We want to thank our friends at Informed Mortgage for their continued support of David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation and our mission to offer financial assistance, services and HOPE to families battling a cancer diagnosis. This creative planned giving initiative was forged by our Communications Director Dani Corso through her company Volatile Media Management.The Informed Mortgage Leadership Team, Staff and their clients are responsible for positively affecting the lives of so many families battling cancer. The result has been a record-setting and monumental donation of $42,375.00to DDBCF over the past two years! These donations are used towards a multitude of items for our families including: mortgage/rent, utilities, transportation costs to and from treatments, medical bills and groceries to keep food on the table!
All of us at David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation appreciate and truly value the year-long efforts of the entire Informed Mortgage team and could not be happier to be partnering with them again in 2017! The Informed Mortgage Team has set the Gold Standard for creative planned giving initiatives but you can join Informed Mortgage as A Beacon Of Hope for our families battling a cancer diagnosis by contacting us today to learn more about Planned Giving and David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation! Please contact David Caldarella at: david@davidsdreamandbelieve.org
Please contact our friends at Informed Mortgage NJ for all your Mortgage needs by calling them today at: (609) 597-0007.
Two new and highly successful DDBCF fundraising events were established in 2016:
a) The Inaugural Frank A. Cosimano Memorial Golf Classic presented by: Bergen Risk Managers and
b) Shave the Date presented by: Swing Graphics
The incredibly generous team from Informed Mortgage’s planned giving initiative set an all-time DDBCF record for Giving with an astounding $24,375.00 donated in the year 2016!
DDBCF welcomed 2 returning members back to the Board of Directors; Carmen Malatino and Kelly Powers; while three new Board Members Jason Cosimano, Steve Crisalli and former Director of Patient Advocacy Bill Raney were invited to serve as well. Office space for the Foundation was secured at 364 North Main Street, Suite 10D in Manahawkin, NJ.
Director of Patient Advocacy; Lauren M. Raney (7/28/1977-12/16/2016) was appointed by the Board of Directors as our Inaugural Trustee Emeritus.
2011 – 2016: 763 Families battling a cancer diagnosis have received $621,813.06 in Financial Grants!
All of us at David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation want to thank our patients and their families for inspiring us each and every day. It was an extremely difficult end to 2016 with the passing of so many loved ones and friends of DDBCF including: Mallory, Anthony, Virginia, Melissa, Michael, Phyllis, Layard, Alice, Patricia and Lauren. Our thoughts, prayers and love remain with all of these families. In the midst of her own battle with cancer, Lauren Raney proudly served as an original member of our Directors of Patient Advocacy Board in hopes that she could offer support to other patients battling this deadly disease. What Lauren may not have realized before her passing on December 16th is that she not only offered our current patients support and hope but lifted the spirits of any and every person that was blessed to have crossed paths with her.. On December 20th 2016, the DDBCF Board of Directors unanimously voted to appoint Lauren M. Raney as our first ever Trustee Emeritus. Lauren will be forever honored for her service as a Director of Patient Advocacy while all of us trust that she will eternally watch over and guide us on this journey.
Thank you to our Executive Partners at Informed Mortgage. Informed Mortgage’s planned giving initiative has set a high standard for charitable giving thanks to the efforts of Stephen, Christopher, Michael, Informed Mortgage Staff and all their customers.
Thank you to the parents and kids from our youth group, Generation Dream. This motivated, talented and compassionate group of kids are determined to make a positive impact in the lives of our patients and their families.
Thank you to students from our Southern Regional High School group led by teachers Ms. Rebecca Posch and Mrs Jody McLennan.
Thank you to our community partners, Dawn and Pete from Swing Graphics and Ryan Johnson from Ryan Johnson Photography for their help with photo, images and multiple revisions to content.
A special thank you to our Board of Directors (Steve Crisalli, Dani Corso, Kristin Panzone, Bill Raney, Kelly Powers, Jason Cosimano, Tim Hall) who serve the mission of the Foundation on a 100% volunteer basis!
