We were informed yesterday the that final approval was granted to begin a David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation student group at Southern Regional High School starting September 2015! We want to thank Rebecca Posch for not only putting in the effort to create this group but also serving as the advisor for this group. We want to thank Superintendent Craig Henry, the Board of Education and Principal Eric Wilhelm for supporting this DDBCF student group at SRHS.
The SRHS students will have numerous volunteer opportunities at DDBCF events throughout the year. The students will also take ownership under Ms. Posch’s guidance to plan and execute their own fundraisers/programs to benefit the families of DDBCF. Please look for sign-ups around school in late September. We hope you join this exciting new SRHS student group that is dedicated to paying it forward for local families affected by a cancer diagnosis!
We held our 3rd Annual Island Gala “A Night on the Boardwalk”on Friday August 14th and it proved to be our most successful fundraiser to date with a NET of $94,577.43! Our Mega 50/50 Raffle Winners were Angela Monafo and Taryn Parascand (Congratulations!) but there’s no doubt that the real winners of the night were our patients and families affected by a cancer diagnosis! Thank you.
We do need to thank a few people that were instrumental in making our 3rd Annual Island Gala possible. That starts with our executive committee in charge of planning and sponsoring various aspects of this year’s event. The Reynolds Family, Reynolds Landscaping & Garden Shop, Steber Family, McCabe Family, Catherine Deely and Board of Director Members Kim Manzella & Dani Corso. This group started its’ planning/management efforts in January 2015 and continued right up until the last item was packed up around 2:00am Saturday morning! It takes a monumental effort from a dedicated team to pull off an event like this one and this group was simply amazing!
Our Host Venue for the 3rd year in a row was our friends at the Sea Shell Resort & Beach Club! Tom Hughes, Jaimee Boyle and Brittany Solon treat the entire planning process, meetings and night of the event as if it was a special party for a family member and for that we are eternally grateful. The resort is absolutely beautiful and the incredible staff make all of our guests feel like VIP’s!
Our sponsors play a critical role in the overall success of the Foundation being able to answer the increased number of patient requests. Thank you to our Cyclone $5,000.00 Sponsors: Reynolds Landscaping, Steber Family, McCabe Family, Informed Mortgage andAllied World Assurance Company. Reynolds Landscaping and the Steber family were also responsible for sponsoring this year’s amazing band Monte Carlo from Philadelphia. Thank you to our Himalayan $2,500.00 Sponsor: D. Finelli Construction and Congratulations to Dave and Laurie on the birth of their baby girl Lyla Marie. Thank you to our Carousel $1,000.00 Sponsors: Anderson Insurance Agency, G. Anderson Agency, Brandon Systems, Cosimano Family, Shannon Keyes DMD andZelus Consulting Group LLC.
Our Auctions are always top notch thanks to the efforts of Cathy Deely, Kim Manzella, Dani Corso, Sophia Steber, the Reynolds Family (Peg, Katie & Ashley) and our extremely generous local businesses that want to participate in our events. A special thanks to Kyle Baddorf Executive Chef at Garces Trading Co. for not only producing one very successful auction dinner but accepting to do 3 of them!!!
We would not be able to hold our events were it not for the tremendous support from our volunteers throughout the year especially at this Goliath of an event. A special thanks to Tony Coon, Ryan Johnson, John Manzella, Nick Staub, Lisa AndersonandJames Donahower.
Our guests (former and new) and everybody listed above demonstrated a genuine commitment to the mission of the Foundation and generosity of spirit that could only be described as inspirational! Our team from DDBCF walked away from this year’s Island Gala knowing that our Beacon of Hope will shine a little brighter for our patients/families affected by a cancer diagnosis thanks to all of you!
Mark your calendars now for the 4th Annual Island Gala on Friday August 5th 2016!
