A Beacon of Hope

A Beacon of Hope

On Friday December 2nd, David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation reached $200,000.00 in grant donations for the calendar year of 2016 for the first time in our six-year existence. This major milestone is staggering and sobering at the same time. 226 Families are the recipients of the $200,558.24 in grant assistance. Our patients in 2016 range in ages from an 18-month-old girl from Manahawkin to an 84-year-old woman from Ocean Township. Assistance is provided in the form of financial grants including: rent, mortgage, utilities, medical, transportation, groceries and most importantly HOPE in the form of compassion, generosity and love!

$200,000.00 in grant donations for our patients battling a cancer diagnosis are a blessing and lifeline but this “Generosity of Spirit” would not be possible without the support from: our completely volunteer Board of Directors present & past, our Directors of Patient Advocacy, volunteers, individual donors, business sponsors, our youth group Generation Dream & their parents, our Southern Regional High School student group and many more. Most importantly the patients & families who inspire all of us on a daily basis!

We realize the patient grant applications continue to increase at an alarming rate but we also see the passionate, growing and energized team forming alongside David’s Dream & Believe ready to support those families in their darkest of times. We Appreciate You & Thank You!

Thank you, David Caldarella 

Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday
Giving Tuesday

Thanks to the generosity of so many caring individuals and businesses, 700+ families battling a cancer diagnosis have been offered financial assistance, services and most importantly HOPE through David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation in the past 6 years but we need your help now more than ever! The patient grant applications continue to increase at an alarming rate while showing no signs of slowing down.

Giving Tuesday was created in 2012 and in 2015, $116 Million dollars were donated to charities across the world.  This year, David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation will direct 100% of the proceeds from Giving Tuesday to local New Jersey families battling a cancer diagnosis. If you would like to designate a specific family for your donation – please write the full name of the patient/family and their address in the notes section of our Giving Tuesday Donation Transaction. Click Here: Giving Tuesday!

We have a Pancake Breakfast with Santa this Sunday December 4th at TGI Friday’s in Manahawkin between 8-11am but our next major event is not until our 5th Annual Frank V. Panzone Jr. Memorial Cruisin for a Cure on Sunday May 7th. Whether you are looking for a final write-off for 2016, want to make a donation to a specific family or want to show your support for David’s Dream & Believe: Please think about donating to David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation this Giving Tuesday on November 29th. As always, we thank you for your continued support and if you are looking to get more involved or want to learn about our Planned Giving initiative, Please contact Co-Founder David Caldarella at: david@davidsdreamandbelieve.org

Mega 50/50 Cash Raffle

Mega 50/50 Cash Raffle
Mega 50/50 Cash Raffle

Congratulations to Donna Carlson (Second Prize) and Tiffany Johnson (First Prize) on winning our 1st Annual Thanksgiving Day Mega 50/50 Cash Raffle!

Thank you to everybody that purchased a raffle ticket either individually or through  a sponsorship of one of our 2016 events. Your support and generosity of spirit affords us the opportunity to offer financial assistance, services and most importantly HOPE to families battling a cancer diagnosis.

Congrats to our two winners, thank you and Happy Thanksgiving!

The Inaugural Frank A. Cosimano Memorial Golf Classic Wrap-Up

White Beeches Golf & Country Club Wrap-Up
White Beeches Golf & Country Club

The Inaugural Frank A. Cosimano Memorial Golf Classic Presented by: Bergen Risk Managers, Otterstedt Insurance Agency and The Joseph C Parisi Sr. Charitable Foundation to benefit: David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation

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 all of our Sponsors starting with our Presenting Sponsors: Bergen Risk Managers, Otterstedt Insurance Agency and The Joseph C Parisi Sr. Charitable Foundation. Thank you to our Titanium Sponsors: The Guardians Family Trust, The Rehabilitation Institute of New Jersey & Dr. Robert Siconolfi, Meese Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center & Dr. Michael Meese and IGEA Brain & Spine and Dr. Ciro Randazzo. Thank you to our Gold Sponsors: Otterstedt Insurance Agency (Pompton Plains), Insurance Design Administrators, Professional Insurance Associates and Neglia Engineering Associates. Thank you to our Silver Sponsors: Keenan and Doris LLC, Robert McGuire, Paramus Medical & Sports Rehabilitation Center, Brownstone Catering, Hackensack University Medical Center, John & Sara Faliveno, Panzone’s Pizza and The Jetty Rock Foundation. Thank you to all of our Bronze and Copper Sponsors. A special thank you to our “Hole in One” partners at Cadillac of Mahwah.

