We would like to thank everybody for their support and attendance at the 3rd Annual LBI Summer Soiree to benefit David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation. We were excited to celebrate our long standing friendship and partnership with the team from Jetty as we recognized them with our 2021 Beacon of Hope Award. The DDBCF Beacon of Hope Award was created in 2017 to recognize an outstanding individual or organization instrumental in filling hearts with hope and shining a light in the darkness of cancer.
“11 years ago we ran our first event together, the Coquina Jam. We raised around $7500. Last year we raised $88,000. This year, we raised $100,000. Both the Jetty Rock Foundation and DDBCF aren’t going to stop running events, and we’re not going to stop growing, it’s truly a special partnership – but, the other partner that we both have is the community. It’s all of you guys that donate, and show up to fuel our passion so that we can all help people together.” Jeremy DeFilippis, CEO Jetty/Treasurer & Director JRF
A special thank you to Tom, Jaimee, Brittany and the entire staff at the Sea Shell Resort & Beach Club for another beautiful evening.
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
Thank you to all of our servicemen and women from the past, present and future on this Memorial Day and Everyday!
We Remember and Honor all of you who have proudly served our country and thanks to you and your families for making the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf!
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!
We want to take a minute to thank the Amazing Kids & Parents from our youth sub-group of David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation called “Generation Dream.”
The picture to the left was taken at our first meeting on June 25th 2014 with 23 kids. We currently have 74 kids registered to be a part of this amazing youth movement within David’s Dream & Believe. The children are committed to generating a ripple effect of Kindness, Love & Hope for NJ families living with a cancer diagnosis.
In one year, the kids have been responsible for several fundraising projects including a Lakewood Blueclaws Game, Thundering Surf Funday, Kids 4 Change, Project Dream & Holiday Cornbread Sale with our friends from Shore Fire Grille. Some of the kids have created their own fundraisers: Domenick Crisalli asked his mom to do a wear your jeans to work day and he also sold some of his own clothes online to raise money for DDBCF. Hadley Magaziner raised funds for DDBCF with a couple of lemonade stands during the summer and Cuade Deely created our very stylish Generation Dream Socks which can be found on our website by clicking the Shop Tab.
All of the kids & parents volunteered at a variety of David’s Dream & Believe events throughout 2014 including: 6th Annual Jetty Coquina Jam, Night at the Lakewood Blueclaws, Rocktoberfest, TGI Friday’s Regional Competition & Survival of the Mills.
Most importantly, the kids from Generation Dream planned and hosted a Holiday Party at SOMC for the Oncology Patients & their families. This was the culmination of an incredible inaugural year for Generation Dream and we could not be prouder of each every member of this group. A Huge thank you to all the parents of these amazing kids. We know without your commitment to the Foundation in driving the kids to meetings, events and fundraisers – none of this would be possible.
Lastly, we want to recognize one of our newest Director’s Kim Manzella who currently serves as our youth Director and is the creator of Generation Dream. Kim leads Generation Dream with her Huge Heart and is a wonderful example to the kids and to all of us of what it means to lead a “Pay it Forward” lifestyle! A special thanks to Melanie Magaziner, Kristin Panzone Jillian Elsasser and Dani Corso for their help with Generation Dream projects throughout 2014!
“Project Dream” is a Holiday Fundraiser created by our youth Director Kim Manzella and the children from our youth sub-group called Generation Dream! This Holiday Season, Generation Dream is focused on paying it forward and specifically to the patients and families living with cancer in our community. There are so many families right now that need our help and the goal of Project Dream is to make that happen with your support!
Generation Dream is asking you to give the Gift of Hope this Holiday season and they have made it very easy for you to do that.
You can write a check made payable to DDBCF, PO Box 1199, Manahawkin NJ 08050 and note Generation Dream on the check.
Cara Samantha created Sing For Hope as a way to honor her cousin Jamie who passed away from breast cancer last year. She also wanted to find a way to support so many families battling cancer today, including her cousin and Jamie’s brother Brian who was diagnosed with leukemia 1 month after Jamie’s funeral. Cara saw first-hand, the positive impact of David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation within her own family. Cara generated light for others out of her own personal pain and Sing For Hopewas born!
