Braden Boozer BBQ Benefit

Blessings for Braden Boozer BBQ Benefit

Family Festival and Barbecue

• Dacula High School Practice Football Field

• Saturday, May 19^th 3:00-6:00 pm

• Bring blankets and chairs

$10.00 admission covers Heat Hog BBQ dinner and all children’s and family activities.

A Silent auction featuring:

One Direction Concert tickets

Fishing Trip

Beach Condominium Getaway

All event proceeds go to Braden Boozer’s Family

Braden Boozer, a local two-year-old, was recently diagnosed with a life-threatening form of cancer called neuroblastoma. Braden will have to undergo rounds of chemotherapy before being considered a candidate for surgery. The medical expenses are high, and his mother (Jessica Boozer, kindergarten teacher at Dacula Elementary) and father (Brandon Boozer, co-owner of Prime Maintainance lawn care company) desire to stay with Braden during this difficult time. With community support, they will be able to do this.

To Support or Volunteer for the event please visit:

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0844A8AE2BA57-boozer

vent Details

Posted by: kimberly thompson

Where	Dacula High School 123 Broad St, Dacula, GA 30019
Next on	May 19, 2012
Time	3:00 pm–6:00 pm
Who to bring	Families
Website	http://­blessi­ngsforbraden.­blogspot.­com/­
Phone	770 355-4129
Email	kgraces@­yahoo.­com
Price	$10
Tickets	Buy Tickets

Thousands step out against cancer in Petersburg

by K. Burnell Evans (Staff writer)

 

PETERSBURG - When 1-month-old Landon Moore was diagnosed with stage II neuroblastoma cancer, his mother's heart broke.

"No one want to hear that their child is sick, let alone that he has cancer," said Erin Moore. Landon's father was in Iraq with his National Guard unit when Moore got the news that her infant son's sympathetic nervous system was tumor-ridden.

"I don't know if it was harder on me or on my husband," Moore said. "He only got to spend seven days with Landon before he deployed and by the time he came home, Landon was hooked up to machines."

After a grueling treatment regimen including several blood transfusions and two rounds of chemotherapy, Landon made a full recovery. The Dinwiddie family was proud to stand front and center during the survivor's lap at the 29th annual Petersburg-area Relay for Life on Friday.

"This may sound cheesy, but he really is my hero," Moore said, beaming at Landon as he crunched into a Tootsie Roll lollipop - his treat for completing a lap around the track at Andrew White Stadium.

Thousands of volunteers descended on the grounds of Petersburg High School on Friday evening to go the extra mile for cancer research. Colorful beaded necklaces and trumpeting kazoos underscored the Mardi Gras theme of this year's event, which sponsors the American Cancer Society's fight for a cure,

The grassroots movement, which began in 1985 as a singular effort by Tacoma, Wash., doctor Gordy Klatt to raise extra funds for his local ACS office, has trickled into communities across the country and around the globe, according to the ACS website. Although all events are different, many, including Friday's Petersburg-area Relay, walk their march for a cure from sundown to sunup.

"We try to up our fundraising goal every year," said event Chairperson Pamela Parham, whose brother passed away from cancer two years ago. Her sister, Valerie Claiborne, is a 17-year survivor of the disease.

This year Parham's team set their sights on an $80,000 purse, which is $4,500 more than last year's haul. They have raised roughly $53,000 to date and have several months remaining before their August deadline.

Parham said that 70 teams from across the region had signed up to lap the track into the early morning hours. Hotdogs were grilling, kids were playing and tents were going up in the middle of the field as the event came into full swing following a ceremonial survivor's lap at 6 p.m.

This year's designated honorees included Sidney and Charlotte Bell, Carolyn Jones, Julia Murrell and 13-year-old Raekwon Foxx, who was diagnosed with stage IV large-cell lymphoma at 5 years old.

"He just came to me one morning and said, 'Mom, I'm in so much pain,'" said Raekwon's mother, Pamela. "It was the worst feeling ever."

Raekwon, who Pamela Foxx calls her "miracle child," has grown into a tall, athletic young man who enjoys tearing it up on the football field and basketball court. "I'm just happy to be here," he said.