A Note From David Caldarella, Co-Founder & Executive Director:
I was humbled and honored to hear that I was selected as 1 of 4 finalists for the 2015 Hero of Hope Award by the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators. This nomination is very special because it emanates from Oncology Nurses and Patient Navigators who recognized the critical work and mission of David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation. In particular, Elizabeth Martinez from Southern Ocean Medical Center who nominated me and who should be nominated herself! It’s very difficult to hear life and death struggles everyday but it’s a special person that rises above to help. Oncology nurses and patient navigators do that on a daily basis so to be recognized by that same group of amazing individuals is truly overwhelming! The recognition of being nominated is a confirmation for our Board of Directors, Sponsors, Individual Donors and Volunteers that we are making a difference in the lives of our families battling a cancer diagnosis.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Long Beach Island Resident One of Four
Nominees for National Survivorship Award
LONG BEACH ISLAND – A Long Beach Island man has been named one of four nominees nationwide for the Hero of Hope Patient Award given by the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators (AONN+).
David Caldarella was diagnosed with head and neck cancer in April 2010. He learned his cancer was extremely aggressive and had already metastasized from his tonsils to the lymph nodes on the right side of his neck and down his throat.
“The news was upsetting on a number of levels,” says Caldarella. “I was in the best shape of my life and had never smoked. Beyond the physical, it hit me emotionally, socially, and financially. It literally changed my life.”
The next month he underwent a tonsillectomy and biopsy, a right neck dissection and transoral robotic surgery to remove the remaining tonsil and tumor. Chemo and radiation quickly followed.
“What got me through this was my family, friends, faith, the kindness of strangers, and the desire to create a legacy that would benefit others and make my nephew and nieces proud.”
That legacy took shape as David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation, a nonprofit organization providing financial assistance to people who are battling cancer and can’t afford day-to-day necessities.
“I thought about the foundation constantly,” he says. “It would be 2 or 3 in the morning, and I would be trying to figure out how we would fund it, who we would help, and what it is we would do.”
In November 2010, Caldarella received the “all clear” from his surgeon and spent the next two years growing his foundation, which required overseeing four annual fundraising events.
“By 2013, we reached a breaking point,” he explains. “We surpassed our initial goal to help one or two families a year almost immediately. By the time I went full-time and became a salaried employee of the foundation in 2014, we were helping more than 100 people from across New Jersey annually.”
To date, David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation has helped 400 families and has given more than $400,000 in assistance.
As one of the nominees for the Hero of Hope Patient Award, Caldarella’s story will be featured in the August issue of CONQUER: The Patient Voice Magazine.
Voting to select the winner is now open. The winner of the Hero of Hope Patient Award will be announced in early October at AONN’s sixth annual Navigation and Survivorship Conference in Atlanta. The winner will receive a plaque recognizing his/her contributions to the cancer community as well as a donation of $1,000 made to the charity of his/her choice.
About the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators
The Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators, Inc. (AONN+) is the largest national specialty organization dedicated to improving patient care and quality of life by defining, enhancing, and promoting the role of oncology nurse and patient navigators. The organization, which has more than 5,000 members, was founded in 2009 to provide a network for all professionals involved and interested in patient navigation and survivorship care services in order to better manage the complexities of the cancer treatment process. For more information visit www.aonnonline.org.About CONQUER: The Patient Voice Magazine:
CONQUER is the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators’ (AONN+) premier forum for patients with cancer. CONQUER features articles written by and for patients with cancer, survivors, nurse navigators, and other oncology team members. This magazine addresses the issues that patients, their family members, and caregivers face every day in an easy-to-read format. Issues include interviews with patients with cancer, information on access to care, and articles on lifestyle topics such as nutrition, stress management, personal finance, and legal and employer issues. CONQUER also features patient stories that are nominated for the AONN+ HERO OF HOPETM award, which will be presented at the AONN+ Annual Conference. All stories are compiled in a special issue of CONQUER at the end of the year. For more information visit www.conquer-magazine.com.
