We are thrilled to announce that the Inaugural LBI Summer Soiree presented by D. Finelli Construction is SOLD OUT! Thank you to everyone who has reserved their spot for “Boardwalk Nights” at the Sea Shell Resort & Beach Club – if you’ve missed this opportunity but would still like to support our mission as A Beacon Of Hope, please visit bit.ly/DonateDDBCF.
We also want to warmly welcome and extend our sincere thanks to The Jordan Family for their generous support of the Soiree. Bill and Kirsten Jordan were introduced to DDBCF a few years ago at the Island Gala by the Reynolds Family and since that initial meeting have been unwavering in their support for our families battling cancer.
We return to the Sea Shell Resort & Beach Club for the 6th year of this re-branded event and are so excited that Jaimee Hughes Boyle and Brittany Hughes Solon were also recently welcomed to DDBCF’s Volunteer Advisory Board. The Hughes Family supports DDBCF at multiple events throughout the year and have done so since our first year of existence. We are grateful for their steadfast and generous support!
The LBI Summer Soiree “Boardwalk Nights” is our take on an upscale summer cocktail party at the breathtaking Sea Shell Resort & Beach Club. The event will be held from 7pm – Midnight on August 10th and will feature: live boardwalk games, scrumptious hors d’oeuvres, a robust buffet, creative cocktails with 3-hour top-shelf open bar, spectacular auction and live music with LBI’s Ted Hammock and Jason Booth in our outside Tiki Lounge with Philadelphia’s High-Energy Seven Piece Band LOVE 77 to keep you moving all night long on the ballroom dance floor.
We held our 4th Annual Island Gala “Hope Under the Stars”on Friday August 5th at the Sea Shell Resort & Beach Club. It was a beautiful night filled with HOPE Under the Stars!
The most critical information about David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation (DDBCF) was conveyed to the crowd by Co-Founder, David Caldarella during the opening ceremony. 634 Families battling cancer have been supported by DDBCF over the past 5.5 years. 312 families in the first 4 years of existence and 322 in the past 1.5 years. A group of friends set out to assist 1-2 patients affected by a cancer diagnosis per year. DDBCF is currently on pace to offer solely financial assistance to a patient/family every 1.46 days in 2016 and if you add in the emotional support and hope – that number rapidly drops to 1 patient/family per day! Truly an incredible milestone for the DDBCF Family and the supporters that make this “Generosity of Spirit” possible throughout the year! THANK YOU!
The highlight of the evening was hearing from Co-Founder of David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation (DDBCF); Tim Hall, Co-Chair of the Department of Otolaryngology at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital; Dr. David Cognetti and 3 of the new Directors Patient of Advocacy for David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation: Dawn Aversa, Susie Buzby and Tina Angers. Tim spoke about the origin of DDBCF and in particular a story of Hope when his friend of 40 years David Caldarella was at his darkest point during his battle with stage IV head and neck cancer and one of his best friends Carmen Malatino created a CD of recorded voicemail’s from family, friends and Dr. David Cognetti encouraging David to Dream & Believe. Dr. Cognetti talked about his personal relationship with his patient David Caldarella and his recollection of the early stages of DDBCF all the way through today. Dawn, Susie and Tina spoke about their personal experiences with cancer as a caregiver in Dawn’s case and survivor’s in Susie and Tina’s and the positive impact DDBCF has had in their lives.
We want to start by thanking our partner and Platinum sponsors for the 4th Annual Island Gala: Informed Mortgage. Everybody in attendance heard David explain the planned giving initiative created by Informed Mortgage in collaboration with Dani Corso from Volatile Media Management and Communications Director for DDBCF. Informed Mortgage donates $25.00 per every closed loan out of their Manahawkin office to DDBCF. This partnership has resulted in planned giving donations of $27,500.00 to DDBCF from the Informed Mortgage team in Manahawkin, NJ. Please give them a call today for any of your mortgage or refi needs especially with all-time low interest rates!
Thank you to the Reynolds Family and Reynolds Garden Shop, Nursery, Floral Market and Landscaping for their continued support of DDBCF and their Gold Sponsorship of the 4th Annual Island Gala. The absolutely breathtaking “VIP” floral arrangements and stunning landscapes surrounding the “Hope Tiki Garden” were simply Amazing!
A special thank you to Tom Hughes, Jaimee Boyle and Brittany Solon from the Sea Shell Resort & Beach Club. This incredible family and their staff continue to care for this event as if it were an event for a family member and we cannot thank them enough.
The artwork and graphics for the event including flyers, posters and invites were all beautifully done by Dawn and Peter from Swing Graphics. We want to thank Typestries and Copyrite for all of our printing needs. Thank you to LeAnna Gerety from LeAnna Theresa Photography and Tony Coon from Darn Swell Media for the photography and video.
Our Board of Directors and volunteers are second to none and this event puts their selfless giving for our families battling cancer on center stage. Their generosity of spirit for the families of DDBCF battling a cancer diagnosis goes far beyond, “Paying it Forward” and for that we love them!
Thank you to our guests and sponsors. You are “Vehicles of Hope” to so many!
Platinum Sponsors:
Informed Mortgage & Bill & Kirsten Jordan
Gold Sponsors:
Reynolds Landscaping, D. Finelli Construction & Southern Ocean Medical Center
Silver Sponsors:
Thomas V. Massa DMD & Associates, Paul Jr. Designs, Ocean First Bank/Ocean First Foundation & Dan & Karen Raugh
Bronze Sponsors:
Panzone’s Pizza, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Lou’s Electric, Anderson Insurance Agency, G. Anderson Agency, Walt McCollum Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, SOMC Foundation, The Van Dyk Group, Lumby Family, Bruce & Beth Fisher, Invisalign, Perry & Barbara Kaplan, Phillip & Christine Kaputa, John & Dee Vanderslice, Brandon Systems, Zelus Consulting Group & Rue Insurance.
Mark your calendars now for the 5th Annual Island Gala on Friday August 4th 2017!