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Valerie Fund Patients Lead the Way at the 2019 Taste of Giving

The Valerie Fund patient ambassadors William Ramirez and Sylvia Yarad served as event emcees for the 8th annual "A Taste of Giving" at the Mandarin Oriental on February 28th. Will, a candidate for the Master in Finance from Bentley University (and Valerie Fund Scholarship recipient) and Sylvie, a 16-year-old high school sophomore, shared their personal stories of strength and fortitude, and introduced guests to nineteen additional Valerie Fund ambassadors ranging in age from seven to twenty-four.
Since "A Taste of Giving" was started eight years ago by Josh and Sharon Weintraub, friends from Wall Street and beyond have thrown their support behind The Valerie Fund kids, raising over $1 million through this event for the second consecutive year.
Featured speaker, Giancarlo Cusimano, who completed thirteen months of treatment for brain cancer just weeks prior to taking his place at the podium, offered an honest account of his victorious journey since his medulloblastoma diagnosis as a high school freshman in 2017. Giancarlo paid tribute to his Valerie Fund psychologist Dara Steinberg and educational liaison Kaitlin Constantino, crediting them for their partnership is ensuring he would stay in school throughout and keep pace with his academic peers.
Comedian auctioneer Tom Papa expertly wound his humor into the bidding, during which guests generously donated named scholarships, months of psychosocial care and camperships at The Valerie Fund's Camp Happy Times.