Cristian Rivera Foundation 2018
June/July Newsletter
Summer is here, and it is hot hot hot! The Cristian Rivera Foundation team has been working extremely hard over these past 2 months to raise awareness for DIPG. As July comes to a close, here’s what the Cristian Rivera Foundation has been up to:
Saturday, June 9th 2018: The 1st Annual Cristian Rivera Foundation “Full Steam Ahead” 5K Walk/Run took place in Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx and it was a success. Over 100 registered walkers showed up and as a result, we gave Dr. Mark Souweidene and Dr. Jeffrey Greenfield a check to help further their research in neuro-oncology.
You can check out the pictures on our website at: http://cristianriverafoundation.org/crf5kwalkrun/ .
Saturday, July 21st 2018: The 3rd Annual Cristian Rivera Freestyle Flashback Boat Ride took place at Pier 83 and it was a blast. Even though it was raining, we danced the night away and almost reached full capacity. All of the performers were amazing. You can look at the pictures on our website at: http://cristianriverafoundation.org/3rdCRFBoatRide/index.html
In addition, our first DIPG survivor, Lisha Ayala, has no sign of tumor growth as per the results of her quarterly MRI results. Because of your generosity, Lisha has been able to grow into a young adult and show the world we can beat DIPG. Your continuous support and dedication are paying off as we begin to find a cure for DIPG.
Next month, CRF Founder John “Gungie” Rivera will host his Birthday Bash Boat Ride on Saturday, August 25th. The event starts at 7pm and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Cristian Rivera Foundation. Join us, hosts Alizay and Speedy, DJ Ted Smooth, DJ Big Paul, DJ Anthony Mangini, DJ Glenn Friscia, and DJ Johnny Famolari for an amazing night. Special performances and more DJs will be announced. Tickets are $25 until August 9th, $30 until August 16th, $35 until August 23rd and $40 until the event. Buy your tickets soon.
We are proud to announce that next month, The Children’s Book, “Cristian’s Journey”, a story inspired by Cristian Rivera will be released. The book will honor Cristian’s legacy and will educate the public about DIPG and our commitment to curing the disease. As always, 100% of the proceeds of the book will be donated to Weill-Cornell Medical Center and their clinical trials.
Mark your calendars for The 10th Annual Cristian Rivera Foundation Celebrity Gala. The event takes place on Wednesday, November 14th. Join us as we come together to celebrate a decade of work in the DIPG community and honor some very special people. This event promises to be our biggest gala yet. You can now purchase tickets on our website here: http://cristianriverafoundation.org/events.html .
We are thrilled to announce 2 new Committee Friends.
We are very proud to announce our new Committee Friend Janie Chamberlain. Janie was born in Queens, New York, raised in Somerset County, New Jersey and graduated in 1999 from Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Arts in Art History & Italian Language. Having left a career in financial markets sales at Bloomberg LP to raise her family, she has continuously sought impactful ways to apply her professional strengths. Over the course of the last 16 years as a stay at home parent of three beautiful children, Janie has sought fulfilling ways to collaborate on directives that meaningfully serve, grow and enrich her Westchester County, New York community. As a recently elected Trustee of the Briarcliff Manor Union Free School District in Briarcliff Manor, New York she is honored to have the opportunity to demonstrate how connected, present, passionate and committed she is in advocacy of the youth of her community.
Janie Chamberlain says, “As a tireless advocate for children in my own community, I am honored beyond measure to be a piece of the puzzle that makes the Cristian Rivera Foundation a force to be reckoned with against Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG). The passion that John Gungie Rivera exhibits in honor of his beloved son Cristian is undeniable and infectious. Together the Cristian Rivera Foundation can, and will, accomplish amazing feats. Cristian’s spirit carries on in those of who will continue to challenge each other to meet bigger and better goals every day.”
Our 2nd new Committee Friend Flora Montes is a proud Latina from the South Bronx whose entrepreneurial, philanthropic, and artistic endeavors make her a force to be reckoned with. She is the Founder of Bronx Fashion Week and culinary school graduate. She is also a published poet who has performed and produced shows for the famed Nuyorican Poet’s Café and other NYC venues. Flora serves on the Bronx Museum of The Arts’ Community Advisory Board and the Board of Directors for the American Cancer Society. She uses her artistic abilities to inspire and support vulnerable communities such as homeless children and victims of domestic violence. Her generosity and vibrant spirit have garnered her many awards and commendations. Some of her accolades include being named One of the 25 most influential woman in NYC by the Bronx Times; being hailed as a South Bronx ambassador of culture by the NY Times and a Gamechanger Entrepreneur by Lord & Taylors Wacoal America; as well as recognition from local and city government officials like Councilman Andy King and Mayor Bill de Blasio for her efforts in leading Bronx Fashion Week.
Flora Montes says, “I had the pleasure of meeting John Rivera through a job search on a telephone call which turned into a 2-hour conversation about our lives and the loss of a child since I too had experienced that loss & while it was through different means the pain of losing a child is one and the same. I can honestly say an instant genuine friendship formed, I saw first hand his passion to honor his son’s memory and the determination to find a cure for DIPG and I knew in my heart that I had to help not only because everything happens for a reason but because I believe that our meeting was meant to be for a greater purpose. I also saw first hand when I volunteered at the gala in 2017 the hard work that goes behind the Cristian Rivera Foundation and the love and compassion that goes behind assisting these parents dealing with this deadly disease and in some way, my daughter would be smiling from heaven in complete agreement as it is my mission to honor her also through my actions.”
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