From the desk of Barry Kirschner, Executive Director
A letter from the Executive Director
This year I’m especially proud to share the news that The Valerie Fund has expanded its impact and footprint by partnering with Stony Brook Children’s Hospital to establish our 8th Valerie Fund Children’s Center. This new children’s center in Suffolk County, Long Island will ensure full time psychosocial support for thousands of Long Island families with children fighting cancer and blood disorders. This initial five-year $3 million commitment to fund five psychosocial programs at Stony Brook will surely support these kids well beyond this initial term. It brings The Valerie Fund model to eastern LI so their kids can survive and thrive and have the full complement of psychosocial care they deserve.
This year also saw our Valerie Fund kids get their chance to go back to a live, in person Camp Happy Times for the first time since 2019. And we even brought kids from Stony Brook too! Our scholarship program expanded for the 12th straight year as we awarded 124 scholarships totaling almost $500,000 to our college bound students. And our emergency funds supported dozens of families that needed some extra support as they struggle to move forward while caring for a child with cancer, sickle cell or thalassemia.
2022 has been magical for our kids with our center and program expansions. I am thrilled to say that all this now happens “for 6,000” of the bravest kids we will ever know because of YOUR support and belief in making a difference. Help us do even more for our children and families from LI to NYC and throughout New Jersey by supporting our mission before 2022 turns the corner. You know we are and will always be, “All about the kids.
