We Love You 10! February 2022 Newsletter

February is the month of love, and here at the Cristian Rivera Foundation, we want to use this months´ newsletter to express our love for the warriors, angels, and families that we work with. It is such an honor to be able to serve those affected by DIPG and we are so appreciative of the volunteers and donors that enable us to help these families. Thank you for allowing us to spread love during February and every other month. We believe that with love and compassion, we can accomplish great things at the Cristian Rivera Foundation.

This month the Cristian Rivera Foundation was hard at work fulfilling our mission to positively affect the lives of those with DIPG. Helping us achieve that mission is our new Chairman of the Board, Melinda Colon Cox, as well as our new board member, Samreen Malik. We know that both Melinda and Samreen are doing amazing work to help us get our DIPG warriors the care they deserve. We are so excited to be working with them. Between securing funding for clinical trials and planning upcoming events, we’ve got our hands full with work to do here at CRF. Here´s what´s next:

5th Annual 5K Walk/Run for DIPG:
Save the date! Our 5th annual 5K walk/run fundraiser will be happening Saturday, June 18th at Van Cortlandt Park. Every year we have so much fun bringing our community together with this event. Spend your Saturday with us, all ages are encouraged to participate. The goal of this event is to raise awareness for DIPG and to raise money for DIPG research so we can eventually find a cure! We hope to see you there!

6th Annual CRF Boat Ride:
Save the date! Our 6th annual boat ride for the Cristian Rivera Foundation will be happening Saturday, July 16th, 2022. This annual event is always such a blast and we look forward to seeing each of you there! The purpose of this event is to raise money for DIPG research so we can find a cure and end DIPG once and for all! Join us in completing this mission!

13th Annual CRF Celebrity Gala:
Save the date! Cristian was born Friday, September 13th, 2002, and this year, 2022, marks the 13th year of his passing. At the Cristian Rivera Foundation, we believe this has special meaning, and we know that our 13th gala will be a beautiful time to honor Cristian´s life and legacy. Our 13th annual celebrity gala will be taking place Wednesday, November 16th, 2022, at Capitale in New York City. The celebrity gala is our oldest annual event and the one we at CRF look forward to the most. During this event, we plan to recognize those who have supported the foundation and to raise money for DIPG research so we can find a cure. We hope to see you there!

This month we are so excited to announce our new Chairman of the Board, Melinda Colon Cox! She is so excited to be our new Chairman, and we’re so excited to have her!

Melinda Colon Cox is a commercial litigator who was first introduced to the Cristian Rivera Foundation by Carlos Yepez, who is on the board of directors. Carlos invited her to the 11th Cristian Rivera Foundation Celebrity Gala, and from that night, she fell in love with the foundation and what it stands for. After the event, Melinda became a board member and took on many important duties at the foundation.

Melinda prioritizes DIPG families and warriors. She wants to make sure they have the best advocates for their care. Her mission is to make things easier for families while searching for a cure. As a chairman, she hopes to work with the board to push forward those goals.

For Melinda, working with our DIPG warriors and celebrating their successes is the most rewarding part of her involvement with the Cristian Rivera Foundation. To her, this foundation is a reminder of how precious life is, and how important it is to live in the present and appreciate everything you have.

Thank you so much to Melinda for all you do. Our foundation is so excited to have her as our new Chairman of the Board!

This month we would like to welcome our newest board member, Samreen Malik. Samreen was introduced to the Cristian Rivera Foundation at our 2021 celebrity gala. After the gala, Samreen knew she wanted to get involved with the foundation and positively impact the lives of those with DIPG. Once she knew she wanted to get involved, Carlos Yepez, a valued member of our Board of Directors, recommended her, and we are so glad he did. We cannot wait to see all of the incredible work Samreen will do for the foundation!

The Cristian Rivera Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) Non-Profit Organization that works tirelessly to raise awareness and funds to one day put a STOP to this disease. The Cristian Rivera Foundation funds the work of Dr. Mark Souweidane of Weill Cornell Medical Center – Memorial Sloane (Kettering) Cancer Center and Dr. Oren Becher of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology at Mount Sinai Kravis Children´s Hospital. Both doctors are conducting promising research and trials that have shown encouraging results. We are close to a cure, but we need your help!

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.

Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, or DIPG, is a rare, inoperable, brain stem tumor that predominantly affects children between the ages of 2 and 10. Only 200-300 cases are discovered in the United States each year and because there is no cure, its young victims only have an average of 3-18 months to live, after diagnosis. There are no survivors, but the researchers we support are hard at work finding a cure.

As much as we cherish getting to know our DIPG warriors, we also understand that finding a cure is the only way for them to live full lives and reach their potential. During this month of love, our thoughts are with the DIPG researchers and clinicians who strive tirelessly to find a solution. It is critical to stay up to date on the most recent research on brain tumors and juvenile cancers in order to understand what experts know about DIPG. We´ve been keeping up with the latest science and sharing it through articles and tweets. You can stay up to date by following us on social media and checking out our articles – cristianriverafoundation.org/category/crf-news

Board Members February Birthdays Rafael Toro February 7th Alex Garcia February 10th Thank you both for all of your support and dedication!

To our fighters, researchers, board members, and donors who believe in and support our cause: Your love and support keep us going as we work hard every day to raise awareness, fundraise for research, and assist DIPG families. From the bottom of our hearts, we hope you all had a wonderful Valentine´s Day and continue to be safe in the midst of everything going on in the world. Full Steam Ahead!

Angels Are Members Of Our Community Who Have Fallen To DIPG But Continue To Inspire Us To Work Toward Our Foundation’s Objectives. We Can Increase The Urgency To Discover A Treatment By Having People Share Their Personal Experiences With DIPG With The Rest Of The World. We Fight To Ensure That No Other Kid Or Family Suffers The Same Fate As Our Angels.

Sincerely,
Cristian Rivera Foundation