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!

Golf Pictures from Ryan Johnson Photography

Thank you from all of us at David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation and the Cosimano/Caldarella Families!

See you in 2017 for the 2nd Annual Frank A. Cosimano Memorial Golf Classic

Braeden Shaffery

Braeden Shaffery
Braeden Shaffery

Braeden Shaffery

9 year old Braeden Shaffery from Manahawkin, New Jersey wanted to make a difference in the lives of local families battling a cancer diagnosis. Braeden is a member of David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation’s youth group: Generation Dream and attends McKinley Elementary School in Manahawkin. He asked his parents Patrick and Michele Shaffery if he could donate the proceeds from a yard sale made up mostly of his toys, games, books and clothes to David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation. Braeden took the initiative to ask family, friends and neighbors for donations on top of the yard sale. Braeden was very determined and set lofty goals for himself. We always preach that the smallest ripple can create a tidal wave and Braeden took this mantra to heart.

Braeden Shaffery raised a staggering $900.00 with his fundraising efforts! Braeden is a shining example that compassion, generosity of spirit and love comes in all sizes. A special thank you to Braeden’s mom and dad.

On behalf of all of us at David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation and most importantly our families battling a cancer diagnosis, Thank You Braeden Shaffery!

 

Survival of the Mills Wrap-Up

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The Law Office of William Wright presents: Survival of the Mills

Not surprisingly, the weather was absolutely horrendous for Survival of the Mills yesterday and was probably the worst weather for an event in DDBCF history including our Inaugural Frank V. Panzone Jr. Memorial Cruisin for a Cure back in 2013. Horrendous weather for a DDBCF event is “Kind of the Norm” but this event takes place entirely outside with athletes competing and volunteers in this weather for the better part of 3-8 hours. Temps never got above 55 degrees, winds were steady at 20mph with gusts hitting 30mph and steady to soaking downpours the entire day.
However, and this is a big HOWEVER, that did not stop over 100 athletes from competing and did not stop almost 30 volunteers from volunteering all day in that horrendous weather to benefit families battling a cancer diagnosis!!! 
A HUGE thank you to Race Director Ross Reynolds from Trident Multisport and Southern Regional Middle School for creating, managing and directing a fantastic event in extremely difficult conditions. Thank you to Ross’s wife Marissa for her continued support and event day management. This event would not be possible without the combined support from Ross and Marissa Reynolds.
Thank you to Rebecca Posch who is a teacher at Southern Regional High School and one of the moderator’s for our David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation student group at SRHS. Rebecca volunteered all day along with approx. 25 students from our SRHS group. This was not an easy task by any stretch of the imagination so thank you very much.
Thank you to our Presenting Sponsor: The Law Office of William Wright. It was a family affair at Survival of the Mills for the Wright family. Bill finished first in his age group for the triathlon, his dad Dave finished second in his age group for the duathlon and Bill’s uncle Joe finished first in his age group for the duathlon. Bill and his staff at The Law Office of William Wright are the newest members of our Community Partner level of sponsorship. This level is reserved for businesses committed to the mission of David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation with combined efforts of: financial sponsorship, raising awareness and volunteerism in excess of $10,000.00.
We want to thank all the sponsors for Survival of the Mills including our financial and food sponsorships. Thank you to Donna Carlson for all her support securing food donations, transporting them to and from and setting up our race-day food and beverage. Thank you to Pete and Dawn from Swing Graphics for creating all the graphic design for the event. Thank you to Ken Sullivan from Shore Promotions for our event shirt.
A special thanks to the 100 athletes that not only endured a challenging 5-stage triathlon, 5-stage duathlon or 5K course but extremely difficult and horrendous weather conditions. The tag line for this event is: You never know how Strong you are until being Strong is the Only choice You have. Our patients and their families battling a cancer diagnosis don’t have a choice in their battle against a cancer.

THANK YOU to everybody involved in Survival of the Mills including: race director, volunteers, athletes and sponsors who woke up and decided to make a difference in the life of a family battling a cancer diagnosis. 

survival-of-the-mills_sponsors

 

 

 

Yoga for Women: A Cancer Recovery Workshop

Yoga for Women

 

Yoga for Women: A Cancer Recovery Workshop is a brand new 4 week partnership between Liquid Bliss Yoga and David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation. Ashley Quinn, owner of Liquid Bliss Yoga, is committed to providing the patients of David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation: support, serenity, peace and healing!