Survivors Carolyn Jones and Julia Murrell, who both overcame breast cancer and are active in the cancer ministry at Mount Olivet Baptist Church in Petersburg, advised cancer patients to take their diagnosis in stride.

"The part that we like to do is to let people know that they are not alone, to be out and live your life moment by moment and day by day and enjoy every last drop of the time you have," Jones said.

Murrell credited her strength to the support of her friends, family and a higher power.

"Have faith and believe that you're going to get through it," she said.

The faith community made a strong showing on Friday, sponsoring Relay teams and providing the lion's share of a long list of entertainment geared towards inspiring participants to persevere through exhaustion. Step teams, line dancing, choirs and motivational speakers took to a mid-field stage every 10 minutes until an open mic session opened up at 12:45 a.m.

Entertainment Chair Adrianne Green said the main goal was to provide something for everyone.

"We want to keep the crowd engaged, with activities for the kids, adults, we want them to keep going, keep marching until there is a cure," she said.

Until that time, Erin Moore, whose 2-year-old son survived a cancer that the Neuroblastoma Children's Cancer Society says accounts for 8 percent of all cancer diagnoses and 15 percent of all cancer-related deaths, hopes to keep walking, giving back and fighting for those who might not get a happy ending.

"To anyone out there who has been diagnosed, just keep smiling, because you're an inspiration to everyone you meet," she said.

- K. Burnell Evans may be reached at 804-722-5155 or kevans@progress-index.com.

Two Virginia Youth Honored for Volunteerism at National Award Ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning Pays Tribute to Young Heroes from Sterling and Charlottesville as Part of Four-Day Recognition Events

Press Release: Prudential Financial – Mon, May 7, 2012 2:01 PM EDT

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Virginia’s top two youth volunteers of the year, Abby Miller, 14, of Sterling and Logan Ratzlaff, 10, of Charlottesville, were honored in the nation’s capital last night for their outstanding volunteer service during the presentation of The 2012 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. The two young people – along with 100 other top youth volunteers from across the country – received $1,000 awards as well as personal congratulations from New York Giants quarterback and Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning at the 17^th annual award ceremony and gala dinner reception, held at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.

Abby and Logan were named the top high school and middle level youth volunteers in Virginia in February. In addition to their cash awards, they received engraved silver medallions and an all-expense-paid trip with their parents to Washington, D.C., for this week’s recognition events.

Abby, a freshman at Potomac Falls High School, has helped raise a significant amount of money for pediatric cancer research with her guitar and voice, driven by her close relationship with a little girl who was diagnosed with neuroblastoma. “As soon as I met Taylor Love, I fell in love…literally!” said Abby. “We instantly had a bond and I promised her that we would fight cancer together and we would never give up.” Abby got the idea for her fundraising from a movie about a boy who played his guitar on city streets to earn money. She has a passion for music, so she began performing outside of stores, train stations, and other public places to collect donations for cancer research.

Since then, Abby has also played her music in malls, hospitals, convention centers, and in elementary and middle schools from Virginia to New York. In addition, she has posted several videos on YouTube, which have inspired a large number of donations to Taylor’s website and motivated young people in other countries to join her cause. The money that Abby has helped raise is being used to develop new treatments for neuroblastoma, a disease that does not afflict enough people to warrant much attention from major drug companies. “Making a difference while doing something I love, for someone I love, is the best feeling in the world,” said Abby.

Logan, a fifth-grader at Paul H. Cale Elementary School, spearheaded an effort to build a well that will give 300 people in an Ethiopian village access to clean water. When Logan was in third grade, his teacher showed a video about people in the world who do not have clean water to drink. Logan went home to speak with his mother. “I told her I had a big idea,” said Logan. “I decided I wanted to raise enough money to build a well for some community in the world. We take for granted all that we have in this country, while some people are dying because they don’t have enough resources.”

With his mother’s encouragement, Logan shared the idea with his classmates, many of whom were willing to help. The group decided to focus its efforts on raising money for Charity: Water, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to bring safe drinking water to developing nations. Logan set as his goal $5,000, the amount needed to build one well. After a presentation to get his principal’s permission, Logan and his team began fundraising by organizing a lemonade stand, writing letters and emails to friends, family and local businesses, hosting a bake sale and soliciting support from a local church. The effort continued in fourth grade with a school-wide quarter drive and other projects. One year after Logan’s idea was born, he and his supporters unveiled a check at an Earth Day assembly for $6,073. “When I think how some kids have to walk for hours to get water for their family – dirty water that makes them sick – I realize how lucky I am,” said Logan.

