July 2023 Newsletter
C.U.R.E. is 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.
Your kindness makes a difference!
The 2nd Quarter introduced us to 16 new Families and we were able to show our love and support to them, in addition to our existing C.U.R.E. Families.
* We also celebrated 3 End-of-Chemo bell ringings.
* Provided a $1,400 security deposit for a Family
* Purchased a new washer & dryer for a Family
* Provided a Family with a stroller so they could move their child around the hospital more easily
* Purchased a stroller wagon for a Family seeking treatment at a hospital out of the area, making transport in and out easier.
* Started a Grandparent Support Group
* Offered THREE Parents’ Night Out events
* Celebrated and hosted 70 Families at our Annual Survivors’ Day Celebration
* Connected 10 Families with free tickets to Flip Circus
* Stocked a snack cupboard for our Families on 7North
Whew! We have been busy!
As you can see below, we have lots of upcoming summer programs including Parents’ Night Out opportunities, Family outings and more!
If you have an idea for a program or a need that’s not being met, reach out and we’ll see what we can do.
Spotlight on: Lucia
Meet our Friend, Lucia.
Lucia is two years old. She was diagnosed with B Cell A.L.L. (Leukemia) in January 2023. She has been handling her treatment like a champ!
Lucia is strong, silly, sweet and a bit sassy! She loves to color and spend time with her family, especially her big sister!
We are sending love to you and your family, Sweet Lucia!
Welcome, Sammi Jo!
We are so happy to welcome Sammi Jo to our Team! Sammi Jo joins us as our Community & Events Coordinator. C.U.R.E. is near and dear to her and her family’s hearts. Sammi Jo comes to us with past experience in media buying and we can’t wait to see all that she will bring to our events!
See You Soon, Friends.
Sean Fico has been a Friend to our organization for 10+ years! He is completing his second 3 year term on our Board of Directors today. We are so thankful to Sean for everything he has done for our Families himself & in partnership with his company A.P. Enterprises Property Services . He's gotten his Family involved, like when his daughter Daniella requested donations to C.U.R.E. in lieu of birthday gifts for her birthday one year. He's gotten his company involved through the Annual Easter Egg Hunt. We appreciate everything, Sean. Thank you!
Melissa Sturge Apple has been a Friend of our organization nearly her whole life! The daughter of a couple of our Founders, John and Judi Sturge, Melissa has known C.U.R.E. for 46 years and has witnessed the growth and evolvement of our organization. Dedicating the last 6 years to serving our Board, Melissa is stepping back as a Board member today. Melissa, you've done a beautiful job carrying on the mission your parents began so many years ago. Thank you for always keeping C.U.R.E. Families so close to your heart.
Dan Dettorre has been a Friend of the organization for many years as well. The husband of a childhood cancer survivor who was supported by C.U.R.E., he felt the desire to help local children and their Families experiencing childhood cancer. He has been a dedicated advocate to C.U.R.E. personally and professionally, encouraging his workplace to rally behind C.U.R.E. alongside him. West Herr Auto Group continues to give back to our Families through the donation of turkeys, sponsorship and much more! Thank you, Dan, for your wisdom and commitment to C.U.R.E.
These three Board members have been so dedicated to our Families. We know it's just "See Ya Later" and we will see you again soon 💛 Please join us in thanking these three wonderful people for being a Friend to C.U.R.E.
Congratulations, Grayson & Skylar!
Sending a BIG congratulations to Grayson and Skylar as they celebrated the end of treatment with us at the C.U.R.E. office. Grayson celebrated with his mom and his favorite snack: gummy candies! We got him a large assortment of gummies! Skylar celebrated with her Mom and her Mimi and, of course, her favorite snack: white cheddar popcorn! We got a variety of white cheddar snacks. Additionally, KennieCakes & Confections donated a beautiful ice cream drip cake for Skylar to celebrate with, too!
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!!
CURE Parents join us for and evening of Live Music at Bands at Barnard from 5-10 pm. Featuring Chicago 9 and Jumbo Shrimp. Barnard Park, 410 Maiden Lane, Rochester. RSVP Required.
See Program Emails for sign up instructions. Hope to see you there!
August Parents’ Night Out
C.U.R.E. Parents’ August Night Out on the Riverie on Thursday, August 17th at 5:30 p.m. Cruise is from 6-7:30 p.m. Enjoy live music from local artist Nic LeDuc while you cruise around Genesee River, and take in stunning views of Rochester’s skyline as the sun sets. RSVP is required. Please see Program email for sign up instructions.
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.
Catching Dreams
Catching Dreams Charters, Inc. hosts private fishing charters near Buffalo on Lake Erie or the Niagara River for pediatric oncology or hematology children.
We have connected with Captain Ned, the Founder of this organization, and would love to connect our C.U.R.E. Kids to Ned and schedule some fishing charters! Charters are scheduled for during the week from mid-May through Labor Day and leave from the Buffalo Harbor or near the Niagara River.
Please reach out to Captain Ned if you are interested in a private fishing charter.
Donate Blood or Platelets!
Many of our children depend on blood transfusions and blood products in the course of their treatment. Our children are in need of blood products and you can help! Please consider donating blood if you are well enough to.
