Cristian Rivera Foundation September 2019 Newsletter

Cristian Rivera Foundation 2019
September Newsletter

As summer has drawn to a close, we look back at the fun-filled events we held to continue fueling funds towards our life-saving mission.

This past June we held our 2nd Annual Cristian Rivera Foundation Full Steam Ahead 5K in Van Cortlandt Park in The Bronx where our supporters came out and participated for our cause.  The walk was amazing and introduced our cause to new supporters. 

We also spent a beautiful summer day on the water during our 4th Annual Cristian Rivera Foundation Freestyle Flashback Boat Ride which featured a live performance by Reggae Legend, Red Fox, and was hosted by CRF supporter Che and our very own committee member Carlos Yepez.

Finally, during New York Fashion Week, on September 5th,  Taiwanese designer, Sami Chen of HappyFish Fashion, dedicated her show in honor of the Cristian Rivera Foundation. Also, our founder John Gungie Rivera’s very own daughter, Sophia, had the chance to grace NYC’s runway!

Each September we remember National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month to create a deeper understanding of how cancer affects hundreds of thousands of children every year. DIPG affects 200-300 children per year which is considered “too rare” to receive government funding. The Cristian Rivera Foundation works relentlessly to fill that funding gap for promising research to support families who deserve hope and concrete options to move forward after diagnosis.

On Wednesday, November 13th, our 11th Annual Celebrity Fundraising Gala will be held in efforts to close this funding gap and boost research to the STARS – our theme for this year. It will be a delightful evening filled with prizes, auctions, live painting, performances, and dancing. It’s because of our rock star supporters and committee members that we can celebrate all of the progress we’ve made towards finding a cure. The event will be a black-tie affair held from 6pm – 11pm at Capitale on 130 Bowery, NYC and there’s still time to reserve your seat. https://cristianriverafoundation.org/gala-table-tickets.html

All proceeds from the gala will go directly towards the research of Dr. Souweidane and Dr. Oren Becher, two of the most highly esteemed pediatric oncologists in the nation. Other than attending the gala, here are the best ways you can make a difference:

Become a Sponsor –
There are many different levels of sponsorship in order to match your giving capability. We’re incredibly proud to partner with amazing companies like Goya Foods, B&A Food Brokers, Patrick B Jenkins and Associates, Bronx Dems, PNC Bank, Dr Jacquie Smiles, Supermarket Italy, Joule Ent, Perfect Smile Dental and more. Check out this link to view our sponsorship options.
https://www.cristianriverafoundation.org/sponsorship.html

Purchase an Ad for the Gala’s Program –
Are you unable to attend this year’s gala but you or your family would like to give a personalized message of hope? Would you like to promote your personal business AND raise money that’s supports our mission at the same time? You can either purchase a half or full page ad that will be displayed in the programs printed for our gala at
https://cristianriverafoundation.org/programads.html

Purchase a Table or Tickets to our 11th Annual Celebrity Fundraising Gala –
Even if you can’t attend this year’s gala, consider purchasing a table or a ticket and we will donate the seats to a DIPG family so they can join in on the fun!
Please click the link below to purchase tickets:
https://cristianriverafoundation.org/gala-table-tickets.html

Make a Donation –
Every dollar counts when it comes to saving lives! Even donations in small amounts are tax-deductible and can create ripple effects in our groundbreaking research. Visit https://cristianriverafoundation.org/donation.html and click on the red Donation tab where you can send money via PayPal or make a check payable to the Cristian Rivera Foundation.

Lastly, we commend our all-star board member, Andy Epstein, as he takes on his new position as Chairman of the Board for our foundation. His years of loyal perseverance in raising awareness as well as significant funds for our cause have catapulted him to a very special place on our board. Here is what Andy had to say about his new role: “I’m honored and humbled to have been named the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Cristian Rivera Foundation. I look forward to this new responsibility and to continue my efforts alongside John Rivera, our founder, to find a cure for Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, a deadly cancerous pediatric brain tumor that typically affects children between the ages of 1 & 9. Our foundation continues to raise awareness, support families in need and fund clinical trials. The surgeons and their medical teams that we support have made amazing strides in recent years and we now have three children in remission as a result of their efforts – a feat that was once considered impossible in our lifetime! Together alongside our Board of Directors, committee members, and our generous donors I am hopeful that we will one day find a cure”.

In addition, our dedicated committee member, Carlos Yepez, now sits on the Board of Directors. We honor Carlos for taking up this new responsibility and are excited for the progress we will make with his dynamic presence in this significant role. This is what Carlos had to say about the opportunity: “I am honored to be considered and appointed to the Cristian Rivera Foundations Board of Directors. In my 5 years of being with the organization, I have witnessed firsthand the progress and positive impact this organization has had on children and families affected by DIPG. The determination and passion delivered by the founder John Gungie Rivera and our Chairman of the Board Andy Epstein is contagious. I can honestly say this is one of the organizations that you can measure success and see the progress that the monies raised deliver. My commitment to this organization and those affected by DIPG remains stronger than ever. In this new role I look forward to making a positive impact and deliver on our goal of finding a cure. We have no excuses, no retreat, and no surrender. Let’s make it happen and win big”.

Please forward all of our happenings and giving opportunities to your families, friends, and colleagues and we look forward to seeing you at our gala in November! Full steam ahead!

Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), an inoperable
and incurable brain stem tumor.