“Through their extraordinary acts of volunteerism, these students are powerful examples of the way one young person can make a big impact,” said John R. Strangfeld, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial, Inc. “We are proud to honor them for their achievements, and hope their stories inspire others to consider how they, too, can make a difference.”

More than 26,000 young people participated in the 2012 awards program last fall through schools, Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, American Red Cross chapters, YMCAs and affiliates of the HandsOn Network. The top middle level and high school applicants in each state were selected in February, and flown to Washington this week with their parents for four days of special recognition events.

Conducted in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards were created 17 years ago by Prudential Financial to encourage youth volunteerism and to identify and reward young role models. Since then, the program has honored more than 100,000 young volunteers at the local, state and national level.

“These young people have demonstrated remarkable leadership, selflessness and compassion, and they set a fine example for thousands of other students across the U.S. who want to make a difference,” said Ken Griffith, president of NASSP. “The actions of these young volunteers exemplify the best of what America’s youth have to offer.”

More information about The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards and this year’s honorees can be found at http://spirit.prudential.com or www.nassp.org/spirit.

NASSP (National Association of Secondary School Principals) is the leading organization of and national voice for middle level and high school principals, assistant principals, and all school leaders from across the United States and more than 45 countries around the world. The association provides research-based professional development and resources, networking, and advocacy to build the capacity of middle level and high school leaders to continually improve student performance. Reflecting its longstanding commitment to student leadership development as well, NASSP administers the National Honor Society™, National Junior Honor Society®, National Elementary Honor Society®, and National Association of Student Councils®. For more information about NASSP, located in Reston, VA, visit www.nassp.org.

Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU - News), a financial services leader, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Prudential’s diverse and talented employees are committed to helping individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth through a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds and investment management. In the U.S., Prudential’s iconic Rock symbol has stood for strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a century. For more information, please visit http://www.news.prudential.com/

[Editors: Full-color pictures of the Spirit of Community Awards program logo and medallions are available at http://spirit.prudential.com.]

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50265495&lang=en

MULTIMEDIA AVAILABLE:http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50265495&lang=en

Contact:

Prudential
Harold Banks
(w) 973-802-8974 or (c) 973-216-4833
harold.banks@prudential.com
or
NASSP
Robert Farrace, 703-860-7257

Vaccine hope as brave Grace enjoys remission

from The IrishEcho On Line

By Ray O'Hanlon
rohanlon@irishecho.com

April 1, 2009 There is new hope for children such as courageous Grace O'Gorman who have to battle cancer at a very young age.

A just developed vaccine that could prevent relapses promises far greater potential relief from the devastating effects of the cancer that Grace has been battling, Stage Four Neuroblastoma.

And Grace's parents have set up a new charity that will be working to aid other children facing the same challenges as the young County Cork girl, who has been in treatment since last year at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan.

"Grace is in remission again," her mother, Millicent Stone, who is a doctor, told the Echo.

"We are trying to ensure the vaccine is available for her and all the other kids so they survive. The whole point of our new charity to make those stories a thing of the past," she said.

The new charity is called Angels for Hope Neuroblastoma Research Foundation Inc. and to kick start its effort the group is hosting a benefit at The Carlyle Hotel this Thursday, April 2, to begin the process of raising funds for a vaccine against relapses of the cancer that has made two-year-old Grace's life so difficult.

Grace's medical problems first became evident last year when her parents, who are from Passage West in County Cork, were traveling to Toronto where her mom had secured a hospital post.

When they stopped in Rochester, NY, Millicent and Grace's father, Kevin, noticed that Grace was limping. Not wanting to take any chances Millicent flew back to New York with Grace while Kevin continued to Toronto as their other daughter, Alice, was starting school. It was at that point that the diagnosis of cancer changed the O'Gorman family's life.

Grace's subsequent battle against cancer was given a big boost when a fundraiser organized by the County Cork Association in New York raised $45,000 to help meet her enormous medical costs.