YOU can help C.U.R.E. for FREE
Follow us on social media:
Facebook: facebook.com/curekidscancerrochester
Instagram: @curekidscancer
Twitter: @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 a Facebook Live or 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 15,000 SIGNATURES AND AS OF 4/28/2023, THERE ARE 14,965 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.
80,704 signatures of 150,000 wanted (as of 4/28/2023)
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
Family Sundae Funday
This event is open to families with children who have been impacted by cancer.
On Sunday July 23rd at 3pm we will have a sundae bar set up for everyone to enjoy.
Additionally, we will have games and crafts for all ages.
Children will also be welcome to play in Noogieland.
Register your family today!
Our Friends at Fyle are Amazing!
We are so grateful to our Friends at Ethel Fyle Elementary School in Henrietta for participating in our annual penny drive once again! They made a video encouraging each other to check couch cushions, piggy banks and dad’s pocket (haha) for change to bring into their school. Thank you so much for always keeping our Families in your hearts!
Tab-ulous!
Thank you to our TAB-ULOUS Friend Brandy for honoring Addy Stoll through her collection of aluminum can tabs for our “Keeping Tabs on Cancer with Hailey” program. Brandy is friends with Addy’s Family and wanted to show some love - so she collected can tabs!
We will be giving these tabs to our friend Hailey and her Family soon so they can turn tabs into cash! They then donate the funds generated to C.U.R.E. for us to use on our free parking voucher program.
Thank you, Enterprise Rent-A-Car!
Thank you to our friends from Enterprise Rent-A-Car who recruited associates from all over the Greater Rochester Area to come tend to our Julie Roberts Children’s Memorial Garden! They weeded next to our fence (and their hands smelled minty fresh from the mint they removed) and also weeded in the front garden. Thank you for honoring our Angels!
In memory of Amanda Conrow…
Thank you to Eastside Little League for including us in honoring the memory of Amanda Conrow. Their annual Hot Dog Day was a success and raised funds for C.U.R.E.! We had a lot of fun on Hot Dog Day with our Friend Armyni throwing the first pitch of the game and enjoying hot dogs! Thank you to Bruce and the whole crew at Eastside Little League for always remembering our Families and letting us be a small part of remembering such a sweet little girl.
Brockport Buzzed!
A huge thank you to our Friends from Mr. Mutton’s SEM Class at Brockport High School (and the students who volunteered to get their heads shaved!) for hosting Brockport Buzz! The class marketed the event and fundraised around the community to generate over $1,300 in donations for C.U.R.E.! Mr. Mutton himself even shaved his head! We are grateful that you honored our Kids and raised funds for their Families. Thank you also to Board Member, Dan Kuhn, for joining for the festivities!
School #45 is SUPER!
Thank you so much to Mary McLeod Bethune School #45 for participating in our annual Penny Drive! You are super! Your school community came together to make every penny count. Thank you for thinking of our Families and making a difference!
Volunteers Needed!
We are in need of volunteers for our upcoming 8th Annual Patrick Carr Memorial Golf Tournament presented by ASP Industries and Brighton Securities on Monday, July 24th. Volunteers are needed in shifts:
7 AM - 8:45 AM
8:45 AM - 3 PM
Check out the Volunteer Opportunities by clicking the button below.
September is important!
Please consider joining C.U.R.E. in our efforts to raise awareness during September! Join our Committee!
We need help:
- Recruiting restaurants for our Liquid Gold for C.U.R.E. Challenge
- Moving flamingos in September
- Reaching out to local municipalities for proclamations
- Reaching out to local schools for awareness campaigns
- Reaching out to fire stations and community centers with digital boards
- NEW IDEAS!
** NEED HELP WITH GRAPHIC DESIGN FOR A BIG ROCHESTER VS. BUFFALO PROJECT
Come Tend to our Garden!
We are looking for Friends to come help honor our Angel Kiddos and take care of our Julie Roberts Children’s Memorial Garden. The sign ups are set for Sundays at 9 AM, but you can come any time you want during that week.
It’s so important that our garden looks beautiful for our little Angels. We are so appreciative of our Volunteers.
Caring for our garden includes pruning trees and shrubs and weeding the garden beds and Remembrance Walkway.
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
REGISTRATION IS OPEN!
Gift Cards we are short on: Gas Stations, Grocery Stores, McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Chipotle, Grub Hub, Door Dash
Whole Year & Event Specific Partnerships Available for 2023
We would LOVE to partner with you and your business! Reach out and we can chat about the opportunities we have available!
Event specific partnerships can be found on their respective pages:
Lawn Signs & Mailbox Bows Available for Purchase!
Don’t forget the JOE!
Don’t forget to check out our Friends at Awareness Coffee Co.! They have many different coffee options AND you can support a cause you’re passionate about (we’re partial to the Pediatric Cancer Blend). A portion of the sale of the coffee will be donated to the charities listed under each cause.
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!
Click here to learn more.
Every Penny Matters.
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.
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.
Hosted by The Birdsall Inn
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
There will be no meeting for Bereavement Group at the office for July.
Those who signed up will be headed to a Red Wing’s game that evening. Have fun!!
Please reach out to 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!
- Buffalo Bills items (hats, gloves, socks, etc.) for teen gifts
- 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!