Please take a minute to look back on 2016 with us in the attached summary of accomplishments. Please know that if you attended one of our events, donated an auction item, sponsored an event, volunteered or made an individual donation – YOU are responsible for providing HOPE to a family diagnosed with cancer that desperately needs our help. THANK YOU! Our Mantra for 2017 is: #WeWill
Tuesday October 11, 2016 was a very special day at The Inaugural Frank A. Cosimano Memorial Golf classic to benefit: David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation. The Cosimano and Caldarella families have a friendship that spans decades. 90 Golfers and 140 dinner guests joined us at White Beeches Golf & Country Club to honor Mr. Frank A. Cosimano while “Paying it Forward” in Mr. Cosimano’s name. The end result was an incredible $30,500.66 raised for our families battling a cancer diagnosis!
A Huge Thank You to Jason Cosimano, Kim Cosimano and Mrs. Angela Cosimano for serving as Co-Chairs for this event. Our newest Director, Jason Cosimano is a welcome addition to the DDBCF team and our families battling a cancer diagnosis will benefit greatly from Jason’s commitment to serve on the Foundation’s Board of Directors. Thank you to Jason’s wife Dorothy for her support behind the scenes.
Thank you to our Golf Committee: Dr. Robert Siconolfi, Mr. Leonard Kaiser, Mr. Stephen P. Sinisi Esq., Mr. Michael Accomando, Mr. Todd Accomando, Mrs. Jaqueline Ceccarelli-Komsa, Mr. Ed Komsa, Mrs. Lauren Komsa Curtis, Mr. John Curtis and Mrs. Christina Ulmer. We could not have coordinated this event without the support, time and efforts of the Golf Committee.
Thank you to Greg Porcino from Golf Event Management. Greg and David Caldarella started to discuss the possibility of a golf event to honor Frank A. Cosimano in late 2015 before David brought the idea to Jason, Kim and Mrs. Cosimano. Greg has played a pivotal role in bringing his expertise to this first time event.
Thank you to the incredible staff at White Beeches Golf & Country Club especially: Manny Gonzalez, Jeff Cincotta, Bryan Romagnol, Anthony Addas and long-time friends of the Cosimano and Caldarella families: Lauren McGovern and Jim McGovern.
Thank you to our Emcee Extraordinaire, James Donahower. Thank you to Tony Coon from Darn Swell Media for video and Ryan Johnson from Ryan Johnson Photography for our photo’s.
Thank you to our 90 golfers and 140 dinner guests for taking time out of your busy lives to spend it with us to support our families battling a cancer diagnosis. Congratulations to Jeremy DeFilippis, Cory Higgins and Jeff Ervin for winning First Place in the scramble. We hope everybody enjoyed themselves and hope to see you next year.
We are often reminded that our volunteers are the best in the land and this day was no different. Thank you to Board of Director Dani Corso for not only sponsoring the event through her company Volatile Media Management but for volunteering with her assistant Paula Blase from 9am to 9pm. They were joined by Carmen Malatino who was the first person on site the day of the event and last to leave with Co-Founder David Caldarella at the end of the evening. Carmen played a critical role in establishing David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation 6 years ago and has a friendship with David for close to 40 years. Our volunteers devote their time on a 100% volunteer basis and we are so grateful for their support!
Please stop by How You Brewin? in Surf City, NJ on Thursday September 29th between 8am-5pm. Sample a line of new coffees by making a donation of any amount to David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation and help How You Brewin?choose their 2017 coffee lineup.
David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation will be present throughout the day with giveaways, DDBCF t-shirts and sweatshirts for sale and our Mega 50/50 raffle tickets. Our Mega 50/50 drawing will take place on Thanksgiving Day with 1st Prize receiving up to $15,000.00 and 2nd Prize receiving up to $10,000.00 with only 1,000 tickets being sold at $50.00 per ticket.
