IMPORTANT NOTICE: We aplologize to all our readers but the AFAC EVENTS CALENDAR postings, flyers and alerts have been officially discontinued as of 6/27/2018. If you need to access the calendar of events of any foundation or organization, visit their respective websites directly. You may find them listed in our RESOURCES or do a simple google search for any specific group.
| Spring 2019- Airtime at WBAB Mar 7, 2019- WBAB/WBLI Presents Plugged into Long Island- welcoming Dr. Andrew Rochman and awareness teammate, Jennifer Hunt of LI2DAY and Fight Cancer Like a Girl. Get to know the heart and soul behind two of Long Island's supporters of the care-giving community as they share their vision for patient advocacy, foundation support and all local fundraising efforts. Dr. Rochman shares his personal journey as a Prostate Cancer survivor and converted his survivorship by joining the awareness mission to support all sufferers and patients. His Pain Healers Alliance joined in a recent partnership with Awareness for a Cure (co-established by Dr. Jesse Stoff and the NY Cancer Resource Alliance) |
RUNNING WITH THE BALLS Fundraiser
by Sean Kimerling Testicular Cancer Foundation
An AFAC Event Spotlight
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Interview with org Vice President Rob Seaver
6/10/2018, Roosevelt Island, NY- We've had a fantastic run to raise awareness about testicular cancer this year. It's the most common cancer in young men. That's mostly men 15 to 35, but it could affect anyone. About 8,000 men a year die from testicular cancer, but it's one of the most curable cancers, about 99% curable when it's caught early. We're focused on making sure men are aware of the disease, what the warning signs are, what to look for, and so that they're not embarrassed to go talk to their doctor if they see something that they get concerned about. We want people to feel comfortable with their bodies and make sure that there's no stigma attached and go talk to their doctor early because that's when it's easy to cure.
This year, we had Tyler Austin from the Yankees. He's a testicular cancer survivor that's gone on to be first baseman for the Yankees. You can live a full happy life as a testicular cancer survivor, but if you notice a problem, go to your doctor. Don't be embarrassed. Get it checked out. In all our events, we have pamphlets covering all the information you need about what to look for as far as signs of testicular cancer, the different symptoms and how to do a self-examination. We had an oncologist at the race doing testicular cancer screenings on site to help make sure that all the men here are healthy and cancer free. This is our 16th year, but this is our sixth run. We launched last year a sister run in D.C., -- Running the Balls in Washington, D.C. coming up in September, and we're looking to spread it to other cities as well. (Check out photos from this event)
To learn more about the Sean Kimerling Testicular Cancer Foundation visit: www.seankimerling.org
John Feal and the FealGood Foundation:
ENSURING CANCER CARE FOR 9/11 FIRST RESPONDERS
An AFAC Spotlight
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Nesconset, NY (April 20, 2018) - Meet Long Island's own John Feal- an injured Ground Zero contractor turned national super-advocate and champion for the prevalence of the 9/11 VICTIMS COMPENSATION FUND, THE WORLD TRADE CENTER HEALTH PROGRAM and the JAMES ZADROGA ACT. He founded the FEALGOOD FOUNDATION, the largest 9/11 support organization in the country-borne from frustration to the inaction and lack of governmental support. He built a life-long career out of helping the many health victims from the 2001 disaster receive the financial compensation they deserve and gain a complete understanding of their rights for all 9/11 related injuries. His non-profit org is recorded as one of the largest fundraisers for this mission- amassing over $8.5M of active funding for the compensation bill plus another $5M raised to add to the WTC fund for first responders (since the inception of FGF in 2005) from online donations and public fundraising. John Feal became a major voice for all first responders working tirelessly between local and national fronts to gain legislative stakes for the rights of all those exposed to the many health hazards of ground zero.
By 2010, a new form of devastation appeared out of the shadows: a significant number of advanced and aggressive cancer cases suddenly grew within the many surviving rescuers and ground zero exposed. These victims were formerly cleared of any illnesses at first testing are now showing surprising numbers of cases of over 68 cancer types in the blood, brain, lung, liver, thyroid and skin. The 2010 bill was passed at a time when there were NO cancer cases, hence funds and congressional support was not prepared for any of this. The tsunami wave of new cancers that mutated after 8-10 years of dormancy does not even (yet) account for the "asbestos cancer... because that takes 20 years on average to manifest in the body, and we're now going on year 17," says Feal. Hence, new lobbying efforts for advanced cancer care treatment are now in full swing and Mr. Feal faces an even larger hurdle to upgade his mission to meet the current needs. (Complete interview coming soon.)