Yoga for Women: A Cancer Recovery Workshop is a 4 week program starting on Wednesday October 5th at 11am and meeting same day/time (10/5, 10/12, 10/19 & 10/26) the rest of October at Liquid Bliss Yoga in Harvey Cedars with a focus on healing. The instructor for this workshop will be our friend and breast cancer survivor Christina Stoltz. This program will explore gentle yoga, breathing and meditation.

Benefits include: Enhanced range of motion and flexibility, increased strength, stress relief, promotes lymph node flow and full body relaxation.

Please contact DDBCF Director Dani Corso: dani@davidsdreamandbelieve.org, if you would like more information or are unable to pay for the 4 week program but would really like to attend. David’s Dream & Believe will cover Workshop costs for female patients.

600 Families & Over $450,000.00 in Grant Donations!

600-Families-Web-Banner

600 Families & Over $450,000.00 in Grant Donations! 

Our first event was a party with food donated by Panzone’s Pizza at the Ship Bottom Volunteer Fire Company in December 2010. We assisted our first patient named Molly (13 years old) who was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in early 2011. Our initial goal was to provide financial assistance to 1-2 families per year who were affected by a cancer diagnosis. Our original theme was, “Saving Lives by Fighting Cancer Together.” We were able to assist 20 families in 2011 with another 50 families supported in 2012. The increased demand for support from families battling a cancer diagnosis in our local community and the New Jersey community at large skyrocketed in 2013. Our mission statement and focus was steadfast from day one – to offer financial assistance to our families. As we pursued this mission we began to see the “little engine that could” called David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation transform into a vehicle of HOPE for our patients and their families. Our renewed theme became, “A Beacon of Hope.”

The past three and a half years have resulted in an additional 530 families being offered financial assistance, services and hope! A total of 600 families & over $450,000.00 in grant donations are staggering numbers on so many levels. However, it’s our personal connection to each of our patients and their families that inspire us on a daily basis.

This monumental giving would not be possible without the support of so many and have to start with recognizing the original Board of Directors including Co-Founder Tim Hall who remains an active member of the Board and is currently serving as our Treasurer. Our Board of Directors past and present serve on a 100% volunteer basis. They all have their own families, work and other charitable commitments yet still choose to dedicate time to serve our families. Our business sponsors and individual donors have made it possible for us to offer financial assistance to 600 families and have invested themselves in our mission to help countless more. Informed Mortgage in Manahawkin is the shining example of this giving spirit as they created a planned giving initiative with guidance from our Director Dani Corso to donate $25.00 from every closed loan out of their Manahawkin office to DDBCF and our families battling cancer. This creative planned giving initiative resulted in a 2015 year-end donation of $18,000.00 to DDBCF. We have the most amazing volunteers who commit their time and energy throughout the year to support an event or activity that benefits our families battling cancer. We have our own youth group called Generation Dream created by Kim McCabe Manzella as well as student groups at Southern Regional High School and Stockton University. The 7 members of our brand new Directors of Patient Advocacy represent the 600 patients and families we have supported over the past 5+ years. All 7 members have been affected by a cancer diagnosis and have been directly impacted by David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation. They all have chosen to serve as advocates and Beacons of Hope!

I read something during my battle with stage iv head and neck cancer: “Kindness is the shadow of God in man.” Those beautiful shadows were never more present than during my battle with stage iv head and neck cancer in 2010 but they have reappeared time and time again through the mission of David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation.

We encourage you to join with our team us as A Beacon of Hope!

Sincerely,
David

Cruisin Party is a GO! Ride Cancelled

Event Flyer

Cruisin Party is a GO! Ride Cancelled!

Unfortunately, mother nature has other plans for the 4th Annual Frank V. Panzone Jr. Memorial Cruisin for a Cure presented by Barlow Buick GMC of Manahawkin to benefit David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation. After consulting with local and state police dept.’s, it was recommended that we cancel the ride portion of the event. However, a great party will still take place at Joe Pop’s Shore Bar & Restaurant in Ship Bottom, NJ from 12:00-4:00pm. Please join us for Live Music, Amazing Local Eats, Incredible Auction, Party Crashers Gaming Trailer for the kids and quite a few surprises. We are also asking people to bring non-perishable food items to donate to our local food pantries through our friends at the Hunger Foundation of Southern Ocean.

Please join us as A Beacon of Hope for our families battling a cancer diagnosis! 

