The Cristian Rivera Foundation Newsletter for June 2020 is here!

Cristian Rivera Foundation 2020 June Newsletter

Happy June everyone! Our world has seen many tides and turns over the past few months, but we’ve made it through to the summer and are excited about what this new season has to offer. Whether it’s some long-needed time in the sun or finally being able to slowly gather with your loved ones, we hope that you’re making the best out of rising out of quarantine.

In addition to taking small steps back to normal, our country has been taking big steps towards racial justice and building reform against systemic racism. Here at CRF, our mission has always been to fight for those who are underrepresented in our world – in particular, children and families who experience a lack of help facing DIPG. Though this is our main mission, we firmly stand with all the remarkable changes that are being demanded to fight the systemic racism that runs rampant in our country. Even in health care, we have found that there is inequality with regard to race. We’ve found that children who are white and diagnosed with DIPG are overwhelmingly more likely to receive treatment than DIPG children of other ethnicities. This is an unfair and sad reality that is just one example of the impacts that structural inequalities have in our world. There is so much important work that needs to be done in every realm, including our own.

We hope you all are continuing to stay safe and healthy as the pandemic still exists during the broad reopening of many areas of our country. We wish you the best as you return to work or proceed with life in the “new” world we’ll all be living in.

Though some aspects are opening up, many of us are still staying at home to preserve our own health and the health of others. This doesn’t mean you can’t stay involved with our organization! Our 3rd Annual Cristian Rivera Foundation Full Steam Ahead Virtual 5K is next month on Sat. July 11th! If you have not already signed up or would like to donate to a participant’s fundraiser, you can find out more information and register here.

How will a Virtual 5K work you ask? We will be having a Facebook/Instagram Live Kick-off to the event starting at 9 am and will begin with announcements and virtual warm-up sessions. From there, we’ll be featuring pictures and videos from participants on our social media stories throughout the day. All participants will be receiving a t-shirt upon registration and we encourage you to take a walk or run at your local park, in your neighborhood, or even just around your house! Post on your personal social media a picture or video with your 5K t-shirt during your run and tag @cristianriverafoundation and we’ll repost you on our story! You can also email your submissions to info@cristianriverafoundation.org . After the event, we’ll be compiling a mass video of all our participants around the country to showcase our unity against DIPG. We’ll close off the virtual event with a cool-down session and announce those who have fundraised the most for DIPG kids. We’re very excited and hope you can virtually join us for this one-of-a-kind event!

To all our friends who have already registered, we highly encourage you to fundraise in the weeks leading up to the event. If you are registered for the 5K, you can check your fundraising progress here. Fundraising for DIPG research and treatment is necessary now more than ever given that many of us are restricted to our homes and cannot engage in traditional fundraising activities. The pandemic has also made it harder than ever for DIPG children to access treatment. Reach out to your friends and family for donations so that our foundation can continue to search for a cure for DIPG!

Everyone here at the Cristian Rivera Foundation would like to wish CRF Founder John Gungie Rivera and all the other fathers a Happy Father’s Day.

Although there is a lot going on in the world right now, we hope that each of you takes some time to focus on yourself. Whether that means staying active, relaxing with friends, or getting creative, we want you to just do something you love! Also know that you always have endless support from us here at the Cristian Rivera Foundation.

That’s it for the month of June! We hope you all have a great rest of the month. Until then, we love you 10! Full Steam Ahead!

The mission of the Cristian Rivera Foundation is to help find the cure for
Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), an inoperable
and incurable brain stem tumor.

Available Now
Cristian´s Journey
A Story Inspired by John “Gungie” Rivera, “Forever Cristian´s Daddy”

Sincerely
The Cristian Rivera Foundation