The Valerie Fund News

The Valerie Fund’s Annual Walk & 5K scheduled for June 8th

Fundraiser for kids battling cancer and blood disorder in Verona Park

(April 26, 2024   Maplewood, NJ ) Now in its 19th year, the 2024 Valerie Fund Walk & 5K presented by Ed and Sue Goldstein & JAG Physical Therapy will be held on June 8th in Essex County’s Verona Park. This community-wide event gathers people together to celebrate and honor The Valerie Fund patients battling pediatric cancer and blood disorders.

For 2024, we want to reflect on the goal of the Walk & 5K Run – Igniting Hope in the hearts of our Valerie Fund kids and the people who love them. Schumacher Chevrolet are the special Ignite Hope sponsor. In the park, we’ll have a special art project for our patients that will be directed by Newark Beth Israel Valerie Fund Children’s Center Art Therapist, Karen Wallace and Social Worker, Tara Aspen James.

Following the success of the 50/50 raffle last year, we are bringing it back again with the winner drawn at Verona Park. Tickets are offered at $25 each or a booklet of 5 for $100.  We are offering 1000 booklets making that a potential of up to $50,000 to win. Raffle tickets may be purchased through team captains, online at www.TheValerieFund.org/Walk or at their local JAG Physical Therapy clinic. The holder of the winning ticket does not need to be present on the day to win.

The Kids Color Run, sponsored by The Learning Express is back, as is the family games area sponsored by Jeep 46 Auto Group and Kearny Bank. Please contact Leah DelPiano at ldepiano@thevaleriefund.org if you are interested in any sponsorship opportunities.

Thank you to our sponsors for the ongoing support of our amazing Valerie Fund Kids and their family.

Special thanks to Ed and Sue Goldstein, our founders and presenting sponsors. Thank you to JAG Physical Therapy for being our exclusive run sponsor. Thank you to RWJ Barnabas, Atlantic Health, Burger King, CBS TV, Oritani Charitable Foundation, Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation, Servier, Village Supermarkets, Inserra Shoprite, Merck, St. Joseph’s Health, and West Deptford Energy Group.

THIRTEEN MILLION DOLLARS AND COUNTING! We can fight childhood cancers and blood disorders….. together!  To learn more about the event and to register for the Sanctioned 5K race and the Walk, go to https://www.thevaleriefund.org/Walk2024/.  Many questions can be answered by referring to the website’s FAQ tab or call The Valerie Fund offices at 973-761-0422. 

After their nine-year-old daughter Valerie succumbed to cancer, Sue and Ed Goldstein were determined that no family should have to travel great distances to receive superior medical care. Along with a group of close friends, they began fundraising efforts from their living room---tireless work that would lead to the 1977 opening of New Jersey’s first pediatric oncology facility at Summit Overlook’s Hospital. More than forty years later, The Valerie Fund’s mission remains that of supporting comprehensive health care for children battling cancer and blood disorders.

The Valerie Fund addresses the most immediate needs of patients and families whose lives are suddenly and dramatically upended. Core services provide emotional, practical, and financial support complementing state-of-the art medical treatment at seven Valerie Fund Children’s Centers located in New Jersey, New York and metro Philadelphia. The hallmark of The Valerie Fund services ensures that families and hospitals do not have to rely on insurance reimbursements to receive the range of support of a multi-disciplinary team including a staff of social workers, psychologists, child life specialists, and educational liaisons. More than 6,000 children with cancer and blood disorders are treated annually---a network that is one of the largest of its kind in the country.

For more information, please contact Bunny Flanders, Director of Marketing and Communications at bflanders@thevaleriefund.org.

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