No media mentions this week.

 

Salin Low donated Happy Dollars in recognition of our successful Seniors Luncheon, at which 135 seniors were fed.

 

Phil Ferrari donated Happy Dollars in recognition of the July 17th New York Yankees win over the Boston Red Sox. Final score was 3 -1.

 

Ted Cowles donated Happy Dollars in recognition of his 84th birthday and 28 years as a Rotarian.

 

 

Teresa Eickel, Director of Development and Special Events for the Connecticut Sports Foundation Against Cancer (CSFAC) was our speaker Friday morning, and what a dynamic and engaging person she proved to be! We learned that CSFAC was founded to provide essential financial aid to cancer patients for life needs that in the vast majority of cases are unaddressed by other available sources of support. In particular financial assistance for housing, including for rent, mortgage obligations and utilities, allow cancer patients and/or the caregivers for cancer patients to focus on their health, rather than the financial woes that often accompany a diagnosis of cancer.

 

CSFAC was founded in 1987 by former major league baseball catcher John Ellis and his wife Jane, who had lost a relative to cancer, and was well aware of the financial strain imposed on families by that group of diseases. Later Ellis, who had played for the New York Yankees, the Cleveland  Indians and the Texas Rangers was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma himself in his forties. While consulting with a young oncologist, Dr. Joachim Yahalom, at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) in NYC, he was reassured of a cure for his disease. Ellis vowed, according to Eickel,  "if he could get through this, he would use his background in professional sports and his celebrity to do all he could to help as many people with cancer as he could."

 

True to his word, Ellis enlisted celebrity sports figures including Billy Martin, Whitely Ford and Mickey Mantle to attend an early fundraiser,  at which they spoke to attendees. Mantle in his comments said, "This (program) should go on forever."

 

In the intervening years, the support capabilities and fundraising success of CSFAC continued to grow. To date 4.5 million dollars have been raised and expended in support of Connecticut cancer patients and 1.8 million dollars have been donated to MSK for cancer research. And now, that once young oncologist, Dr. Yahalom, is head of radiation oncology at MSK.

 

Ms. Eickel informed Rotarians that 1 of 2 men and 1 of 3 women will experience any form of cancer in their lifetime, and that on a personal note she herself had been treated for breast cancer, which she since overcame. An opera singer by training and interest, she knew of another opera singer she had worked with who also had that diagnosis, and of course many other people. In each case, while many health care provider networks partner with supporting organizations, CSFAC is unique in providing for family financial needs not covered by insurance or other forms of support. The application process is thorough but rapid, with recipients receiving aid generally within two weeks of application.

 

She further reported on their upcoming fundraising event, "Cycle-Against-Cancer" which has been held in Old Saybrook for 5 years. With an eye towards spreading the event statewide, an additional pilot event will be held October 22nd in West Hartford. Further, each year an "Ambassador" for the event is chosen, usually from among the pediatric cancer patients whose families have received assistance. This year, a 5-year-old girl named Brynn who sufferes from leukemia will serve in the role. CSFAC has been able to pay their family's insurance premium for 6 months, ensuring coverage during the most expensive period of the youngster's treatment.

 

In response to Rotarian's questions we also learned:

 

a. CSFAC serves many people in the Farmington Valley, including some especially needy cases.

 

b. 86% of CSFAC funding is expended on programs with just 14% expended on administration (Source: Charity Navigator)

 

c. CSFAC has raised 1.2 million dollars and have built an endowment of 6 million dollars

 

d. They have distributed $500,000.00 to patients and families in 2015 and $100,000.00 / year towards research.

 

e. Jane Ellis, John Ellis' wife, served as CSFAC first executive director, and took no salary for 22 years

 

f. Last year CSFAC bought and sold a painting by Mark Chagall, clearing $60,000.00 to put towards their programs.

 

g. In the near future CSFAC hopes to buy or build a headquarters building from which to run their programs and to showcase sports memorabilia and artwork in a gallery, the sales from which will support programs. A conference room to be included will seat 80.