The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

cancer research

A Chance to Support the September 18 Raveis Ride + Walk Raising Millions for Cancer Research

by

The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute are the two main recipients of funds raised by the annual Raveis Ride + Walk

The annual Raveis Ride + Walk fundraiser will take place on Sunday, September 18 at Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk, Conn. It will include a 5K walk, a 12-mile and 25-mile bike ride, and a children’s 100-yard dash, as well as family games and prizes. Raveis is raising money to support two of the most prestigious and innovative cancer organizations in the country: the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Through the William Raveis Charitable Fund, $3.5 million (and counting) has been raised, along with the funding of 24 scientists who are researching eleven different types of cancer at 10 different institutions.

Everyone is affected by cancer in some way – whether it’s yourself, a loved one, a colleague or a friend. “For me, cancer is very personal,” relates Bill Raveis. “When my wife Candy was diagnosed with acute myeloma leukemia, her doctor gave her four months to live. Thanks to the cutting-edge cancer research being done, she benefited from new drugs and treatments on the market. It’s now eight years after her diagnosis, and these crucial new treatments gave us the gift of more time together. Everyone has a story like ours. It is incredibly important to our company that we support cancer scientists like those at Damon Runyon and Dana-Farber, so we can help cancer patients and survivors in our communities. Our fundraising and support have direct results, and I’ve seen it firsthand!”

Agents at Raveis offices countrywide are leading the fundraising charge. At the Chappaqua Raveis office, as one example, Sena Baron as a team captain is playing a leading role raising funds. “As many of you know, cycling is one of my passions, and I have lost friends and family to Cancer.” Please click the link to support Sena: https://www.raveisridewalk.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&participantID=5801

This year, longtime Strategic Growth Manager in the Glastonbury office, Micki Gebhardt, a multiple cancer survivor will share her inspiring story at the Ride + Walk. “She has been an avid supporter of the Ride + Walk, and we appreciate everything she’s done to fundraise and spread the word of our mission.”

“Cancer is a terrible disease. As a community, we can make a major impact together. It’s amazing what we can do as a company when we set goals,” said Bill Raveis. “I hope to see so many of you on September 18 in CT! Register today at raveisridewalk.com. 

POSTPONED DUE TO COVID-19 CLOSURES: a Survival Benefit with LIVE MUSIC FROM RED GRENADINE

by

Red Grenadine will be performing at Lucy’s Lounge in Pleasantville on March 27, 8 p.m., to help raise funds toward cancer research. A $25 donation will be collected at the door. Come one, come all!  “We are participating in this fundraiser because it allows us to help support such a worthy cause while doing what we love to do,” Jenn Filardi, one of the lead singers of Red Grenadine, told the Inside Press.  

100% of the evening’s proceeds will go directly “toward cutting edge research at Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.”

For more about Red Grenadine: https://www.theinsidepress.com/its-only-rock-n-roll-and-these-parents-love-it/

For more information about Cycle for Survival: https://www.cycleforsurvival.org

 

Relay Reflections…

by

… and Hope Following the 10th Annual Relay for Life of Chappaqua     

Article and Photo by Gillian Hand

On May 20th, the field in front of Bell Middle School was transformed. Tents and tables sprung up across the property as Greeley students prepared to spend the night at one of the most anticipated fundraising events of the year: the 10th Annual Relay for Life of Chappaqua. All night long, these participants would walk in support of cancer patients, raising money for research and fostering hope for a world without cancer.

The dedication to finding a cure runs strong in this American Cancer Society event, bringing communities together across the globe and right here in Chappaqua. Although no words can do it justice, this Relay for Life slogan is a true testament to the nature and goals of this inspiring event: “Celebrate. Remember. Fight back.”

2017 marked the tenth year of Chappaqua’s participation in Relay for Life. For one decade, students at Horace Greeley High School have come together to raise money for cancer research and have walked the track throughout the night in support of all those who have been touched by cancer. This year, the reconstruction of the Greeley track and field facilities prompted the event’s move to downtown Chappaqua.

