Survival of the Mills presented by: Crossfit Absecon
Sunday September 24, 2017 at Wells Mills County Park
Please join us for the 4th Annual Survival of the Mills presented by our friends at Crossfit Absecon to benefit David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation on Sunday September 24, 2017 at Wells Mills County Park in Waretown, NJ. Our competitors can choose one of three challenging races including: a 7-stage Triathlon, 5-stage Duathlon or a 5K Trail Run/Walk.
Our friend Ross Reynolds from Trident Multisport is the race creator/organizer/director. Ross and his wife Marissa are the backbone for both of our athletic fundraisers with Survival of the Mills and Run for Hope. Their continued support for our families battling a cancer diagnosis is greatly appreciated by all of us at the Foundation.
Register for the Triathlon, Duathlon or 5K by clicking this Link: Survival of the Mills
We are looking for individuals and businesses to partner with David’s Dream & Believe on this great event. Please click on the Sponsorship Form below for a description of sponsorship opportunities available. Please contact David Caldarella david@davidsdreamandbelieve.org
The Cosimano and Caldarella families both grew up in north jersey but spent every summer and most off-season weekends together on Long Beach Island. The Cosimano’s are family to Co-Founder David Caldarella and Mr. Cosimano was like a second dad. As many of you know, Frank A. Cosimano passed away on August 7th 2011 from Pancreatic cancer. Frank loved his wife Angela, daughter Kim son Jason, daughter-in-law Dorothy, his 6 grand kids, friends, animals, golf and most importantly helping others. He was passionate about giving back toindividuals and charities. One charity that was very close to Frank and remains close to his family is David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation. Please join us as we honor and remember this great man at The 2nd Annual Frank A. Cosimano Memorial Golf Classic to serve as “A Beacon of Hope” for all those families currently battling a cancer diagnosis.
We want to thank Jason, Kim and Mrs. Angela Cosimano for serving as Co-Chairs for this event. Jason is currently serving in his second year on the Board of Directors for David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation.
A special thanks to our Golf Committee that includes family members and long-time friends from both the Caldarella and Cosimano families. We want to recognize Michael & Todd Accomando, Leonard Kaiser, Jaqueline Ceccarelli-Komsa, Ed Komsa, Lauren Komsa Curtis, Dr. Robert Siconolfi, Stephen P. Sinisi Esq. and Christina Ulmer.
Thank you to Greg Porcino from Golf Event Management. Also, want to thank the staff at White Beeches Golf & Country Club and long-time friends of the Cosimano and Caldarella families: Lauren McGovern and Jim McGovern.
There is a limited number of sponsorship packages, individual player and/or dinner reception only tickets available for the 2nd Annual Frank A. Cosimano Memorial Golf Classic at White Beeches Golf & Country Club on Monday October 16, 2017.
We are pre-selling “The 2018 Masters Tournament Experience Trip for Two” raffle tickets for $50.00 – only 200 to be sold!
Our friends at Informed Mortgagecontinue their creative planned giving campaign. Our hometown mortgage specialists have committed to donate $25.00 to David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation for every loan closed by their Manahawkin, NJ office!
We must thank the amazing staff at Informed Mortgage and their clients for their personal investment in our mission and dedication to bring HOPEto our patients affected by a cancer diagnosis!
Please contact our friends at Informed Mortgage for all your Mortgage/Refi needs by calling them today at: (609) 597-0007.
This event gives families battling a cancer diagnosis the opportunity to enjoy a summer tradition on the Seaside Heights Boardwalk including: Rides, Food, Games and Parking.
Please register your immediate family only (5 person max)
RSVP by Wednesday August 9, 2017. Leave your name, phone, email, mailing address, and number of adults and children. Parking passes will be mailed to families in advance of Boardwalk Dream Day.
Please contact David Caldarella: david@davidsdreamandbelieve.org, 609-489-0011.
You might recognize her as the sweet woman who greets you getting your morning coffee at the Wawa on Route 72 and Mermaid in Manahawkin or as she wishes you a good day after paying for that coffee. You won’t see a picture of her here because she’s not looking for any accolades. She will only know about this post because of her daughter and granddaughter. What you don’t see or know is that 70 years young Marie is battling cancer for the second time right now. She’s doing it with a smile on her face and gratitude for each new day. That’s not enough for her so Marie took it upon herself to sign up for planned giving with a $10 bi-weekly pledge to a Foundation that means so much to her. She read about Informed Mortgage’s planned giving initiative with DDBCF. Marie puts aside her own struggles physically, emotionally and financially to “Pay it Forward” for others battling this deadly disease. Marie is the HERO of not only today’s Tuesday Testimonial but also the embodiment of the love, generosity of spirit and HOPE that is David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation.
Martin Luther King Jr. asked the question, “what are you doing for others?” Marie Antonelli has an answer for that question today and every day! Do you?
