All Kinds of Exciting Updates!
Give Your Voice to the Kids!
As you know, The B+ Foundation is one of the 2 dozen or so members of the Alliance for Childhood Cancer. The Alliance is roughly split evenly between professional organizations (oncologists, oncology nurses, other doctors, researchers) and advocacy organizations like us. The main focus of the Alliance is advocacy; primarily lobbying federal officials for increased funding of childhood cancer research, survivorship programs, psycho-social efforts, and the like.
Every year, our group invites advocates -- YOU -- from around the country to come to Washington, DC and tell your elected officials that KIDS SHOULD COME FIRST! Whether your child has had cancer or not, we'd love to have you join us. It doesn't matter what state you live in, please register on the link below and state that you are affiliated with The B+ Foundation. This year's event will be held June 15-16.
Our kids need a voice!
http://www.allianceforchildhoodcancer.org/join-us/action-days-2015.html
9th Annual B+ 5k
Also in June, and perhaps a lot more fun, is our annual B+ 5k held at Andrew's alma mater, Salesianum School in Wilmington, DE. You can walk it, run it, crawl...doesn't matter to me. Afterwards, there will be a TON of free food -- pizza, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, produce, snacks, etc. Did I say FREE?!! And, perhaps best of all, it's a chance to honor our local B+ Heroes by calling them up onto the steps of Salesianum for some well-deserved recognition. Equally important, though, is that this event gives us an opportunity to raise money for all of those other families that we won't see at the event...the 46 families who will learn that their child has cancer today. And, many of them will reach out to us for financial assistance.
You have made The B+ Foundation one of the largest providers of financial assistance to families of kids with cancer nationwide.
Please visit the link below and create a team and encourage all your friends, neighbors, and co-workers to join and then send out the solicitation email on your team page. This literally takes 2 minutes for your friends to do.
This year's event will be held on WEDNESDAY, June 17th. We've moved it from the traditional '3rd Thurs in June' to Wed so as not to compete with the big Firefly Music Festival.
https://www.beposfdn.org/5k15/
Please sign up today and send out your emails. It's so simple...this is how we raise millions of dollars on college campuses. It will only take you a few minutes. Even if you live in Montana and can't join us in DE, create a team and run/walk your 5k in your hometown and be a virtual partner of ours.
Ride Across America - Ride for Andrew Two
Back in 2007 when we were in the hospital with Andrew, my friend, Dave Corydon, rode his recumbent bicycle from Washington state to Wilmington, DE to raise awareness for Andrew and his battle. Eight years later, Dave is about to embark on "Ride for Andrew Two", this time leaving his home in NJ, traveling up to Maine, and then across the country to the West Coast -- by himself! What an incredible feat.
This time, Dave is using our "Make A Difference" online fundraising website to raise money our families in need. You, too, can come up with any kind of fundraising idea, and use our "Make A Difference" platform. Andrew's buddy, Dave Rosenfeld, recently ran the Philly Half-Marathon and raised over $2,600 for us. Please consider supporting Dave as he makes his cross-country trek. I will be posting updates of his journey in the coming weeks. Good luck, Dave!
https://www.beposfdn.org/difference/
HSN Honors The B+ Foundation
Thanks to the nomination of B+ supporter, Wendy Fitzwater, HSN (formerly Home Shopping Network) honored The B+ Foundation on the air last night as one of their featured charities in their HSN Cares program. In addition to a financial donation, they gave us nationwide exposure. Thanks, Wendy. Hopefully you've planted a seed for other B+ supporters who see opportunities like this come up with magazines, companies, and media outlets.
Kids Helping Kids Fight Cancer
Thank you to Barnegat HS (NJ), the University of Miami (FL), and Emory University (GA) who all held B+ fundraisers in the past week. And, thank you to Carl McMillan and the Christiana Rotary Club for inviting me to speak at your weekly meeting and for your generous donation.
I'll let Miss Maddy close this update with the message in her picture!
B+
Ali & Andrew's Dad