Young Professional Committee)! If you are a Young Professional looking for an opportunity to get involved with C.U.R.E., meet some awesome volunteers and help our families, we would LOVE to have you!
Please reach out to Board Member, Brian Wainwright, to start connecting!
Click me to email!
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
Ho Ho Ho! It’s that time of year again!
Please consider participating in our Christmas in July event and purchase an item from C.U.R.E.’s wish list enabling us to continue the vital support we provide to our families. Items from our Amazon wish lists are in three categories: Under $20, $20-$50, and over $50
Gift cards are also welcome:
Wegmans
Tops
Wal-Mart
Target
Gas cards
GrubHub
McDonalds
Wendy’s
Burger King
Moe’s
Chipotle
Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks.
(Please deliver or mail to C.U.R.E. Childhood Cancer Association, 200 Westfall Road, Rochester, NY 14620)
Riley Joy Candle Company
Awareness Month Candle Preorder (starting July 1st)!
Preorder your limited edition “Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month” candles so you are ready for September!
This Pumpkin Chai scent is sure to fill your home and your heart. Each 10 oz. candle is $25 with a portion being donated to C.U.R.E.!
If you live in the Rochester area and would like to pick up your order (in North Greece/Hilton), you can do so on September 4th from 10 - 1 (location to be shared upon ordering).
If someone lives out of town, their box will be out within the first half of September thru USPS (tracking number to be shared once shipped).
A $400 donation was made last year. Riley Joy Candle Company’s goal is to surpass that donation this year!
Awareness Month Lawn Signs and Bows!
We are selling Awareness Month lawn signs and bows for September again!
Same design as last year!
Lawn signs are $10/each
Mailbox/Exterior Light Bows are $25/each
NEW PARTNERSHIPS ALERT!
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
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!
Click here to learn more.
Want to help make a difference while you shop in the Amazon app, at no extra cost to you?
Simply follow the instructions below to select "C.U.R.E. Childhood Cancer Association" as your charity and activate AmazonSmile in the app. They'll donate a portion of your eligible mobile app purchases to us.
How it works:
1. Open the Amazon app on your phone
2. Select the main menu (=) & tap on "AmazonSmile" within Programs & Features
3. Select "C.U.R.E. Childhood Cancer Association" as your charity
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to activate AmazonSmile in the mobile app
C.U.R.E. + Astral Power
We have partnered with Astral Power to give our C.U.R.E. supporters access to renewable energy! The solar energy comes from the solar farm on Washington Street in Ogden. Once you sign up, your utility will automatically credit your utility bill for being a member, saving you a guaranteed 10% of your utility costs per year.
Signing up is easy:
(1) Call Rylea (585) 402-9313
or
(2) go to: https://www.astralpower.com/#signup
”How Did You Hear About Us” Select “Customer Referral” and enter “CURE” in “Referred By”
Get your C.U.R.E. Gear
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!
We are hoping for feedback from our Bereaved Parents Community.
Are there programs or services you would be interested in that C.U.R.E. may be able to offer to help support you and your family or to connect with other families?
Is there a safe, social activity you would like to participate in?
We would love some feedback and ideas.
This has been a particularly difficult and isolating year.
Please let us know if there is anything we can do to help.
Please send any messages and feedback to Laurie Streb. Click me to email.
July Bereavement Group
The July Bereavement Meeting will be held at our office - 200 Westfall Road, Rochester on July 7th from 7:00 - 8:30 PM. Michelle Magin, C.U.R.E.’s Parent Advocate, Liz & Paul Conrow and Debra Zalar (bereaved parents), will be leading this meeting.
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!
- 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
- Facial Cleansing Wipes and body wash
- Items for teens or young adults
- Fabric Markers (to color fabric masks)
- School Supplies (other than crayons) pencils, paper, scissors, glue sticks
We ask that all items be new and recently purchased. Thank you!