To learn more about the FealGood Foundation or to Donate, visit: www.fealgoodfoundation.com
COMING SOON: The AFAC 9/11 Victims Cancer Support Network. If you are a survivor or a dedicated health provider for the WTC Health Program, drop us a line at awareness4acure(at)gmail.com so we can keep you updated on any updates of this program.
Ever hear of GOALCAST?
This Video Will Give You Hope Again-
JAKE BAILEY ON HOW TO FACE DARKNESS WITH DIGNITY AND GRATITUDE
Thanks to our friends at GOALCAST
JAKE BAILEY had just found out the most aggressive form of cancer known to science was ravaging through his body when he gave this inspiring, heart-breaking speech to his classmates.
''Then they told me I wouldn't be here tonight to deliver that speech"': Mr Bailey is undergoing intensive chemotherapy treatments, and was allowed a surprise break from the hospital. "'Here's the thing, none of us get out of life alive, so be gallant, be great, be gracious and be grateful for the opportunities you have."
'We don't know where we might end up, or when we might end up.' Quoting Jim Rohn, he went on to say: 'Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else's hands, but not you.'
Special thanks to GOALCAST for sharing this inspiring Video.
Additional thanks to the Daily Mail UK for additional info on this speech.
AWARENESS FOR A CURE & LLS CELEBRATES
THE RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE OF LONG ISLAND
LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA SOCIETY 2017 LIGHT THE NIGHT LEADERSHIP CELEBRATION
New Hyde Park, NY (Dec 15, 2017)- LLS' assembled their Light The Night Leadership Year-End Celebration at the Ronald McDonald House of LI. Executive fundraisers received an exclusive tour of the house, met some of the families staying there while their loved ones get treated at Cohen’s while reconnecting from a successful year. "...it’s a very humbling experience and a true reminder of why we are working so hard towards cures!" says Jaclyn Gilbride, LLS Director. The tour of this magnificent "house of love" was conducted by RMH president Matthew Campo- who presented some remarkable upgrades to the facility this year. From private bedrooms, TV and play rooms for children and even a professional fitness center, RMH has been dedicated to providing families of children undergoing medical treatment with a place to rest and relax right at the hospital. In an effort to help alleviate the anxiety of being in a hospital environment, the Family Room offers many of the comforts of home while being just steps away from their child’s bedside."
Since opening, RMH-LI has served over 25,000 families from Long Island, throughout the United States and abroad. A majority of these families are from the New York Metropolitan area as well as Nassau and Suffolk Counties. The number of families staying at the House each year varies depending upon the length of stay and type of treatment.
In the fall of 2001, the Board of Directors of the Ronald McDonald House of Long Island launched a $5 million capital campaign to support an expansion project that has more than doubled the size of the existing facility.
The result — a 44,000 square foot facility which includes 42 bedrooms, each with a private bath, children’s play areas both inside and outdoors, a library, eight kitchen stations, two Kosher kitchens, a fully stocked food pantry, five laundry rooms and a Great Room where families can lean on each other for support or watch television. For more privacy, there is a small TV room on the 2nd floor and an additional main floor lounge that is perfect for quiet activities. "This is just one of the most remarkable ways that people can provide for our community -- walking through each room uniquely designed with absolute love and care truly makes any patient and family feel welcomed and cared for", says Dr. Jesse Stoff, executive fundraiser for LLS.
For more information on the Ronald McDonald House, visit their website: www.RMHLONGISLAND.org
60,000 RAISE $2.5M
FOR A WORLD WITHOUT BREAST CANCER
Hauppauge, New York (Oct. 18, 2017) – More than 60,000 Nassau, Queens and Suffolk County residents came together on Sunday, October 15 at Jones Beach for the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk and raised two and half million dollars for a world without breast cancer.