10 year old Mattison Clark is a student at Stafford Township Intermediate School and was selected to read her essay about her role model as part of the D.A.R.E program. This program is led by Officer Chris Fritz from Stafford Township Police Department. Mattison has been a member of David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation’s youth group Generation Dream since its’ inception. Matty’s mom Renee was joined by Board of Director members Kim McCabe Manzella, Dani Corso and Co-Founder David Caldarella who was the subject of Matty’s essay. Below is the text from Matty’s essay and we just want everybody to know that Mattison has a beautiful soul and we know she will accomplish great things in the future! We love you Matty!
“Close your eyes and think of your perfect role model. Maybe he is famous, maybe he is strong, brave, caring, sincere and all around who you would see as a great role model. To me it is funny how people sometimes overlook those who can be great role models because they aren’t famous. Most people choose family members as their role model. My role model is a man special to me that is not my family, but he feels like it. His name is David and if you went out and asked the world who David Caldarella is the people of Manahawkin, New Jersey would know him. David runs David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation. David is my role model for so many different reasons. He is inspiring, kind, and strong mentally and physically. David will always be my role model, because even though he isn’t famous he is the best man I know.
To Start off, David was just any ordinary man until cancer struck. David battled stage four squamous cell carcinoma(car-see-no-ma) and had a 5% chance to live. On November 11th, 2010, David Caldarella became a stage four cancer survivor. David then created a foundation for families in the local radius of Long Beach Island to around Tuckerton. He fundraises to provide patients with the things they need. He has inspired me to be a better person and help people. I volunteer for his Foundation and if it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t be who I am today. David leads his life with happiness to be in this world and spreads inspiration everywhere.
Moving on, as I said David battled cancer. As David was in the hospital being sick and facing the possibility of death, he was thinking about other people like him trying to survive this horrible part of their life. David’s story got to the public and he had strangers visiting him just because they heard his story and wanted to be the smile that lit up his day. David had so many people care about him and thought, when I get out of the hospital I will care for people like me. Being part of the Foundation I’ve heard his story a million times. I’m not tired of it, actually to this very day his story gets me very time and makes me grateful for what I have. David created David’s Dream out of the kindness of his heart. The same kindness lead me to help raise money, make meals, give toys, and care for everybody. I wouldn’t be who I am without David’s inspiration.
Lastly, I’ve had so many people in my family who died of cancer. To know someone with stage four cancer and survive makes me think if he can be that strong mentally and physically, so can I. David worked through a lot of pain to get to be where he is today. David knew he was sick for about eight months. He had to do a lot of chemotherapy and surgeries. Today David stands tall, proud of the things he has accomplished, and proud to be who he is. Cancer beats your brain and body. David was probably trying to wrap his head around what was happening to him when he first found out. David didn’t sink to the calling pain of death. He stood tall in the end and is free of cancer, stronger than ever, and an amazing man doing amazing things.
In conclusion, David lives cancer free, drug free, and doesn’t abuse alcohol. David took the time he had when he was in the hospital and used it to make a great foundation that helps a lot of people. David is inspiring, kind, and strong. I couldn’t be more proud of David and I hope he sees me like that too. David is the best man I know and I know he can go even farther than he already has. David will always be my role model and nothing can change that. David is my beacon of my hope.” Mattison Clark
Our first example of planned giving started in 2013 with Paul Samaniego when he created a bi-weekly employee contribution through his company to David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation (DDBCF). This was met in 2014 by a similar monthly donation by another friend of the Foundation, Sue Vilardi. Their planned giving initiatives continue today in 2016! Thank you both.
We were informed at the beginning of 2015 about a very exciting new partnership between DDBCF and our friends at Informed Mortgage. A heartfelt thanks to our Director Dani Corso and her company Volatile Media Management for fostering the vision for this new partnership! Our hometown mortgage specialists committed to donate $25.00 to DDBCF for every loan closed by their Manahawkin, NJ office! The end result was a monumental donation of $18,000.00to DDBCF! We must thank the entire staff at Informed Mortgage for their personal investment in the mission of David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation to bring HOPE to our patients and their families affected by a cancer diagnosis! Please contact our friends at Informed Mortgage NJ for all your Mortgage needs by calling them today at: (609) 597-0007.
