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?
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!
Two new and highly successful DDBCF fundraising events were established in 2016:
a) The Inaugural Frank A. Cosimano Memorial Golf Classic presented by: Bergen Risk Managers and
b) Shave the Date presented by: Swing Graphics
The incredibly generous team from Informed Mortgage’s planned giving initiative set an all-time DDBCF record for Giving with an astounding $24,375.00 donated in the year 2016!
DDBCF welcomed 2 returning members back to the Board of Directors; Carmen Malatino and Kelly Powers; while three new Board Members Jason Cosimano, Steve Crisalli and former Director of Patient Advocacy Bill Raney were invited to serve as well. Office space for the Foundation was secured at 364 North Main Street, Suite 10D in Manahawkin, NJ.
Director of Patient Advocacy; Lauren M. Raney (7/28/1977-12/16/2016) was appointed by the Board of Directors as our Inaugural Trustee Emeritus.
2011 – 2016: 763 Families battling a cancer diagnosis have received $621,813.06 in Financial Grants!
All of us at David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation want to thank our patients and their families for inspiring us each and every day. It was an extremely difficult end to 2016 with the passing of so many loved ones and friends of DDBCF including: Mallory, Anthony, Virginia, Melissa, Michael, Phyllis, Layard, Alice, Patricia and Lauren. Our thoughts, prayers and love remain with all of these families. In the midst of her own battle with cancer, Lauren Raney proudly served as an original member of our Directors of Patient Advocacy Board in hopes that she could offer support to other patients battling this deadly disease. What Lauren may not have realized before her passing on December 16th is that she not only offered our current patients support and hope but lifted the spirits of any and every person that was blessed to have crossed paths with her.. On December 20th 2016, the DDBCF Board of Directors unanimously voted to appoint Lauren M. Raney as our first ever Trustee Emeritus. Lauren will be forever honored for her service as a Director of Patient Advocacy while all of us trust that she will eternally watch over and guide us on this journey.
Thank you to our Executive Partners at Informed Mortgage. Informed Mortgage’s planned giving initiative has set a high standard for charitable giving thanks to the efforts of Stephen, Christopher, Michael, Informed Mortgage Staff and all their customers.
Thank you to the parents and kids from our youth group, Generation Dream. This motivated, talented and compassionate group of kids are determined to make a positive impact in the lives of our patients and their families.
Thank you to students from our Southern Regional High School group led by teachers Ms. Rebecca Posch and Mrs Jody McLennan.
Thank you to our community partners, Dawn and Pete from Swing Graphics and Ryan Johnson from Ryan Johnson Photography for their help with photo, images and multiple revisions to content.
A special thank you to our Board of Directors (Steve Crisalli, Dani Corso, Kristin Panzone, Bill Raney, Kelly Powers, Jason Cosimano, Tim Hall) who serve the mission of the Foundation on a 100% volunteer basis!
Please take a minute to look back on 2016 with us in the attached summary of accomplishments. Please know that if you attended one of our events, donated an auction item, sponsored an event, volunteered or made an individual donation – YOU are responsible for providing HOPE to a family diagnosed with cancer that desperately needs our help. THANK YOU! Our Mantra for 2017 is: #WeWill
On November 15, 2016, I attended a presentation at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital (TJUH), where my surgeon Dr. David Cognetti and his colleagues Dr. Joseph Curry and Dr. Adam Luginbuhl spoke about several topics including the Complex Head and Neck Care and Education (CHANCE) mission trip to Haiti. Jefferson has one of the top ranked Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) programs in the United States, and they believe this care should not be limited to those who can travel to Philadelphia. Through the CHANCE mission trip to Haiti, they’re able to expand their impact and give individuals suffering from a complex thyroid disease or head injury a better chance of surviving. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and were still digging out from the earthquake of 2010 that killed at least 200,000 when Hurricane Matthew hit in October 2016 killing an additional 600+. Still today, nearly a million people are looking for food and drinkable water every day.
Jefferson team members have partnered with skilled Haitian doctors for the past two years to provide 150 Haitians with care, hope and a chance at Hospital Lumiere in Bonne Finne and St. Luke’s Hospital in Port-Au-Prince. The Jefferson team members also connect with Haitian people locally, attending mass and seeing how their spirits are lifted through songs and prayer. Dr. David M. Cognetti, M.D., FACS, Co-Director, Jefferson Center for Head and Neck Surgery, and Associate Professor, Department of Otolaryngology- Head & Neck Surgery at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University; offered the following comments in a recent interview about the upcoming trip. “Jefferson’s CHANCE foundation is not only about bringing medical care to Haiti, but also about educating the local medical professionals on how to continue the care after our visits. When Jefferson was looking for a volunteer to provide a patient’s perspective, David Caldarella immediately came to mind. Not only has he experienced head and neck surgery firsthand, but, as a lifelong resident of Long Beach Island, he has also witnessed the devastating effects a Hurricane can have on a community.”