The beautiful Sea Shell Resort & Beach Club is once again the venue for this year’s Gala. The Hughes Family and staff go above and beyond each year. Please understand that the first weekend in August is the PEAK of the summer tourism season on Long Beach Island but that does not stop the Hughes Family from hosting this event year after year. We appreciate their unwavering support but most of all we are grateful for their friendship.
Our event this year is presented by our friends at Informed Mortgage. The Informed Mortgage Leadership Team, Staff and their clients are responsible for positively affecting the lives of so many families battling cancer. They have set the Gold standard for charitable donations through a creative planned giving initiative and the result has been a record-setting donation of $50,275.00to DDBCF over the past 2.5 years! Please call the Informed Mortgage team for all your mortgage and refi needs. 609-597-0007.
We are also grateful to have the support from our friends, the Reynolds Family and their team at Reynolds Landscaping, Garden Shop & Floral Market in Manahawkin. The Reynolds Family support our events and numerous other wonderful causes throughout the year but they have a special place in their heart for our Island Gala. The decorations and floral arrangements will once again be donated by Reynolds. Please contact Reynolds for all your landscaping needs. 609-597-6099.
Our entertainment lineup is set for the 5th Annual Island Gala with some familiar faces. We met American Idol Alum Cara Samantha a few years ago because of her cousin Jamie’s cancer diagnosis. Unfortunately, Jamie eventually lost her courageous battle with cancer. Cara will be performing during cocktail hour and under the stars in our outside “Hope Lounge.” A brief opening ceremony will take place with a “Surprise Performance.” Then everybody should get ready to dance the night away to Philadelphia’s High-Energy Seven Piece Band Love 77. The members of LOVE 77 are motivated by the mission of the Foundation and ready to bring the house down with some incredible Live Music!
Please join us on Friday August 4, 2017 at the Sea Shell Resort & Beach Club. Individual tickets: for $250.00pp. Event will take place from 7pm-midnight. Live Music, Hors D’Oeurves, Buffet, Auction and 3 Hour Top Shelf Open Bar. (Cocktail Attire)
Invites are being mailed to last year’s guests and the easiest way to secure your ticket for the 5th Annual Island Gala is to reserve your sponsorship today. You can do so by visiting the shop tab on our website or downloading a form below. Please make checks payable to DDBCF, 364 North Main Street, Suite 10D, Manahawkin, NJ 08050. Thank you!
5th Annual Island GalaSponsorship Proposal Page 1Sponsorship Proposal Page 2
We want to thank the entire Panzone Family for their friendship, service and support for David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation, this event and our mission of mission of HOPE for families affected by a cancer diagnosis throughout the year! We renamed this event in 2013 to honor Frank’s commitment to his family, community and desire to help families battling cancer. As a Foundation, we are proud to have this event in Frank’s honor and so grateful to have his family by our side. A special thanks to Kristin and Jillian for all their support behind the scenes on this event.
Thank you to our Presenting Sponsor for the second year in a row: Barlow Buick GMC of Manahawkin. We are blessed with positive partnerships within the business community and we are so grateful to have the Barlow Family in our corner. We increased our sponsor total from a year ago by another 13 businesses bringing this year’s total to 62 sponsors. We cannot thank you enough for supporting our mission and serving as A Beacon of Hope with DDBCF.
We want to thank our local businesses who donated their time and amazing food to our event including: Panzone’s Pizza, Sunny Rae’s Kitchen and Manhattan Bagel of Manahawkin. Our delicious cake was donated by our friends at Moester’s Bakery! A huge thank you to Danielle and staff at our host venue for the 4th year in a row, Joe Pop’s Shore Bar & Restaurant. Danielle and the staff go above and beyond every single year and did so once again this year. We are grateful that Live Music was once again provided by local musicians including Southern Regional High School students; Wet Metal Band and our hometown favorites who have played every single year of this event for 5 years: Jason Booth and Ted Hammock. Thank you to our friends from Party Crashers Gaming Trailer and Sprinkles the Clown who both donated their business and personal time.
A special shout-out to Officer Kevin Snow and Chief Robert Burnaford from the Harvey Cedars Police Dept. and all the Police Dept.’s that lined up to support our ride this year! Thank you to our motorcycle and classic car friends for your continued support of this event.
Our Board of Directors, Auction Donors, Committee Members and Volunteers are second to none. Support comes in so many different forms besides financial and each one of them plays a vital role in the support for our families battling a cancer diagnosis. The entire list of thank you’s are featured in the image below from our Director Kristin Panzone.
Thank you to the men, women and families that continually support our events. Your generosity of spirit knows no boundaries and we love you for it!
Here are some of Ryan Johnson’s amazing images from our 5th Annual but click here to see more.
Panzone’s Pizza & Panzone’s Pizza & Pasta of Long Beach Island, NJ.