“The Sunday event was a moving example of passion in action,” said Katie Goepfrich. “Our Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk ensures no one faces breast cancer alone by bringing the community together, funding innovative breast cancer research, promoting education and risk reduction, and providing comprehensive patient support to those who need it most.” (photo courtesty of AFAC staff)
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FEATURE: The Susan Satriano Memorial Scholarship Foundation
To be eligible for The Susan Satriano Memorial Scholarship Award, students must be a graduating high school senior preparing to go to an accredited college in the fall. They also, unfortunately, must have a parent who is presently battling cancer or has recently passed away of it. |
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Long Island Beauty Ball for Cancer Care
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The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Holds Annual Light The Night Walk for Cancer Cures -Thousands Bring Light to the Darkness of Cancer- Illuminated lanterns lit up the sky on October 21, 2017 as The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Long Island Chapter held its Annual Light The Night® walk at Eisenhower Park to bring light to the darkness of cancer through research and cures. Participants are still fundraising and working hard toward the $1.5 million goal in support of LLS’s mission— to find cures for blood cancers and ensure that patients have access to lifesaving treatments. Light The Night is a series of fundraising campaigns benefiting LLS and their funding of research to find blood cancer cures. Coming together for a common goal, friends, family and co-workers form fundraising walk teams and gather together to celebrate, honor or remember those touched by cancer. Millions of consumers also help by donating at retail outlets. Culminating in inspiration and memorable evening walks every fall, participants in 150 communities across North America join together carrying illuminated lanterns to take steps to end cancer – white for survivors, red for supporters and gold in memory of loved ones lost to cancer. (SEE COMPLETE PRESS RELEASE)
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October 22, 2017- AFAC welcomes Dr. Robert Bard of the Bard Cancer Center in NYC - a recently inducted sponsor of Awarenessforacure.org. He is a globally renowned expert in the digital cancer diagnostics industry carrying a major list of credentials to his name. He is a recognized champion in 3D surveillance and precise tumor analysis, taking on some of the toughest cancers like breast, prostate, melanoma and thyroid while staying on top of the most current technologies and treatment solutions as well as early detection and prevention.
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LI2DAY BREAST CANCER WALK AWARDED $315,000 TO LONG ISLAND BENEFICIARIES AND ACKNOWLEDGED WALKERS AND SPONSORS DURING THE ANNUAL APPRECIATION LUNCHEON
This year's race had over 300 walkers who took part in the 13.1-mile, walk but long before the walkers hit the pavement in June, they had a $500 minimum fundraising commitment to reach. Among those being honored were walkers who exceeded the fundraising commitment with a significant amount of funds. Leading the pack again this year was Pat Miller with $15,021.76, Keely Harris with $12,402.00, Mark Harris with $10,477.00, Susan Shulman with $5,398.00, Markee Harris with $4,991.00, Christine Romano with $4,880, Jennifer Hunt with $4,750, Christine Wicks with $3,780, Kirsten Hunt with $3,585, Stacy Quarty with $3,480, Lisa Longboat with $3,126, Margaret Lightfoot with $3,060, Laura Glass with $3,050, and Cecilia Vaicels with $3,006.50. (SEE COMPLETE PRESS RELEASE).
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AFAC celebrates LI2DAY'S 15TH YEAR OF FUNDRAISING & PARTNERS WITH 2017 "SURVIVOR SERIES" PROJECT (SEE LUNCHEON EVENT PHOTOS) LAUREL MUCKEY- AFAC, PAM STOCKLEY- UPS Event Coordinator, KAREN KUTILEK-UPS Event Coordinator, MICHAEL SALERNO- President, GINNY SALERNO- Founder & Executive Director, MIKE POLANSKY -Secretary & General Counsel (Front row) LISA ANTONELLI-KURI-Walk Operations, GAIL MANCUSO- VP/GM Mid-Island Air Service, Inc., STEPHANIE SCIARA- VP and Advisory Bd Member, KRISTIE MOORE-CC&BW, ANDREW LEVINE- Raphaelson & Levine Law Firm |
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AFAC editors sought out and assembled a significant list of cancer-related heroes and fundraisers to kick-start the AFAC charities list- alongside a directory of grants available to applicants in the Northeast U.S. Some of the recent connections and upcoming feature stories coming up in the AFAC newsletter includes featuring Joyce O’Brien (www.joyceobrien.com), author of “CHOOSE TO LIVE”- the inspirational journeys of a young couple who both endured and overcame late stages of cancer. Joyce had stage four breast cancer and Kevin had a paralyzing stroke and was diagnosed with stage three malignant Melanoma- and together, they overcame their “death sentences with a commitment to live” through a quest for alternative & biological medicines, strengthening the immune system, subscribing to a complete lifestyle upgrade and a total mind-body & spirit healing program. “Don’t take a prognosis as fact as the be-all-end-all… it doesn’t have to be- you just have to search for other solutions… the power of “you have six months to live” can really set in your mind”, says Kevin.
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In a recent on-air interview at WBAB/WBLI Station with AFAC’s first partner organization- Leukemia-Lymphoma Society’s own Jamie Lamarca (Patient Access Manager), Dr. Stoff announced his new centralized awareness platform and a resource directory for disease patients. “I visit hospitals and oncology offices across Long Island to raise awareness about LLS and what we can do to help”, says Ms. LaMarca. “When a patient is first diagnosed, they are thrown into a world they certainly don’t want to be in. An easily accessible support system is really important for (any) patient- and as a social worker, it’s a passion of mine to bring support, education and offer financial assistance!” |
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Special thanks to HAROLD & DANIELLE COOLEY for designing our awesome new AFAC LOGO. The talents of Team Cooley have been widely seen in some of the most remarkable design work on Long Island- including the many marketing pieces on their own PHOUNTAIN STORE (franchise) in Huntington Village where they dedicate their commitment to wellness by conducting the most dynamic seminars on the "Proactive PHountain Lifestyle" through a complete alkaline diet, holistic philosophies and advanced health products. |
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OUR FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS
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The organization is gearing up for its second event on Long Island, on Sunday, October 22, 2017 at Suffolk Community College Eastern Campus, 121 Speonk Riverhead Rd, Riverhead. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. and walk start is at 8:30 a.m. More information and registration is available online at www.makingstrideswalk.org/easternlongisland.
