4th Annual Island Gala | Hope Under The Stars

Island Gala - "Hope Under The Stars"
Island Gala – “Hope Under The Stars”

We are beyond excited for the 4th Annual Island Gala to benefit: David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation at the Sea Shell Resort & Beach Club on Friday August 5th, 2016. This year’s theme is “Hope Under The Stars!” Our patients and families affected by a cancer diagnosis inspire us on a daily basis. This year’s Gala will be very special as we introduce some of our brand new Directors of Patient Advocacy. This is a group of individuals directly affected by a cancer diagnosis and positively impacted by the support from David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation.

The beautiful Sea Shell Resort & Beach Club is once again the venue for this year’s Gala. The Hughes Family and staff treat this event as if it were a special event for a family member. We appreciate their continued support and friendship.

Our entertainment lineup for the 4th Annual Island Gala is second to none! We met American Idol Alum Cara Samantha a few years ago as a result of her cousin Jamie being diagnosed with cancer. Unfortunately, Jamie eventually lost her courageous battle with cancer. Cara will be performing during cocktail hour and under the stars in our outside “Hope Tiki Garden” too. A brief opening ceremony will take place after cocktail hour. 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! Our favorite Emcee, Live Auctioneer and Friend: James Donahower is back to host the entire evening for us this year.

We want to thank our friends at Reynolds Landscaping for their continued support and efforts supporting this special event.

Please join us on Friday August 5th, 2016 at the Sea Shell Resort & Beach Club. Individual tickets will go on sale shortly for $250.00pp. Event will take place from 7pm-midnight. Live Music, Hors D’Ourves, Dinner and 3 Hour Top Shelf Open Bar. (Cocktail Attire)

Invites have been mailed to last year’s guests and the easiest way to secure your ticket for the 4th Annual Island Gala is to reserve your sponsorship today. You can do so by visiting our website at www.davidsdreamandbelieve.org, click the Donate tab, under donation type click (enter your own donation amount)(enter sponsorship level amount), under donation events click Island Gala in the drop down. You can also download form attached below. Make checks payable to DDBCF, 364 North Main Street, Suite 10D, Manahawkin, NJ 08050. Thank you!

Sponsorship Form_Page1_Mega Sponsorship Form_Page2_Mega

Sponsorship Form

Hero of Hope Award | David Caldarella | David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation | Academy of Oncology Nurses & Patient Navigators |

Hero of Hope Nominee David Caldarella
Hero of Hope Nominee
David Caldarella
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.

For further information, please visit www.davidsdreamandbelieve.org.