It’s time to recognize our friends, the Panzone family. The Panzone Family, Panzone’s Pizza in Surf City, NJ and Panzone’s Pizza & Pasta in Beach Haven, NJ have been supporters of David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation since day one. Our first DDBCF fundraiser was a pizza party in December 2010 and the Panzone Family donated all the food. Frank Panzone’s indomitable spirit during his battle with esophageal cancer, commitment to his community and dedication to the families of David’s Dream & Believe are the basis for renaming our Cruisin for a Cure to the Frank V. Panzone Jr. Memorial Cruisin for a Cure in 2013. We’re proud to have Kristin Panzone Moritz currently serving on our Board of Directors, Jillian served on the BOD for two years and continues to play an active role with the Foundation. We are so grateful to have the support of this amazing family behind us every step of the way!
Earlier this week, I received one of those “out-of-the-blue” RANDOM calls from a dear friend. He wanted to know if I could sing for an upcoming funeral Mass at his local church (if you know me, you are aware that I’m a singer/hobbyist for weddings, funerals, town events, etc.).
Knowing that I work full-time, my friend knew that a Friday morning event would be a long-shot for me to be able to schedule. However, for some RANDOM reason he called anyway….and for some RANDOM reason I was able to free up my schedule and agreed to sing.
The funeral was Friday March 31, 2017. As I raced from my office to the Church, I began pondering questions that all singers might ponder just before a funeral Mass: Who passed away? What were the circumstances? Will this be a typical funeral for an elderly relative, or will this be one of the harder ones that will require me to contend with particularly grueling emotions.
When I pulled my car into the parking lot it was obvious that this would be one of the hard ones – too many cars, too many people…. this was definitely someone special and my instincts told me that it was probably an untimely passing. I proceeded straight to the choir loft, where my friend/organist met me for our 10-minute quick review of the program…that’s just about when my instincts proved to be accurate. I learned that the funeral was indeed being held for a young woman who lost her battle with cancer.
This will sound like it is embellished, but by RANDOM timing, and at nearly the very moment that I was learning who I was singing for, I received a text message from my lifelong friend (and co-founder of DDBCF) David Caldarella. If you know David, you are aware that in one of his roles with our foundation, he is all-too often forced to attend funerals/viewings for so many beautiful souls taken far too early by cancer that become acquaintances, friends and in some cases family for him.
David had no reason to fathom that I might be standing in a church on a RANDOM Friday morning – let alone preparing to sing for a RANDOMLY scheduled funeral Mass. Reading further – David’s message conveyed that he had just attended a viewing for yet another beautiful young woman who lost her life to cancer. It was remarkable to realize that David and I were RANDOMLY sharing a mutual moment of anger and sadness. We continued texting for a few minutes, and very soon realized the incredible coincidence – David and I were talking about the same beautiful person. Yes, the RANDOMLY scheduled funeral Mass was for the same beautiful young woman (Cassandra) that David had been visiting, supporting and became friends with over the past few years – neither of us had any idea.
I believe that the bright shining DDBCF Beacon of Hope is casting a wide and warm light in darkness today, and it motivates me more than ever to continue working to help provide care, assistance and HOPE to those suffering with – and unfortunately sometimes being devastated by cancer.
#WeWill continue shining light in darkness
Carmen Malatino
Co-Founder
David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation
The 6th Annual Stafford Run for HOPE: Tri/Du/Aqua/5K will take place on Saturday June 17th at Manahawkin Lake Park in Manahawkin, NJ! This is the 6th year for the Stafford Tri/Du/Aqua event and the second year that David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation (DDBCF) will be integrally involved in this event in collaboration with our friend Ross Reynolds from Trident Multisport. Ross established Trident Multisport to bring excellent multisport events to southern New Jersey. Giving back to the community is a major focus of their team as well as promoting healthy lifestyles. Trident’s website has this Hawaiian statement on its’ main page:
“Ahuwale ka po’okela I kau hana ia ha’i.” It is through the way you serve others that your greatness will be felt.”
We are extremely excited to announce that our good friends and brand-new community partners, D. Finelli Construction and Lou’s Electric will be the Co-Presenting Sponsors for this year’s event. We cannot thank Dave Finelli, Lou Manganiello and their teams enough for their continued support and commitment to help us serve our families affected by a cancer diagnosis. The Finelli and Manganiello families have been supporters of the Foundation for many years and support other events throughout the year including our Frank V. Panzone Jr. Memorial Cruisin for a Cure and our Island Gala.
We are very excited that our youth group, Generation Dream, will play a major role in this event by fundraising and raising awareness on their own within the community. Please support these amazing kids if they should come knocking at your home or business. We are equally excited and honored to have the support of our DDBCF student group from Southern Regional High School. The students will manage registration, the transition area, water stations on the 5K course and participate in the races.
Please register for the race by clicking the link below:
Our friends at Informed Mortgage continue their creative planned giving campaign. Our hometown mortgage specialists have committed to donate $25.00 to 
