We had a phenomenal day at Stockton University with Dr. Ai Zhang’s Advanced Public Relations classes on Tuesday March 22nd. Students Lauren Rowek and Danielle Horneff put together this blog about the event. A special thanks to Dr. Ai and all the students who participated in this great day!
Please click on the link below to read all about it.
Stockton University Tabling Event
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 $18,000.00 to 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!
Patient Advocate Committee!
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
The mission of David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation was born out of my personal battle with Stage IV Head and Neck cancer and the support that was given to me by family, friends, medical team and strangers! A day like today is only made possible with the support from our Board of Directors, Sponsors, Volunteers, Community and most importantly the patients and families who inspire us on a daily basis with their determination, courage and heart. A special thank you to my girlfriend and Realtor from REMAX of Barnegat Bay, Catherine Deely who worked on securing the lease and is donating 100% of her commission back to the Foundation. Our main focus from day one was to offer our patients and their families financial assistance/services but most importantly HOPE in the darkest of times.
That is why Today is a Monumental day in the brief 5 year history of this Foundation. Today is MOVING DAY into our “Official” David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation office! This is a major step for the Foundation that will allow us to have a professional, safe and private space to meet with our families going through the most difficult time in their lives. A few of our sponsors have offered to pay a month’s rent on behalf of the Foundation and we will be spotlighting these wonderful businesses in the next couple of weeks. We would encourage our patients, sponsors, volunteers, students and any interested parties to visit us at 364 North Main Street, Suite 10D, Manahawkin NJ!
Dream & Believe, David
Please join us on Sunday May 1st for our 4th Annual Frank V. Panzone Jr. Memorial Cruisin for a Cure. This year we are extremely excited to announce that Barlow Buick GMC have agreed to be the Presenting Sponsor for this year’s event! We are honored when a respected business in the community like Barlow Buick GMC shows the trust in David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation to combine forces in order to support our families battling a cancer diagnosis. Welcome Aboard and Thank you Barlow Buick GMC!
This is the fifth year for Cruisin for a Cure which was created in 2012 by Kathleen Ryan but we renamed the event in 2013 to honor Frank V. Panzone Jr. Frank was so giving to his community throughout his life and this was on full display even as he battled stage IV cancer. His spirit, determination and courage in the face of indomitable odds are only a couple of the reasons we are so proud to call this event the Frank V. Panzone Jr. Memorial Cruisin for a Cure!
You can pre-register for the ride by completing the application below and mailing it to us or visiting Panzone’s Pizza in Surf City. We want to thank our friends at the Beach Haven Moose Lodge in Manahawkin for allowing us to start our Cruise at their location on Rt. 72 in Manahawkin due to the Bridge Construction this year. Registration begins at 9:00am and kickstands up at 10:45am. A donation of $35.00pp or $60.00 (2) includes: 1 rider, 1 ticket to after party and 1 commemorative pin. Bagels, donuts and coffee will be served at registration. Our friend Mikaela McGovern will sing the National Anthem and WRAT Radio will be LIVE at Registration.
You do not need to ride a bike or own a classic car to enjoy the party at Joe Pop’s Shore Bar in Ship Bottom from 12-4pm. A donation of $30.00pp or $50.00 per couple (Kids under 12 free) includes: hot & cold buffet lunch with food from Panzone’s Pizza, Shore Fire Grille, El Swell and Joe Pops Shore Bar & Restaurant. Live Music featuring Ted Hammock and Jason Booth. Party Crashers Gaming Trailer will be there for the kids and our amazing Cruisin Auction!
We are surrounded by so many wonderful organizations doing incredible work in our community and we are excited to partner with two of them on this year’s Cruisin for a Cure. We are asking our supporters to bring non perishable food items to Joe Pop’s to donate to local food pantries through our friends at the Hunger Foundation of Southern Ocean. Many of our patients battling a cancer diagnosis benefit from these local food pantries supported by the Hunger Foundation of Southern Ocean. The second organization will be Piece of the Puzzle. Our friend and Founder Kerry Beetel has created a 501c3 nonprofit educational organization dedicated to providing meaningful structured learning experiences and employment opportunities to adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorder, through collaboration with local school districts and community outreach in New Jersey. We are proud to announce that Piece of the Puzzle students will be creating home made ice cream for our party at Joe Pop’s and will be joining us to serve up the delicious home made ice cream this year!