While this would mark the first year that the fundraiser would be held anywhere but the Greeley property, the new location of Bell Middle School enhanced community involvement and inspired increased participation of local merchants and residents. Although the Bell facilities do not include a track, committee members from the Greeley club worked throughout the day to prepare the grounds for the fundraiser and mimic the setup of past years. While it was certainly a change from the previous events held at Greeley, the Chappaqua administration partnered with the Relay for Life of Chappaqua executive board to help ease the transition and make the event the great success it has been in the past.

I served on the Relay planning committee and executive board throughout my four years at Greeley. Behind the scenes, this dedicated Greeley club prepares for the event throughout the year, organizes the setup and cleanup of the event grounds, and works tirelessly to ensure that the night runs smoothly. It has been an honor to not only take part in such an inspiring and worthy event, but to also lend a personal hand in the successful planning and execution of the fundraiser. Each year, I have been privileged to watch the event grow and develop at every stage, present for everything from the early months of planning to the sun rising over the field after a night of walking.

Relay for Life is extraordinary. By rallying behind friends or family members touched by the disease or simply staying the night despite heavy rain or cold temperatures, these students prove themselves year after year as true supporters of the cause. It is incredible to see students, families, Greeley faculty members, and other Chappaqua residents coming together in hope and support; Relay for Life of Chappaqua has shown me how successful we can be when we unite behind a common goal. Nearly everyone has been touched by cancer in some way, and with an event like Relay, the entire community can work together to foster change and progress in cancer research. While I am looking forward to continuing my participation in college, I am excited to watch Relay for Life of Chappaqua continue to grow and succeed. 

At the time of the writing of this article, the 2017 Relay for Life of Chappaqua had raised over $170,000 for the American Cancer Society, and this number will only go up. Relay for Life is something that both Greeley and Chappaqua as a whole can be proud of.

To donate to Relay for Life of Chappaqua, visit http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLCY17EA?pg=entry&fr_id=79440.

 

Inside Press Intern Gillian Hand is a senior at Greeley.

Q&A with John Re about Chappaqua’s Dusk to Dawn

by

Mike Wolfensohn (center wearing Dawn’s Team shirt) with John Re (kneeling)
Mike Wolfensohn (center wearing Dawn’s Team shirt) with John Re (kneeling)

By Grace Bennett

1) Describe the Dusk to Dawn mission. I know you and Mike Wolfensohn work so hard on this fundraiser each year.

John: Dusk to Dawn is the primary fund raising event for Dawn’s Ray of Hope, Inc. www.DawnsRayOfHope.org Dawn’s Ray of Hope is the charitable organization created in honor of Dawn Re to carry on her efforts to raise money to aid in the fight against cancer. With significant money already going to cancer research, we wanted the money we raised to go where a smaller amount of money can make a larger impact. We donate to local charities that provide support and assistance to cancer patients, and to cancer patients themselves who need financial assistance to pay medical bills. Our donations to both Support Connection in Yorktown and Gilda’s House in White Plains have enabled them to offer much needed programs to help not just the patients, but their families who also are going through a tough time. By paying for part of some local residents’ medical bills, we have been able to make an immediate impact on those families as well as being able to alleviate some their financial burdens so they can focus on recovery and family.

The Dusk to Dawn event is an all-night co-ed softball tournament/marathon which combines Dawn’s two favorite fund raising activities–the ACS’s Relay for Life and the LLS’s Snowball Softball Tournament. Teams make a $750 donation to enter the tournament and are assigned a game slot to compete against “Dawn’s Team.” (Yes, Dawn’s Team plays each game…from dusk (about 5:30 p.m.) on Friday night, ‘til dawn (or whenever the last game ends–usually around 7or 8 a.m. on Saturday morning.) And since teams are of varying abilities (all skill levels are welcome!), we play with wood bats and a 16” Chicago style softball which helps to balance the game. We also have a barbecue going, with hamburgers and hotdogs, refreshments (non-alcoholic) and snacks available all night for just a nominal charge.