Since 1993, more than 13 million Making Strides supporters have raised more than $810 million nationwide.
While significant progress in the fight against breast cancer has been made, more needs to be done. Excluding cancers of the skin, breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women and is the second-leading cause of cancer death in women. According to the American Cancer Society Cancer Facts & Figures 2017, an estimated 252,710 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 40,610 will die from the disease this year.
December, 2017 – New York, NY – The Susan Satriano Memorial Foundation has awarded over $900,000 in scholarship money to students from Long Island all the way to California. One thing all the foundation recipients have in common; they either have a parent currently battling cancer or who have already succumbed to it. Retired teacher Joe Satriano founded The Susan Satriano Memorial Scholarship Foundation in 2006 after he lost his wife to breast cancer. He saw first hand how his own children suffered as they watched their mother fight the disease for almost 13 years. Joe saw the need to help the ‘silent sufferers’ (as he refers to all children of cancer victims) and was determined to do something for those innocent children whose families have been strickened with cancer.
“You hear about the cancer patient and maybe the caregiver or spouse but you rarely hear about how their children are affected,” says Satriano. “Besides all the emotional issues, their grades generally suffer because they have to take on added responsibilities that their parent/s can no longer handle.”
Since its founding, The Susan Satriano Memorial Scholarship Foundation, which is headed in Oceanside, New York, has helped more than 1300 high school seniors go on to fulfill their dreams of going to college. 
MANHATTAN CANCER DOC JOINS THE
As a seasoned author of dozens of published books, countless articles and media appearances worldwide (both on the clinical and non-clinical levels), Dr. Bard is also highly passionate about public awareness. Moreover, he also "mans the battlefield" on the foundation level through his various philanthropic efforts including recently creating the New York City fundraising chapter for AFAC's partners (such as 
SPECIAL FACES IN THE
HAUPPAUGE, NEW YORK –October 13, 2017 
"Our journey included European biological medicine, which identifies the root causes of why we get sick. You’ll also
learn about the benefits of the primarily raw, green, enzyme-rich, low-sugar diet that we used to strengthen and heal our bodies. The journey explores the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of healing. Our voyage of trust
and faith led us to a clinic in the Swiss Alps. We also made a pilgrimage to a miraculous, mystical healing high atop a mountain in Italy. Along the way, we learned not to focus on the quick fixes offered by toxic prescriptions that eliminate symptoms while masking the illness and causing side effects. Instead, we focused on removing the root causes of the illnesses and on building our bodies back up. This little-known world relies on cuttingedge diagnostics and treatments that include high-temperature heat therapy, detoxing, and immune system stimulation. I’ll also identify some sneaky
physical culprits that weaken us and that are tied to degenerative diseases. My purpose in sharing our journey is not to drag you into the cavernous misery of those insane years. My purpose is to provide information that will help you create a springboard for new hope—hope that inspires action. Hope that will draw you toward creating a better world, one where you can experience less ill-health and feel good … even great! By making health our priority, we open ourselves to the possibility of having wonderful, vibrant lives. My purpose is to share our experience so that you, too, can benefit from the secrets we have learned."
Joyce’s philosophy of healing and empowerment through inspiration & guidance was a direct match for AFAC’s production of ths AFAC video series called “Survivor Stories.” This program spotlights volunteer survivors who (like the O’Briens) escaped the throes of a deadly disease. One of the many upcoming mini-biographies of Survivor Stories include Ms. Rachel Klein - a Long Island mom who shares a then-to-now perspective of what it was like to first get the diagnosis and with the help of cancer foundations like the Leukemia & Lymphoma society, she received the help she needed to stay alive and regain her quality of life for years to come.
In the ongoing battle against Cancer, the list of charities, foundations and grants also continues to grow. Coordinators of the Long Island AFAC efforts continue their mission to seek out, meet and learn about each remarkable organization and bring awareness about their work. “By listing grants, sharing fundraiser feature stories and establishing a publication that supports the cancer community with people-based information, we are joining the front lines of the fight by arming all sufferers with a true society that is truly on their side!”, states Laurel Muckey, AFAC co-editor.