You can download our Auction Agreement, Registration and Sponsorship forms below. We need your support more now than ever before and the only way we can support our families battling a cancer diagnosis like we did last year for 212 families in the amount of $155K is with your HELP!
Please Like our Facebook Page and Click on our FB Event Page. Let’s Go Cruisin for a Cure!
Unfortunately, it’s that time of year when we struggle answering Patient Grant Applications. We will answer every patient request we currently have in our system but regrettably have to wait on accepting NEW patient grant applications until further notice.
We had our most “successful” year in 2015 with the number of families offered finanical assistance (212) and the highest $ amount ($155K+) going back to our families affected by a cancer diagnosis.
Thank you for your understanding and patience!
We want to continue highlighting our business sponsors that have donated in excess of $10,000.00 in 2015 and have made a long-term commitment to support David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation!
Our friends at the Sea Shell Resort & Beach Club stepped up their donations to DDBCF through various forms of giving in 2015. It came in the form of event sponsorships, memorial donations and this year’s 19th Annual Sea Shell Resort & Beach Club Striped Bass Derby. The icing on the cake for the families of DDBCF was Mike and Jaimee Boyle’s Holiday Party. They asked their friends to attend the party but requested no gifts and only donations for a particular husband and daughter family of DDBCF that are currently living in a motel after the wife/mother passed away from cancer earlier this year. It’s the “Generosity of Spirit” displayed by the entire Hughes Family and their amazing staff throughout the year that affords DDBCF the opportunity to assist those families like the one above affected by a cancer diagnosis!
We have held our Island Gala at the Sea Shell Resort & Beach for the past 3 years. The partnership between the two organizations grows stronger every day. A special thank you to Tom, Jaimee and Brittany for working so dilligently to ensure our Island Gala is a complete success each and every year. It’s a testament to the Hughes family and their staff when our guests inform us they felt like they were attending a family party. That’s exactly how all of us feel and we really hope you support the sponsors like the Sea Shell Resort & Beach Club that make giving to the families of DDBCF a priority for not only their business but also in their personal lives!
Thank you!
We want to continue our “Shop Local” theme this weekend and use this Sunday Sponsor Spotlight to feature our dear friends at Reynolds Garden Shop, Nursery, Floral Market & Landscaping. We are putting the spotlight on businesses that have donated in excess of $10,000.00 in 2015 and have made a long-term commitment to support David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation!
The Reynolds family have been ardent supporters of the Foundation since the early stages of DDBCF. In 2014, we were informed about a local patient battling cancer in Little Egg Harbor that was about to become homeless. The Reynolds family used all of their available resources including manpower, moving trucks and apartment to work with DDBCF to assist this patient.
In 2015, the Reynolds family, business and staff focused their primary attention on our Island Gala event at the Sea Shell Resort & Beach Club in Beach Haven, NJ on Friday August 14th. Our Directors Kim McCabe Manzella and Dani Corso worked together with the entire Reynolds team to make the 3rd Annual Island Gala the most succesful event in DDBCF history nearly doubling the donations from 2014! This was an incredible team effort including the Reynolds family (Peg, Mark, Katie, Tanek, Ashley, Luke, Ashley), Reynolds Staff, Jacquelyn Zeichner, John & Sophia Steber, Kim McCabe Manzella and Dani Corso. We would not be able to offer financial assistance, services and HOPE to almost 500 families without the support of families like the Reynolds, their business and amazing staff!
Please support the sponsors we spotlight that make giving to the families of DDBCF a priority of their business!
Thank you!
We want to continue highlighting our business sponsors that have donated in excess of $10,000.00 in 2015 and have made a long-term commitment to support David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation!