Cara invited all of us on Sunday October 5th to Toshi’s Living Room & Penthouse inside The Flatiron Hotel on Broadway in NYC for an afternoon of music, hope and love! The Foundation has never had an event outside of NJ, so we were looking forward to visiting NYC! Cara gathered together what can only be described as some of the most amazing Singer/Songwriters, Broadway Stars and Musicians in the NYC area. Their musical abilities were only outmatched by their beautiful hearts! Almost every artist hit the stage with their own heartfelt story of how cancer has affected them! Cancer does not discriminate! Cara, the musicians, the staff at Toshi’s and all the guests who attended Sing For Hope became an active participant in the mission of David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation yesterday. We are all a part of creating a ripple of kindness, hope and love for our families who have lost somebody to this deadly disease and all our families living with cancer today! Thank you for BELIEVINGin our DREAM!
Thank you to our host and incredible staff at Toshi’s Living Room & Penthouse inside The Flatiron Hotel.
Thank you to the most amazing group of artists who freely gave their time, talents and hearts to the cause. In order of appearance: Jennifer Sanchez, Andrew Mancilla, Tim Kubart, Lawrence Neals, Melissa Kerry Guttman, Shira Elias, J.D. Desharnais, Cara Samantha, Joline Mujica, Xavier Cano, Sarah Corey, Rebecca Flanders, Shayne Kennon, Jenna Miller, Adam Rennie, Anne Markt, Lynne Rachel Abeles, Michael Deleget, Jonathan Reid Gealt, Casey Erin Clark, Ruark Downey, Blaise Downey, Alan Shaw, Dominick Fallacaro, Jeff Kerestes, Sam Merrick, Andrea Longato and Mark Fifer!
A very special thank you to Cara for creating and bringing Sing For Hope to life and thank you to her husband Marc, Nikki, Heather & Elizabeth for managing the logistics of the entire day!
We were approached by some members of the Beach Haven Moose Riders last night while we were putting the finishing touches on an absolutely beautiful and amazing 2nd Annual Rocktoberfest! The sentiment was the same and it was one of shared disappointment with the final $ total. Our friends at the Beach Haven Moose Riders have set extremely lofty goals for themselves and their partnership with David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation. Their lofty goals can only be matched by their enormous hearts! We informed our friends rather quickly that they’re making a HUGEimpact in the lives of our families battling a cancer diagnosis! A tank of gas to and from the doctors/treatments can be a heavy burden for a family battling cancer! Rocktoberfestpresented by our friends at the Beach Haven Moose Riders to benefit David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation raised approx. $9,000.00 yesterday, which will not only provide gas cards for our families battling cancer but also: medical bill assistance, rent/mortgage assistance, utilities assistance, grocery gift cards & incidentals.
The physical and emotional toll on the cancer patient and their caregivers are relentless. However, it becomes even worse when you consider the financial burden of a cancer diagnosis. A recent study in the Journal of Oncology Practice titled: Impact of Financial Burden of Cancer on Survivors’ Quality of Life?, concluded Increased financial burden as a result of cancer care costs is the strongest independent predictor of poor quality of life among cancer survivors! It’s clear that financial strain has a very powerful impact on a cancer patient’s perception of well-being. David’s Dream & Believe is only able to support our families battling a cancer diagnosis because of events like this one!
We could not be happier or more proud as an organization to partner with an amazing group of individuals dedicated to giving back to the community like our friends at the Beach Haven Moose Riders! We would also like to thank: Beach Haven Moose Lodge #175, The Dutchman’s Brauhaus, Shop Rite Manahawkin, Party Crashers, Wealth Management Group, The Wandering Gypsea, Fritz Electric, The 559, Wildcard and Generation Dream. Generation Dream is the youth sub-group of David’s Dream & Believe committed to supporting our families battling cancer and generating a ripple effect of kindness, hope & love!
Last but certainly not least, thank you to our incredible supporters who attend our events and make the decision time and time again to donate your hard earned money to assist our families battling cancer. This is a gesture that never goes unrecognized in our eyes and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
We Struck Out Cancer last night because of the generosity of so many starting with our main event sponsor Bergen Risk Managers. and close family friends the Cosimano family. The event was dedicated to Mr. Frank Cosimano and the family has asked me to donate the proceeds directly to patients/families in Mr. Cosimano’s name and that’s exactly what we will start doing today. I realized I had my bowling shoes still on when I stopped at a rest stop around 1:30am on my way home. It was a great night seeing so many old/new friends and the support was off the charts. I/We cannot begin to express our sincere gratitude to all of our family, friends and sponsors. Please feel free to email me or post pictures from the event. THANK YOU!
Mud City Crab House, JETTY and DD&BCF took out the below Ad in this week’s Sandpaper. We thank the businesses listed and many more for their continued sponsorship. We are so grateful for the friendships and relationships we have formed within our local community. We would ask you to please support these local businesses especially now in the aftermath of hurricane sandy!