2) What are your goals each year?

John: Our primary goal is to raise as much money as possible by bringing in as many teams as we can to play. We have been lucky enough to have a full schedule with 10 teams participating in each of the last few years; but (by shifting the schedule and adjusting the game slots) we do have the ability to make room for more.

We also want to have fun. Dawn was all about fun and I can’t think of having an event in her memory and not have fun be an integral part of the formula.

Last (and certainly not least), we also hope to make this a community event, where people who are not on (or affiliated with) teams will come, watch, hang out, enjoy the barbeque, and (of course) make a donation. Quite honestly, we’re trying to figure out how to make that last part happen.

3) Any highlights from this year you want to share?

John: Truthfully, the night is full of memories and highlights. The game against the “Chappaqua Moms” is always a favorite because it is fun year-after-year, and everyone on both teams plays with the right attitude. This year’s Chappaqua Moms game was especially fun for me since Mike and I were honorary CMs and got to play on the team!

Playing alongside our kids and their/our friends never gets old, providing a lot of smiles and proud papa moments. One highlight this year was playing against a group from the HGHS Class of 2012. They played in our first tournament in September 2011 as Greeley Seniors, and returned this year as young adults to support us.

We also appreciated the HGHS Women’s Soccer Team coming to grab dinner after their game on Friday night. The young ladies on the soccer team have played in prior Dusk to Dawn tournaments, but were unable to do so this year as they had a game of their own.

But each game has great moments. Whether we’re playing against the team from CM, the Chappaqua Fire Department, Quaker Hill Tavern, the Support Connection in Yorktown, or the New Castle Adult Softball League (i.e., the Scramblers, Dirty Ol’ Dawgs, 8 Men Out, Raptors, Without a Prayer–to name a few)), there’s always something we remember and laugh about!

4) What’s your hope for the future?

John: We’d love to see Dusk to Dawn continue as a community event here in Town for many years to come, with more and more people becoming aware of us and our mission, and coming to support the players and the organization. We know that there are many worthy charities out there to which a lot of folks in our Town give a lot of their time. But by the same token, we think our event is easy to support. What better way is there to support a charity than playing softball and eating at a barbecue with your friends? And after that, who knows? Maybe our event can serve as a model that could be run simultaneously in different communities in Westchester.

Greeley High School Athletes Chalk Up a Big Win

by

Student Athletes Raise $16,500 for Local Pediatric Cancer Charities

The second annual Horace Greeley All-Athlete Walkathon was held at the high school’s competition field on Sunday, November 8, 2015. Students from every sport rallied around two local foundations raising more than $16,000 with their fundraising efforts.Greeley Walkathon 2015

The two organizations teamed up for the event because their missions align around helping children with cancer. Hundreds of students, supporters and parents walked in solidarity during the two hour event to support Team G-The Gardner Marks Foundation and Making Headway Foundation, both of Chappaqua.

Team G-The Gardner Marks Foundation was created in memory of Gardner Marks (Greeley Class of ’08) a school athlete who lost his life due to complications from cancer treatment. This newly formed organization is devoted to raising money toward grants for cutting edge cancer/stem cell research.

Headquartered in Chappaqua, and now in its 20th year of operation, Making Headway Foundation was founded by Edward and Maya Manley with Clint Greenbaum. Its mission is to provide care and comfort for children with brain and spinal cord tumors while funding medical research geared toward better treatments and a cure.

Both organizations have a common vision…to bring support and lifesaving treatments to kids battling cancer, and brain or spinal cord tumors.

Local merchants such as Villarina’s Deli, Elder’s Auto Spa, Chappaqua Mobil and Old Stone Trattoria sponsored the event with food and gift card donations for the participants. Donations are still being accepted at http://bitly.com/GreeleyWalk2015.