Here Comes the Sun – July 2023 Newsletter is Here!
"Work hard, be kind and amazing things will happen." – Conan O’Brien
Today, Monday July 31st is the Last Day to Purchase Early Bird Discounted Seats
14th Annual Cristian Rivera Foundation Celebrity Gala
Don’t forget to save the date for the 14th Annual CRF Celebrity Gala on Wednesday, November 15th, 2023 at Capitale, NYC! Today, Mon July 31st, is the last day to get your Early Bird Discounted Seats! Act fast and secure your seat now! We are currently at 65% capacity. The Gala will be an evening of Faith. We at CRF have faith that a cure for D.I.P.G. is within our grasp and you can help us achieve that goal! You can play a part in this groundbreaking cure. Act fast and secure your seat today at
cristianriverafoundation.org/14thannualcrfgala/
Thank you to everyone who came to the 7th Annual CRF Flashback Boat Ride on Saturday, July 15th! Your support means our CRF Warriors continue to have a chance at survival through the funding of research programs. So many people came to support CRF that we got upgraded to the biggest boat, the Triple Decker, and we still were SOLD OUT for the 5th year in a row! If you didn’t make the boat ride, you can still donate and support CRF. Head to cristianriverafoundation.org to donate and help our Warriors!
Callie Weatherford
Callie is a 6 year old sassy, spunky girl who loves anything girly. Callie was born on April 18th, 2017 and was diagnosed with D.I.P.G. on January 14th, 2023. Callie has been doing very well with her treatment and has been trying hard to overcome any obstacles in her way.
Nicole Puglisi
Nicole Puglisi is an ambitious adult Warrior, whose D.I.P.G. diagnosis in January 2016 at the age of 22 came as a shock. She loves being active and being outside Nicole strives to live each day to the fullest and help others by sharing her experience with D.I.P.G..
Vivian Sleeth
Vivian "Viv" Sleeth is a spirited and fiery 8 year old girl who was diagnosed with D.I.P.G. on June 9, 2022 at only 7 years old. Viv loves animals, friends, and adventures, and is very strong and courageous. Viv is a fighter and we wish her all the best on her journey.
Angels are members of our community who have lose the hard battle against D.I.P.G. but inspire us to strive for our foundation’s goals. By sharing their personal experiences with D.I.P.G. to the rest of the world, we’re able to amplify the urgency to find a cure. We work in honor of our angels, so that no other child or family will lose a life to D.I.P.G. again.
This month we remember the birthdays of our Angels! Happy Birthday to our Angels. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families and loved ones. These angels will never be forgotten.
We want to thank every one of our dedicated supporters and board members for being here and supporting our cause. Just by reading this, you are keeping the memory of Cristian and other D.I.P.G. Angels alive, and supporting D.I.P.G. Warriors who are still fighting their battles today. Your continued generosity is the ray of hope that warms our path toward finding a cure. We will continue to work tirelessly through the summer months and beyond until a cure for D.I.P.G. is found. Full Steam Ahead!
Sincerely, Cristian Rivera Foundation
Founder:
John "Gungie" Rivera
Chairman of the Board:
Melinda Colon Cox
Board of Director:
Darlene Rodriguez
Executive Board Member:
Rena Kliot
Committee Members:
Aldo Marin, Carlos Colon, Edgar Berlanga, Fernando Ferrer, Gio Urshela, Jarrad Seuferling, Kenan Thompson, Luis Guzman,
Meiling Macias Toro,
Paul Pristavec, Rafael Toro, Steve Cox
and Vanessa Rodriguez
Committee Friends:
Alex Garcia, Maggie Meehan,
Mark Rosner, and Michael V. Narvaez
Honorary Committee Members:
The Late Anthony Mason
and The Late Miriam Colon
