The Inside Press

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New Castle Releases

Fantastic Finds: A New Chappaqua Store to Benefit Support Connection

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Ready to help you find something fantastic… at the new Fantastic Finds supporting Support Connection, and their year-round breast and ovarian cancer support services. (L-R): Volunteers Ellen Cober, Joanne Mortell (store manager), Jennie Menton and Pauline Gudisman pictured with Support Connection staff member Celeste Baccari.

Support Connection, Inc. is pleased to announce the opening of “Fantastic Finds”, an upscale resale shop at 400 King Street in Chappaqua, NY (former site of the Discovery Shop). All proceeds from sales at the shop will benefit Support Connection’s free, year-round breast and ovarian cancer support services.

Fantastic Finds boasts a wide inventory of new and gently used items in pristine condition. Shoppers will find great prices for high-quality merchandise such as:

  • Men’s and women’s clothing
  • Jewelry
  • Accessories such as scarves and handbags
  • Household items such as small or accent furniture, housewares, small appliances, china, home decor
  • Musical instruments

Store hours for shopping are Monday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. All items sold at the store have been donated.

Fantastic Finds is staffed with volunteers who handle sales, inventory, and accepting donations. Support Connection Executive Director Katherine Quinn is excited about this new venture: “This is a wonderful opportunity for Support Connection. The need for our free counseling and other support services for those living with breast and ovarian cancer grows every year. We are grateful to have a new way to raise funds to meet this ever-increasing need. The store is also a terrific way to let more people know that we’re here for them.”

Donated items (new or in excellent condition) can be brought to the store Monday through Saturday, from 10:30 am to 4 pm. The following items are gratefully accepted: men’s and women’s clothing (clean and on hangers); jewelry; accessories; small/accent furniture; china; housewares; home decor; new small appliances; musical instruments. (Please note: No electronics, computers, DVD’s, CD’s, etc.)

ABOUT SUPPORT CONNECTION: Support Connection, Inc. is a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit organization that provides free, confidential support services and programs to people affected by breast and ovarian cancer. Founded in 1996, Support Connection is based in Yorktown Heights, NY, but through their toll-free services they help people across the country. Services include: One-on-one counseling with professional counselors who are cancer survivors; ongoing peer-to-peer support groups; Ongoing wellness classes; Holistic health workshops; Public educational programs; Information and referral services; A toll-free cancer information and support hotline. To learn more, visit www.supportconnection.org or call: 914-962-6402 or 800-532-4290. Support Connection Breast and Ovarian Cancer Support: We’ve Been There. We Care.

 

 

 

 

Horace Greeley Scholarship Fund’s March 10 Spring Gala to Honor John Re and Pat Pollack

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The Horace Greeley Scholarship Fund invites the community to its 8th annual Spring Gala. This event will honor John Re with the Ed Habermann Award for volunteer service to the community and Pat Pollock with the Horace Greeley Award of Distinction for student support that goes above and beyond the role of a school nurse.

Great food and drinks will be served, and we’ll have an amazing jewelry raffle and select live auction prizes, as we celebrate our honorees.

Event Details:

DATE: Friday, March 10, 2017

TIME: 7 p.m.

PLACE: Mt. Kisco Country Club, 10 Taylor Road, Mt. Kisco

TICKETS: Available online at: www.hgsf.org.

RSVP: By February 27, 2017

John Re

John Re, Ed Habermann Award

John Re began coaching soccer for AYSO in 1997, and continued coaching for 14 years as his children (Samantha, Matthew and Jason) progressed through the AYSO and CYSC programs, often coaching more than one team, and winning three WYSL Division 1 championships. John has served as AYSO board member, division coordinator and Regional Commissioner.  In 2007, John was given AYSO’s Grishman Award, for his long dedication to youth soccer in Chappaqua. 

In January 2008, John was appointed to New Castle’s Recreation and Parks Commission, and then re-appointed for an additional term. In June 2015, he was honored by the Westchester Recreation and Parks Society, receiving their E. Mario Cribari Voluntary Service Award recognizing his years of service in New Castle.

In honor of his wife Dawn, who lost her brave battle with cancer in 2011, John (along with family and friends) founded Dawn’s Ray of Hope, a charitable organization supporting cancer patients.  Their signature event, the annual all-night softball tournament called Dusk to Dawn, has already raised nearly $50,000.  Look for them out on the Rec Field, or form a team and join them, on September 8-9, 2017.

Pat Pollock, Horace Greeley Award of Distinction

Having left nursing to be a stay-at-home mother when she moved to Chappaqua in 1988, Pat joined the PTA, where she combined volunteerism with her nursing background.  She was a member of the DAPC (Drug Abuse Prevention Council) and the Health Advisory Council, and she chaired Health and Safety, a committee that, among other activities, sponsored elementary school health fairs and the Great American Smoke Out. 

Pat Pollack with students

In 1997, Pat co-founded New Castle Cares, a group of community-based organizations that spearhead programs and activities that enhance the social and emotional health of children and families. She particularly enjoyed contributing to the successful publication and distribution of Parent-to-Parent Handbook, What Parents Need to Know About Alcohol and Other Drugs.

In 2003, Tom Cardellichio, a former Bell Principal and Director of Human Resources for CCSD, asked Pat to be a substitute nurse at Bell.  There, she found her passion working with middle school students, and in 2004, she became Bell’s full time nurse.  Pat spends countless hours supporting students as they navigate the volatile waters of adolescence. She is the go-to person for students and faculty at Bell, providing a safe place and sympathetic ear in times of need.