I’m blessed to be a dear friend and former patient of Dr. Cognetti’s and now a volunteer at TJUH. The invitation to accompany Jefferson’s amazing team on a 4-day mission trip to Haiti leaving Sunday January 22nd, is an opportunity of a lifetime. I will serve in a support role for the team and interact as a patient advocate to the families of patients through local interpreters. Overall Patient Support is of utmost importance to all of us at David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation and being able to watch and learn directly from the care providers at Jefferson and staff in Haiti will afford me the opportunity to bring those valuable techniques home to current and future patients of DDBCF. My friend of 25 years and respected photographer Michael John Murphy has also been invited to join us on the mission to visually capture many impactful moments. It is truly an honor to have been invited by the Jefferson team to join this Haiti mission trip and to share a common goal in serving as “A Beacon of Hope” that shines beyond our borders and out into the global community!
Hospital Lumiere_Dr. David CognettiTJUH_CHANCE_Haiti Mission Trip
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!
$10.00 includes one order of pancakes, bacon, sausage, coffee, soft drinks and pictures with Santa.
We will have Jetty printed DDBCF gear and our Southern Regional High School/DDBCF gear avilable at discounted prices for the perfect holiday gifts for family, friends and co-workers.
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 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!
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!
Far too many men ignore signs of poor health and refuse to take action. By means of spreading awareness, we are making moves and we need your help. This Movember, we are asking men of all ages to grow a mo to help raise awareness & provide HOPE for male patients battling a cancer diagnosis. If growing a mo isn’t your forte, beards & manes are eligible too. Ladies are welcome and encouraged to get involved by collecting pledges and trimming their tresses.
In recognition of this underlying problem, Swing Graphics and David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation have partnered to create “Shave The Date,” a one-time pop up barbershop at East in Surf City, New Jersey. On November 1, men & women are asked to document current hairstyles on their social media channels with #IShavedTheDate. Over the next month, they will grow out their hair while collecting pledges in support of their commitment for a No Shave November. On November 25, 2016, East will open its doors from 4-9pm to welcome participants to receive a shave or haircut from Ryan’s Barber Shop & Shave Parlor with pledges of $50 or more. If you are unable to participate in the No Shave aspect of this event, but would like to take advantage of our popup barbershop, you are invited to make a donation of $25 for a shave or cut & $35 for a combo. If you are unable to attend the popup barbershop at East but would still like to participate in the fundraising, we welcome you to get involved – simply download our pledge sheets below & visit your favorite barber to get the job done. Through David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation, all proceeds from Shave The Date will be directed to male patients battling a cancer diagnosis in need of financial assistance.
“We are currently in a men’s health crisis. Men are 25% more likely to be diagnosed with cancer than women. When learning this, I had to ask myself, ‘What do I know about men’s health?’ I could barely even answer that question. I suddenly realized that awareness must be THE first step,” said Dawn Simon from Swing Graphics who has organized this event with the help of business partner Pete Sullivan.
David’s Dream and Believe Cancer Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises funds to provide financial assistance, services and HOPE to families affected by a cancer diagnosis. Since 2011, DDBCF has supported 650 Families battling a cancer diagnosis with over $500,000 in grant donations and is currently on pace to offer financial & emotional support to one patient/family per day.
David Caldarella says, “As a stage IV head and neck cancer survivor and Co-Founder of David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation, it’s imperative we join together to raise awareness for men’s health. 1 in 2 men will be diagnosed with cancer this year and that number is set to double in 2050 according to the National Cancer Institute. Dawn Simon & Peter Sullivan from Swing Graphics have created a Movember Fundraiser in partnership with DDBCF called, ‘Shave the Date’ to not only raise awareness for men’s health in particular with cancer but also to raise funds for local men battling a cancer diagnosis. Please join with us as ‘A Beacon of Hope’ this Movember.”
The official website for Shave the Date can be found by clicking here: Shave the Date!
To make a donation to a Shave the Date Ambassador – please click here: Pledge Now!
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.
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.