About David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation
David’s Dream and Believe Cancer Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises funds to provide financial assistance and services to families primarily in New Jersey affected by a cancer diagnosis. David Caldarella, Co-Founder and Stage IV cancer survivor, established David’s Dream and Believe Cancer Foundation in 2010. His journey of living through Stage IV cancer inspired him to dedicate his life to helping other individuals, affected by a cancer diagnosis. David spends most of his time being with these families and has been an amazing support person in all their lives. To date, the Foundation has assisted 325 patients in 4 years, and donated over $300,000 to families afflicted by cancer. Donations are used towards a multitude of services for the family battling a cancer diagnosis including financial assistance for medications, treatments, transportation, rent, mortgage and utility bills.
A new feature on our Facebook page for David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation is our Tuesday Testimonials. This affords our patients, caregivers and medical personnel the opportunity to express themselves and to let everybody know what DDBCF has meant to them.
We were introduced to the Gilooly family by a very dear mutual friend Kristin, who asked if the Foundation could come to the aide of this family. Here is what the Gilooly family wrote to us about their personal experience with DDBCF.
“When I first got diagnosed with Cancer in the head and neck area, myself and my family felt not only scared of the unknown but alone in the sense that we felt no one really understood what we’re we’re going through. I was directed by a close friend of David’s, to read his story/testimony and I was blown away how close it was to our story. We both shared the same exact diagnosis and immediately we felt we weren’t so alone. David helped my family and I resolve one of my hospital bills and it was not only timely but so appreciated. We are so grateful for this foundation and have a ton respect for David and his relentless dedication to it. David started working on this foundation when he was still going through treatment and knowing how I felt at that time, I can’t imagine. David is a special man and he is truly doing God’s work! Thank you for helping our family David.”
All of us at David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation want to thank everyone involved and all those that were in attendance for yesterday’s Bengal Block Party at Barnegat High School. The chilly temperatures and gusting winds didn’t dampen the spirits of the 500+ guests.
We want to thank Barnegat High School, Principal Steve Nichol, Faculty, Interact Team and Students! We want to thank Barnegat HS security and Barnegat Police Dept. Congratulations to Barnegat HS senior Sophie Beyer on being awarded our 1st Samantha Franco Dream & Believe Scholarship!
We want to thank our food and business vendors for braving the elements in order to benefit the families of DDBCF battling cancer. Thank you to our friends at Jetty for your main event sponsorship for this event!
Thank you to all of our bands that donated their time, energy and live music to the event including Michelle Lombardi, Sneak Attack, New Sense, Moral of the Story and My Life On Film. We want to thank our awesome DJ, Arties Parties. A special thank you to My Life on Film for not only headlining our event but for acting as our backup sound system for the entire event. We cannot thank all of you enough for your support!
We want to thank our amazing volunteers that continue to support the Foundation with their time and dedication to the mission! A special thank you to our youth group Generation Dream and the parents of our Generation Dream kids for always coming out to support the Foundation.
Thank you to our Stockton University Service-Learning students. We have created a special bond with Dr. Zhang and her students. Thank you Lauren Hoffman, Leanne Weatherly, Kiera Driscoll, Nikki Olivier, Paula Blase, Brianna Mazzucca, Emily Repici, Nicole Leppert and Christopher Wolf.
A well-deserved thank you to Dani Corso from our Board of Directors who put in full-time hours on this event on a completely volunteer basis as is the case with all of our directors. A special thank you to Kim Manzella, Kelly Powers and Jillian Elsasser for their support on the Bengal Block Party.
Thanks to events like this one we have been able to assist 373 families affected by a cancer diagnosis in 4.5 years!
During my battle with Stage IV head & neck cancer in 2010, I was blessed to be surrounded by amazing family, friends, doctors, nurses, caregivers and even strangers offering their prayers, love, support and providing me with HOPE. David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation was forged on those very principles of: kindness, generosity of spirit, faith, hope and love that were ever-present during my cancer journey. An overwhelming desire to “Pay it Forward” crystallized the “Dream” and a group of friends ‘Believed” in that Dream. We set out to offer financial assistance and ignite HOPE in the hearts of a couple patients per year…Fast Forward 4 years…
As of December 31st 2014 (4 years), we have supplied financial assistance and provided HOPE to 325 families!