 

 About the Horace Greeley Scholarship Fund:

Established in 1946 by Horace Greeley High School students, the Horace Greeley Scholarship Fund exists to make up “the difference” between the actual costs of college and all other financial resources available to students and their families. Over the last seventy-one years, hundreds of Greeley students have been awarded need-based grants from the Fund.

Last year alone, we were able to award $223,000 in grants to 29 applicants, but we still had applicants with unmet need. Each year, we strive to meet more of the demonstrated need with your help. The Board hopes that in the future, no qualified Greeley graduate who needs financial assistance for college will be turned away.

Rep. Lowey Denounces DeVos Appointment, Citing Disqualifying Factors

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Washington, DC – Congresswoman Nita M. Lowey (D-NY), Ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on the Senate’s confirmation of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education:

“Unfortunately, today Betsy DeVos was confirmed by the Senate by the closest margin ever for a cabinet nominee. Our children deserve an Education Secretary who does her homework and aces the test, not one who passes only after being graded on a curve.

“I join New York families, educators, and a bipartisan group of 50 senators in voicing my deep concern about Devos’ ability to adequately do the job.  Her lack of knowledge on education policy and the federal role in promoting the education of students with disabilities, in addition to her extreme desire to gut our nation’s public education system, should have disqualified her from confirmation.

“As Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, I will oversee the Department’s activities and hold Secretary DeVos accountable for providing our students with the education they deserve and our schools with the resources to succeed.”

Public Demonstration Tonight in New Castle to “Embrace All”

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Chappaqua, NY– New Castle’s Community Inclusion & Diversity Committee is holding a public  demonstration tonight, Feb 1st, 7 p.m. at the Town Gazebo “to build awareness, to promote inclusion, and to embrace and support all in our community–regardless of race, religion and sexual identity.” 

Participants are being invited to wear a name tag “with both your name and the name of the places from which your family originally immigrated.”

Making Headway Foundation Approves Over $350,000 in Grants to Help Children with Brain Tumors

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Chappaqua, NY — The mission of the Making Headway Foundation is provide care and comfort for children with brain and spinal cord tumors while funding medical research geared to better treatments and a cure. Over the past 20 years, Making Headway has invested over $20 million in research and services to these children and their families. In January 2017, Making Headway continued this incredibly valuable work by approving over $350,000 in new grants to The Stephen D. Hassenfeld Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at the NYU Langone Medical Center. These grants will fund a variety of programs that address both the short-term and long-term needs of children with brain or spinal cord tumors.

Patients and care givers at NYU’s Hassefeld clinic.Photos for the Making Headway Foundation.

Today, there are more than 28,000 children living with a brain or spinal cord tumor, commonly referred to as a Central Nervous System (CNS) tumor. Over 2,500 children (seven every day) are diagnosed every year. In 2016, pediatric CNS tumors caused more deaths than any other type of pediatric cancer. Making Headway is committed to helping these children by providing Care, Comfort, and a Cure.

In order to have the most significant impact Making Headway focuses on holistic approaches to research and services. With this in mind, it approved funding for four significant, but very different research grants. For example, one grant will fund the NYU Center for Biospecimen Research & Development, which catalogs and stores thousands of invaluable medical samples from children with brain or spinal cord tumors. Doctors from around the world can request and receive samples for their research, at no cost. Making Headway is trying to encourage more research and collaboration, with an expectation of practical improvements related to the treatment and prevention of pediatric brain and spinal cord tumors. This grant is complimented by another that supports a Clinical Trials Manager. Clinical trials are important research studies that explore whether a medical strategy, treatment, or device is safe and effective for humans. The Clinical Trials Manager will oversee 35 active research projects that are devoted to pediatric brain or spinal cord tumors. Each trial has the potential to discover a new treatment or possibly a cure for these pediatric tumors.

Making Headway is also investing in research to help children from a psychological perspective. It is well-established that children with brain or spinal cord tumors present with a host of cognitive, academic, and socio-emotional challenges both during and after treatments are completed. Funded by Making Headway, the Hassenfeld Neuropsychology Testing Program evaluates and monitors newly diagnosed children. This is part of unique, formal protocol created at Hassenfeld (through another Making Headway grant), in which all newly diagnosed patients receive pro-active interventions, such as educational support and related services as needed.

Making Headway understands that in order for children to receive the highest quality medical services, there must be specifically trained doctors who understand the unique technical needs of pediatric brain and spinal cord tumor patients. Making Headway has been helping to meet this need through an annual grant to support a pediatric neuro-oncology fellowship at NYU Langone Medical Center. Chosen from among the best candidates in the country, these fellows evaluate and treat a broad range of brain or spinal cord tumors in children, manage neurological complications of systemic cancer in children, participate in the conduct of clinical trials and prepare for an academic leadership career in pediatric neuro-oncology. Now in its 6th year, this program has been very successful, as each fellow has moved forward with a robust career in pediatric neuro-oncology.

Making Headway was created 20 years ago by a few families who had a child diagnosed with a brain or spinal cord tumor. Since that time, this Westchester-based non-profit organization has been dedicated to helping other children and their families. Its investments in medical research and training have been critically important, leading to new breakthroughs and training the next generation of pediatric neuro-oncologists. Beyond research, it provides a true continuum of services in order to help families impacted by pediatric brain or spinal cord tumors. Its ongoing programs include educational and psychological counseling, fun family events, a scholarship fund, and a variety of in-hospital care services.

To learn more, or to donate to Making Headway, visit www.MakingHeadway.org or call 914-238-8384.