This and other fundraising efforts have raised over $80,000 to date. But the total cost of Grace's treatment could end up coming with an extra zero: $800,000.

All of the family's savings, plus money borrowed, has gone to Grace's treatment to date. Meanwhile, details on the Carlyle event are available at www.projectuploaded.com/Angels/html/.

The battle against childhood cancer has been stepped in recent years as new treatments come on stream but fundraising is a constant necessity. And it was with this in mind that Tim Kenny and others decided to create St. Baldrick's Day nine years ago in New York and attach it to a most familiar calendar date, March 17th, St. Patrick's Day.

This year, Kenny, who is chairman of the group's board, initiated the first St. Baldrick's head-shaving event in Jim Brady's Irish Pub in Manhattan's financial district.

"St. Baldrick's raises funds for childhood cancer research by hosting worldwide head-shaving events where volunteers shave their heads to stand in solidarity with the kids who typically lose their hair during cancer treatment," said a statement from the organization.

On the first St. Baldrick's Day, the goal was to raise $17,000 by shaving 17 heads on March 17th. Since then, St. Baldrick's has raised over $57 million, has shaved over 94,000 heads at over 2,200 events held in 48 states and 18 countries.

This year, Kenny was joined by volunteers and supporters when he rang the closing bell of the NASDAQ stock market.

This story appeared in the issue of April 1-7, 2009

Ch14.18 after transplant increases survival

COG announced the early study results of ANBL0032. They have determined that the immunotherapy (experimental) arm of the study – a combination of ch14.18 antibody, cytokines (IL2 and GMCSF) and Accutane more effectively reduces the risk that neuroblastoma will grow back than treatment with Accutane alone. Furthermore they have determined that the immunotherapy, as specifically delivered on COG ANBL0032, increases the chance of survival after completion of therapy including stem cell transplantation when compared to treatment with cisRA alone. According to the statement they now expect that this immunotherapy may eventually become a standard part of high-risk neuroblastoma treatment after stem cell transplant. More info at:
http://www.curesearch.org/uploadedFiles/Statement%20from%20COG%20regarding%20ANBL0032%20results%2003%2019%2009.pdf

Posted on 03-19-2009

Family Says Alternate Therapy Saving Boy With 11 Tumors

Fox News, Friday, February 06, 2009
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,489085,00.html

In 2006, 5-year-old Connah Broom developed an aggressive form of neuroblastoma. His body contained 11 tumors and, in 2007, doctors told his parents there was nothing more they could do.
But Connah’s family refused to give up hope, so they began giving him alternative treatments, consisting of an organic diet and a daily sauna, electromagnetic energy therapy and laser therapy.
Now 7-years-old, Connah’s family says 10 of the 11 tumors are shrinking according to the latest scans.
Neuroblastoma is cancer of the nervous system. When diagnosed, Connah had stage 4 cancer – the deadliest form. The tumors started in his neck and traveled throughout his body all the way down to his left leg.
Connah’s family, who lives in Gronant in North Wales, decided against using experimental drugs because they could damage his organs.
Although doctors are skeptical about the alternative therapies, Connah’s family said they will keep doing it until it stops working.
“If what we’re doing stops working, then we’ll look for another treatment,” said Debbie Groom, Connah’s grandmother. “We’ll never give up doing everything in the world to help our little boy.”

More on this from The Sun:
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2211094.ece

Comics For A Cure (Boston, MA)

To benefit the Children’s Neuroblastoma Cancer Foundation:

Comics For a Cure features Nick DiPaolo, Joe List, Gary Gulman, Kelly MacFarland, and Kevin Knox. Join us at the beautiful Cutler Majestic Theatre in Boston at 8pm on Friday, January 9th. Also featuring music spun by DJ Mario- Boston's best DJ! Go to www.ComicsForACure.org for more info and to purchase tickets. All proceeds benefit the Childrens Neuroblastoma Cancer Foundation.

If you can't make the show- you can donate or sponsor tickets for families and medical staff affected by pediatric cancer in this area- every dollar counts!

Thank you!

Tracy Harding

Founder, "Comics For A Cure"
www.ComicsForACure.org

Read more about Comics for a Cure on the Quincy, MA based periodic Patriot Ledger web site.