We met the Beach Haven Moose Riders crew on a very cold, rainy and windy day on LBI in May 2012. They were supporting our 1st Annual Frank V. Panzone Jr. Memorial Cruisin for a Cure. Unfortunately, the weather which consisted of sideways rain and temperatures in the low 50’s was not going to cooperate with us and bike/car turnout was low. However, The Beach Haven Moose Riders not only showed up that morning but they insisted on riding! They told us that cancer did not sleep or take days off due to the weather and neither would they! They’ve been a consistent sponsor for our Cruisin for a Cure event since that day in 2012 and in 2013 they informed us that their Rocktoberfest every September would benefit the families of David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation. Its’ members support various other events throughout the year and we could not be happier to partner with such an amazing group of men and women dedicated to helping our families battling a cancer diagnosis.
We must also recognize the administration, staff and members of Beach Haven NJ Moose Lodge 1575 for their continued support and commitment to DDBCF. The Lodge gives us free space for our youth group Generation Dream meetings and its’ members make up our largest support network throughout southern New Jersey.
Thank you!
“You Have Cancer!”
Those are the words I heard on April 20, 2010 and on April 22nd 2010; I heard it was Stage IV Head & Neck Cancer! The following 7 months of my ongoing battle with cancer proved to be nothing short of hell on earth. It was my faith in God and the love from family, friends and strangers that buoyed my courage to continue to fight. It was a medical team that showed no limits in their compassion for supporting me then and that continues today! Lastly, it was the Dream and Action of creating a charity to make my nephew and nieces proud of their uncle that would “Pay it Forward” long after my life were to end whether that was during my battle with cancer or many years later. Thankfully, we are at the many years later and 5 years to be exact!
David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation is on the doorstep of offering financial assistance, services and HOPE to 500 families in less than 5 years. 200+ families just in 2015! This generosity of spirit, compassion and love would not be possible were it not for YOU. YOU are the individual donors that attend events, create fundraisers and make a general donation or sign up for planned giving. YOU are the business that sponsors an event, create fundraisers and make a general donation or finds a creative way to offer planned giving to DDBCF. YOU are the volunteers that selflessly give up your time to assist us with an event or serve on a committee. YOU are the individuals or businesses that donate auction items or food to an event. YOU are the students in elementary, middle, high school or colleges that sign up to volunteer on behalf of the Foundation. YOU are the family and friends that not only support the Foundation but stand by me and understand that this is my mission in life. YOU are the girlfriend that stands by my side, donates, volunteers and works on committees for the Foundation. YOU are the directors that have served or currently serve on a 100% volunteer basis and give your talents, time and heart to the families of this Foundation! YOU are the PATIENTS and FAMILIES battling a cancer diagnosis and those PATIENTS who have courageously lost their battle to cancer that inspire all of us. YOU are all reasons we have been able to offer HOPE to 500 families!
I spent the anniversary of my 5 years cancer-free with a new friend at the Baseball Park where his son had practice. I was introduced back in April by a mutual friend when she learned of his similar diagnosis to mine. We have spoken numerous times throughout the past 7 months during his almost identical surgeries, radiation and chemo. He has completed his radiation and chemo and had his last surgery about 55 days ago. We talked for quite some time and shared our similar experiences. 3 things stuck out more than anything else. He asked if the pain would ever stop. I remember the horrific and constant pain like it was yesterday. I not only understood his pain but I assured him he was in the home stretch and to keep the faith. Next, he brought a cooler with water for both of us. The pain reared up again when he would drink his water. I remember that awful feeling when even drinking water felt like you were drinking charred glass. Lastly but most importantly, he told me he got a call from his doctor on his way to meet me that he was CANCER-FREE! I informed him that the same day was my 5 years CANCER-FREE anniversary!
I am truly grateful for today and I’m elated when God blesses me with a new sunrise tomorrow! I cannot thank you enough for your friendship and support for DDBCF!
Dream & Believe, David