May 2020 Newsletter
Welcome to the May 2020 Newsletter
C.U.R.E. is here for you.
We appreciate your patience during this time as planning is not concrete and things are changing in our environment so quickly. We hope to continue bringing you meaningful content as well as assistance to our families throughout these uncertain times. Remember, we are in this together.
“No matter how long the Winter, Spring is sure to follow.”
Hope. Hope is a powerful thing. Those of us who have lived in Rochester or western New York can truly cling to the statement above. Just as sure as the winter comes (sometimes earlier than we’d like….like snow on Halloween haha ), spring follows. Every time. Without fail. This pandemic we are currently experiencing is much like winter - forcing us into our houses, not going out or interacting much. We at C.U.R.E. miss all of you. The environment we are currently experiencing has forced us to cancel many events. We worked diligently to prepare a volunteer training for all our volunteers for the first time ever and were hopeful to see your smiling faces there. The 5k and Fun Walk presented by our friends at Cornerstone Wealth Management had to be moved to a virtual event. And, sadly, the Survivor’s Day Picnic was cancelled. All of these cancellations and changes were made with heavy hearts - we WANT to see you all - but we understand that the responsible thing to do is cancel. I, for one, am looking forward to Spring - both metaphorically and literally. I’m looking forward to the new life that comes to the trees. I’m looking forward to days staying lighter later. I’m looking forward to going out and spending time with friends. And I am hopeful that we can all experience that soon.
As always, your C.U.R.E. family is here for you. Please let us know if you need anything.
Sending Love,
Holly
Our most sincere condolences to the families of:
Allivea (2/11/2020)
Leondra (2/16/2020)
Sara (2/21/2020)
Aaron (3/7/2020)
Kyler (3/25/2020)
Sending love to your families now and always.
We are staying connected
New to the mix: Zoom! A generous couple donated the cost of a Zoom membership to our organization so that families can feel even more connected to C.U.R.E. Book Club, the monthly bereavement meeting and weekly social hours will now be hosted via Zoom. Thank you so much to the friends of C.U.R.E. who ensured we are staying connected!
Spotlight On: Skyla
Skyla is 10yrs old and started treatment in August 2019 for Medullablastoma. She had surgery to remove the tumor, went through radiation and is undergoing chemotherapy treatments. She is excited to get back to fishing with her dad, riding her bike and soccer. She loves unicorns,slime, putting on make up, doing her nails and swimming. She is able to swim now, even when she goes to school! She says she is “Skyla Strong” and cannot wait to be able to be back in school full time after treatment!
Skyla did an Instagram Takeover of our Instagram account on March 31st. Check out our Instagram (@curekidscancer_) to see a day int he life of our May Spotlight Kid!
In need of face masks?
We have been gifted filtered and unfiltered cloth masks as well as surgical masks! We have child sized cloth masks and adult sized surgical and cloth. If our families are in need of masks, please contact us to arrange getting you some! Send Holly an email if you are in need: Click me to email.
You can support C.U.R.E. in more ways than you think!
(1) Follow us on social media:
Facebook page
Instagram: @curekidscancer
Twitter: @curekidscancer_
(2) Write a review about C.U.R.E. on our Facebook Page
(3) Write a blog that can be shared on our website.
NEW BLOG POST COMING SOON ON MAY 15TH - STAY TUNED!
(4) Contact our Parent Advocates about doing a Facebook Live or Instagram Takeover
(5) “Like”, Share or comment on our posts on social media!
Donate blood!
Many of our children depend on blood transfusions and blood products in the course of their treatment. With the recent pandemic, blood drives have been halted. Our children are still in need of blood products. Please consider donating blood if you are well enough to. Visit redcrossblood.org to set up an appointment time. They are adhering to social distancing guidelines to fulfill the need.
Imaginary Friend Society:
A cancer diagnosis is scary for anyone, but for a child it can be even scarier. They’re bombarded with terminology and procedures that are intimidating and unfamiliar. Things like radiation, hair loss, blood transfusions, chemotherapy, and surgery. Just to name a few.
That’s where the Imaginary Friend Society comes in: a cast of characters inspired by the imaginations of kids themselves. Through a series of 20 animated short films, our imaginary friends explain a wide range of complicated cancer topics in a way that kids can understand. Because the more they understand about their treatment, the less scary it will be. To learn more, click here.
Connect virtually!
GRYT Health connects patients and caregivers to others with shared experience and to information relevant to their journey.