2014 proved to be a momentous year for the Foundation with a multitude of significant accomplishments as listed in the attached summary but none more important than our mission to provide financial assistance, services and HOPE to our families affected by a cancer diagnosis. All of us at David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation want to thank our patients for inspiring us each and every day. We lost several inspirational members from the DDBCF patient family in 2014 but want your families to know, we carry their spirit with us every day!
Thank you to the many businesses, sponsors, auction donors and volunteers!
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.
A special thank you to our Board of Directors (Tim Hall, Melanie Magaziner, Kelly Powers, Kevin Price, Kim Manzella, Kristin Panzone, Jillian Elsasser & Danielle Corso) who serve the mission of the Foundation on a 100% volunteer basis!
Please take a minute to look back on 2014 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 just made a donation – YOU are responsible for providing HOPE to a family diagnosed with cancer that needs our help. THANK YOU!
We HOPE that you will continue to Dream & Believe with us!
We are less than one week away from “Comedy for a Cause!”
The Rotary Club of Barnegat will Host “Comedy For A Cause” Saturday, January 24th at the Holiday Inn on Route 72 in Manahawkin. The event runs 6-10 pm and includes comedy entertainment from Uncle Vinnie’s Comedy Club, dinner buffet, cash bar, live and silent auctions!
All of us at David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundationwant to wish everyone Happy Holidays from our family to yours! We want to thank our tremendous donors, sponsors and volunteers who afford us the opportunity to offer Hope to our families.
Thank you to the parents & children from our youth service group “Generation Dream” who remind us: “Giving begins with the person in the mirror & together we can create a tidal wave of Kindness, Love and Hope!
A very special thanks to the patients and families that have touched our lives this year. You inspire us on a daily basis by sharing your indomitable spirit with us on a daily basis and you continue to do more for us than we ever could do for you!
SUNDAY OCTOBER 5th 2014, 2pm-6pm Toshi’s Living Room at The Flat Iron Hotel, 1411 Broadway, NY, NY 10001
Performers from Broadway, American Idol and more!
Please pre-purchase your tickets by visiting:SING FOR HOPE$22 in advance, including one free raffle entry ($5 value) $20 at the door, raffle entries sold separately 100% of ticket and raffle sales PLUS 20% of all food and beverage purchases will be donated back to David’s Dream & Believe on behalf of Toshi’s Living Room.
WHY? From: Cara Samantha
In 2013 my cousin Jamie passed away at just 35 years old from Stage 4 Breast Cancer leaving behind her husband Glenn and three delightfully inquisitive kids Kyle, Alyssa and Brandon, all under 8yrs old. Luckily, David’s involvement in Jamie’s journey allowed us to have a wonderful party celebrating Jamie before she passed. She was showered in love and kindness from over 250 family members, friends and strangers. We also managed to raise about $30,000 for her and her family in her final days. David Caldarella was an integral part in making this happen and we are all forever grateful.
Just one month after Jamie left us, her brother Brian was diagnosed with Leukemia (ALL). Multiple trips back and forth from NJ to Sloan Kettering, hospital stays, hotel overnights, treatment and more make for some hefty bills and luckily David stepped right in again to offer as much assistance as he could. Jamie and Brian are just two people from one family. One family who means the world to me, but one family that even David’s foundation can only do so much for. He is constantly helping people of all ages fighting all kinds of cancer find hope in their struggle by easing some of their financial burdens and giving them a little more light in their life. The more money we can raise for David’s foundation, the more families he can help thrive.
Please join us in NYC as we raise money to give back to a wonderful foundation whose mission brings hope and happiness to families fighting cancer in the New Jersey area. If you are unable to attend, please consider donating any amount and helping us spread the word.
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!