In 2016, several other individuals and businesses have joined in on the planned giving initiative. It’s generous and selfless efforts like the one’s mentioned above that will sustain the HOPE that DDBCF provides to our families throughout the year! Please click on the links below to download your copy of our Planning Giving Initiative and view the sponsorship levels available for all of our events. Thank You!
On February 15th 2016, Director Dani Corso and Co-Founder David Caldarella visited Dr. Ai Zhang’s Advanced Public Relations and Social Media Classes at Stockton University. Dr. Ai and her students always deliver an intensely positive discussion surrounding the mission of the Foundation. We are grateful to be working with two awesome student groups again this semester. It was during our February 15th visit that the concept to create a Patient Advocate Committee (PAC) within David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation (DDBCF) was born!
Our Patient Advocate Committee consists of the very people who inspire us on a daily basis: patients, caregivers and medical personnel. This PAC will spread awareness on the impact the Foundation has with our families battling cancer because our PAC have witnessed this first-hand. They will also be able to offer support and HOPE to our current families battling cancer that will help the healing process for everybody involved. We asked 7 people to join our Patient Advocate Committee and all 7 responded with a Resounding YES!
We want to welcome: Dawn Aversa, Elizabeth Martinez, Patty Springstead, Susie Buzby, Tina Angers and Lauren & Bill Raney. We have 3 patients, 4 caregivers, 1 oncology nurse navigator and 1 married couple. We are honored to have them join us with such a strong desire to help others and bring light to so many others battling this deadly disease! #ABeaconOfHope
Tina AngersSusie BuzbyPatty SpringsteadElizabeth MartinezLauren RaneyDawn AversaBill Raney
A Note From David Caldarella, Co-Founder & Executive Director:
I was humbled and honored to hear that I was selected as 1 of 4 finalists for the 2015 Hero of Hope Award by the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators. This nomination is very special because it emanates from Oncology Nurses and Patient Navigators who recognized the critical work and mission of David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation. In particular, Elizabeth Martinez from Southern Ocean Medical Center who nominated me and who should be nominated herself! It’s very difficult to hear life and death struggles everyday but it’s a special person that rises above to help. Oncology nurses and patient navigators do that on a daily basis so to be recognized by that same group of amazing individuals is truly overwhelming! The recognition of being nominated is a confirmation for our Board of Directors, Sponsors, Individual Donors and Volunteers that we are making a difference in the lives of our families battling a cancer diagnosis.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Long Beach Island Resident One of Four
Nominees for National Survivorship Award
LONG BEACH ISLAND – A Long Beach Island man has been named one of four nominees nationwide for the Hero of Hope Patient Award given by the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators (AONN+).
David Caldarella was diagnosed with head and neck cancer in April 2010. He learned his cancer was extremely aggressive and had already metastasized from his tonsils to the lymph nodes on the right side of his neck and down his throat.
“The news was upsetting on a number of levels,” says Caldarella. “I was in the best shape of my life and had never smoked. Beyond the physical, it hit me emotionally, socially, and financially. It literally changed my life.”
The next month he underwent a tonsillectomy and biopsy, a right neck dissection and transoral robotic surgery to remove the remaining tonsil and tumor. Chemo and radiation quickly followed.
“What got me through this was my family, friends, faith, the kindness of strangers, and the desire to create a legacy that would benefit others and make my nephew and nieces proud.”
That legacy took shape as David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation, a nonprofit organization providing financial assistance to people who are battling cancer and can’t afford day-to-day necessities.
“I thought about the foundation constantly,” he says. “It would be 2 or 3 in the morning, and I would be trying to figure out how we would fund it, who we would help, and what it is we would do.”