David’s Dream For Others | By: Lisa Anderson | Greater Media Newspapers

David’s Dream For Others

By: Lisa Anderson, Greater Media Newspapers

“David Caldarella was a gift to his parents when he was born on Christmas Day in 1968. His life’s work keeps on giving even after surviving Stage 4 cancer of the head and neck.  David’s Dream and Believe Cancer Foundation offers financial assistance, services and most of all hope to more than 500 families. On a personal level, David has become great friends with many of the cancer patients and would not have it any other way. With more than $400,000 in grant donations given to families in desperate need of help, David calls his foundation “a beacon of hope.”

David came to his current position through twists of fate. He had a typical childhood in northern New Jersey. He attended Holy Trinity Elementary School and went on to Bergen Catholic High School. The Caldarella family eventually moved to Long Beach Island where they had enjoyed spending summer vacations.

Upon graduating from college, David was a project manager in construction and environmental work in northern New Jersey for 15 years, overseeing the construction of the famous Jersey Gardens Mall in Elizabeth.

The commute from southern New Jersey to northern New Jersey was tough, but it wasn’t until an accident on the N.J. Turnpike that David realized he was ready for a change.  He took a job in Mount Laurel at a mortgage company owned by his sister and later became a project manager for Walters Homes overseeing a site on Route 72 in Manahawkin.

In 2009, David was laid off and decided to move to Florida. He began taking classes and signed up for the Coast Guard in 2010, just making the cutoff age of 41. David had always wanted to join, feeling the need to serve a greater good.  David had plans to leave within a week to meet with a Coast Guard officer in Kentucky, but one evening after returning from dinner with a friend, David noticed he had trouble swallowing. Within 48 hours, he discovered a lump on the right side of his neck. He booked a flight back home and never returned.

On April 20, 2010, David heard the dreaded words “You have cancer.” On April 22, he found out it was Stage 4 head and neck cancer.
David began his treatment at Southern Ocean Medical Center and then received the majority of his care under the supervision of surgeon Dr. David Cognetti, medical oncologist Dr. Rita Axelrod and a cast of hundreds at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia.
For the next seven months, he endured tremendous pain, surgery and aggressive chemotherapy.  In David’s words, “the cancer proved to be nothing short of hell on earth. It was also my faith in God and the love from my family, friends and strangers that buoyed my courage to continue to fight.”
His medical team showed no limits in their compassion in supporting David, something that continues to this day.

It was during the most difficult times when David watched the clock and was unsure “if I would make it to the next minute … literally even the next second” that he began thinking of the dream and action of creating a charity that would make his nieces and nephew proud of their uncle, something that would “pay it forward,” something they would remember long after his life would end, whether it was from the cancer or many years later.
David said his initial thought was to help “maybe one or two families a year.” However, five years later, David’s Dream and Believe Cancer Foundation is assisting hundreds. New to the foundation is a Patient Advocate Committee which includes nurses, caregivers and patients themselves.
“Who better to help others in the healing process than others who have gone or are going through the same thing?” says David.
He credits the success of the foundation to family members; to his girlfriend, Catherine, who is a breast cancer survivor and supports David and the foundation 110 percent; and to the many friends and volunteers who donate so much time.  “We have a board of directors who have served and currently serve on a 100 percent volunteer basis. It is so inspiring to be surrounded by such love and compassion and dedication,” he said.

I asked David about his life now that he devotes all of his time to helping others and he told me with a smile that his five-year cancer-free anniversary had just passed and he was so thankful for the news.  “I have many blessings … Catherine, who is my rock, my family and friends,” along with a schedule that would tire out a toddler.  If you ever get to meet David, you will immediately know this is someone doing God’s work on Earth. He is one of the greatest people I have ever had the privilege to know.  “Back when I was about to leave for the Coast Guard, my main purpose was to serve a greater good,” David told me. “It may not be the road I thought it would be, but when I look around at all the beautiful faces and all the families we have been able to help, and I see the courage and determination of those who are battling cancer and how they handle the pain and the heartache, I know I am in fact serving a greater good, only in a much different way. I wouldn’t change it for anything. I didn’t find it … it found me.””

For information about how to become involved and help support the foundation, to read testimonials and David’s blog, and to find out about events such as Cruisin’ for a Cure and Run For Hope, visit David’s website at davidsdreamandbelieve.org

Lisa Anderson is a Greater Media radio personality who writes occasional columns for Greater Media Newspapers. She may be contacted at landerson@gmnews.com