Through the GRYT app, we’ve created a platform for people affected by cancer to connect to others with similar experiences, and to tailored information that helps our users become more aware of options specific to their needs or diagnosis – empowering them to make choices that are right for them.
Our community of patients, survivors, medical professionals, researchers and advocates across all 50 states in the U.S. and in more than 100 countries worldwide have participated in almost 1,000,000 interactions to date, inspiring people to live according to their own standards.
Trust from our community is paramount to our success and something we take very seriously. We never share any of our users’ information without their explicit permission. Unlike other apps, GRYT is the first social community that is funded, built, and run by patients and caregivers where users communicate anonymously in real-time and each person is 100% in charge of what happens with their data.
Some Sunshine for these tough days…
C.U.R.E. EVENTS
The VIRTUAL 5K & Fun Walk presented by Cornerstone Wealth Management was a smashing success! Thanks to all who participated, raised awareness and fund raised in support of our families! We had participants in 15 states and 3 countries get out and walk or run. The event raised nearly $40,000 to support families locally. We are so grateful and want to celebrate your families and the faces of all who supported us, from virtually everywhere! From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for coming along for the ride. #CUREvirtual5k
Stay tuned for details regarding the 5th annual Patrick Carr Memorial Golf Tournament on July 20th!
https://curecca.ejoinme.org/PMC2020
Support C.U.R.E.’s mission…
Come tend to our garden!
What a great way to practice social distancing and make our Julie Roberts Children’s Memorial Garden beautiful. We could really use some help with weeding, pruning and getting our garden ready for the season. To ensure our friends are practicing proper social distancing, please sign up on our online form. Click below. Please also call the office if you are in need of tools or supplies. We have limited tools, but call us - we’ll chat (and basically, we miss people…so feel free to call!).
Embrace the Difference
It’s kind to #stayhome! Now more than ever the charities and organizations in our communities need our support. We’re releasing a limited edition run of new designs that support the stay at home order that is uniting our nation. A variety of tees, tanks and sweatshirts are available now in colors that will lift your soul!
For these limited edition apparel items, $10 from every purchase is donated to the participating charity of your choice.
Shop Amazon Smile!
Don’t forget to select “C.U.R.E. Childhood Cancer Association” as your favorite charity while shopping! We get a percentage of the sale. Easy peasy!
CauseWash
Purchase three car washes through the link in the button below and HELP LOCAL FAMILIES! If you typically get your car washed at Classy Chassy, Delta Sonic or LaserWash, you can give back to families all while getting a deal on your washes! Click below to learn more!
Get your C.U.R.E. Gear
Rock C.U.R.E. Elite Sport Socks!
These super comfortable and supportive sport socks are HERE! What a great way to show support for C.U.R.E. and small businesses, they are made in the USA! Rock them while you are working from home or out exercising. Now that the weather is improving, we hope to see all our friends rocking these socks around town!
Exclusive partnership with Love Your Melon!
We have partnered with Love Your Melon to offer these EXCLUSIVE, LIMITED QUANTITY beanies! They’re one size fits most and super high quality! Support children battling cancer with your purchase: for every one hat purchased, Love Your Melon sends one to a child battling cancer!
Bereavement Corner
May meeting via Zoom
Please join us for our bereavement group this month on Wednesday, May 6, 2020. We will be hosting group live via Zoom from 7-8:30 pm. Kiersten Kunick, C.U.R.E.’s Parent Advocate, will be sending out a Zoom Link to our bereaved parents to join the meeting. If you have any issues, please contact Kiersten on her cell and she can hopefully assist you. Her number is 585-697-4470.
Wishlist
Wishlist items needed…
We are so grateful to the community for all of the wonderful donations we receive throughout the year. We could not service all the families we do without this generous support. If you or a community group you belong to is looking for something to do for a charity, please consider donating items from C.U.R.E.’s wish list so that we can continue to provide for our families:
A cure for childhood cancer, blood diseases and brain tumors!
- Gift cards for Wegmans, Tops, Wal-Mart, Target and gas cards
- Gift cards for GrubHub, McDonalds, Wendy’s, Taco Bell, Burger King, Moe’s, Chipotle, Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks
- Weighted blankets
- Essential oils
- Mini diffusers
- Heating pads
- Crafts for young adults and children
- Paper towels and toilet paper
- Facial Cleansing Wipes and body wash
- Items for teens or young adults
- Legos
We ask that all items be new and recently purchased. Thank you!