In November 2010, Caldarella received the “all clear” from his surgeon and spent the next two years growing his foundation, which required overseeing four annual fundraising events.
“By 2013, we reached a breaking point,” he explains. “We surpassed our initial goal to help one or two families a year almost immediately. By the time I went full-time and became a salaried employee of the foundation in 2014, we were helping more than 100 people from across New Jersey annually.”
To date, David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation has helped 400 families and has given more than $400,000 in assistance.
As one of the nominees for the Hero of Hope Patient Award, Caldarella’s story will be featured in the August issue of CONQUER: The Patient Voice Magazine.
Voting to select the winner is now open. The winner of the Hero of Hope Patient Award will be announced in early October at AONN’s sixth annual Navigation and Survivorship Conference in Atlanta. The winner will receive a plaque recognizing his/her contributions to the cancer community as well as a donation of $1,000 made to the charity of his/her choice.
About the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators
The Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators, Inc. (AONN+) is the largest national specialty organization dedicated to improving patient care and quality of life by defining, enhancing, and promoting the role of oncology nurse and patient navigators. The organization, which has more than 5,000 members, was founded in 2009 to provide a network for all professionals involved and interested in patient navigation and survivorship care services in order to better manage the complexities of the cancer treatment process. For more information visit www.aonnonline.org.About CONQUER: The Patient Voice Magazine:
CONQUER is the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators’ (AONN+) premier forum for patients with cancer. CONQUER features articles written by and for patients with cancer, survivors, nurse navigators, and other oncology team members. This magazine addresses the issues that patients, their family members, and caregivers face every day in an easy-to-read format. Issues include interviews with patients with cancer, information on access to care, and articles on lifestyle topics such as nutrition, stress management, personal finance, and legal and employer issues. CONQUER also features patient stories that are nominated for the AONN+ HERO OF HOPETM award, which will be presented at the AONN+ Annual Conference. All stories are compiled in a special issue of CONQUER at the end of the year. For more information visit www.conquer-magazine.com.
About David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation
David’s Dream and Believe Cancer Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises funds to provide financial assistance and services to families primarily in New Jersey affected by a cancer diagnosis. David Caldarella, Co-Founder and Stage IV cancer survivor, established David’s Dream and Believe Cancer Foundation in 2010. His journey of living through Stage IV cancer inspired him to dedicate his life to helping other individuals, affected by a cancer diagnosis. David spends most of his time being with these families and has been an amazing support person in all their lives. To date, the Foundation has assisted 325 patients in 4 years, and donated over $300,000 to families afflicted by cancer. Donations are used towards a multitude of services for the family battling a cancer diagnosis including financial assistance for medications, treatments, transportation, rent, mortgage and utility bills.
We were informed at the beginning of 2015 about a very exciting new partnership with our friends at Informed Mortgage. Our hometown mortgage specialists committed to donate $25.00 to David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation for every loan closed by their Manahawkin office!
The totals are in for February: David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation will be receiving $1,125.00 from the team at Informed Mortgage. We must thank the amazing staff at Informed Mortgage for their personal investment in the mission of the Foundation and dedication to bring HOPEto our patients affected by a cancer diagnosis!
A special and heartfelt thanks to our Communications Director Dani Corso and her company Volatile Media Management for creating the vision for this new partnership and making it a reality! Thank you Dani!
All of us at David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation are excited to announce our “First” recurring monthly donation from our friends at Informed Mortgage. Our local mortgage specialists will be donating $25.00 to David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation for every loan closed by their Manahawkin office!
We must thank the staff at Informed Mortgage for their personal investment in the mission of the Foundation. Informed Mortgagehas made a commitment to bring HOPEto our patients affected by a cancer diagnosis!
A special and heartfelt thanks to our newest director Dani Corso and her company Volatile Media Management for fostering the vision for this new partnership and making it a reality! Thank you Dani!
