2025 Thanksgiving Ball Gala Honorees

The Rodgers-Kohaut Family

The Rodgers-Kohaut Family have been an integral part of The Valerie Fund’s Camp Happy Times (CHT) since 1984. With a B.S. in Nursing from Widener College, Deb Rodgers began her career at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) in the Inpatient Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplant Unit. She moved into Pediatric Hematology – Oncology after completing CHOP’s Pediatric Hematology - Oncology Nurse Practitioner Program along with her MSN- Masters of Science in Nursing at Widener University.

Shifting directions, Deb graduated from Temple University Law School in 1991. Still involved with Camp, Deb promised to be co-director of CHT alongside Millie Finkel. Unbeknownst to her, she was pregnant with Chuck at the time who  got to experience CHT at 6 weeks old! While no longer practicing as a nurse in Pediatric Heme- Onc, her love and passion for CHT and the Valerie Fund never changed. The family would visit Camp every year while growing up and continued to stay involved with The Valerie Fund.

Deb rejoined Campy Happy Times in 2014 as a Counselor and has been part of Camp ever since. She is now a co-director of the LIT- Leaders in Training Program at CHT. Deb works at  Atlantic Health System as their Director in their Corporate Accountable Care Organization Department.

Chuck Kohaut joined Cushman & Wakefield in 2020 and serves as a Managing Director in the firm’s Equity, Debt & Structured Finance group. He is based in both Cushman & Wakefield’s East Rutherford and Manhattan offices and operates across all major U.S. markets, with a primary  focus on the Tri-State/New York Metropolitan area. Prior to joining Cushman & Wakefield, Chuck spent six years in institutional investment sales at Newmark, CBRE, and Colliers International. Over the course of his career, he has completed over $15 billion in debt financings, equity raises, and investment sales on behalf of institutional investors, corporate users, developers, and family offices. He is a licensed New Jersey real estate salesperson and part of REAL (Real Estate Ascending Leaders) Management Committee.

Chuck has been a Camp Happy Times Counselor since 2014, and a Valerie Fund Young Professionals Network Co-Chair 2023-2024, and an Advisory Board Member 2025.

Cara Kohaut is a graduate of Kutztown University Graduate with a degree in Early Childhood Education. For the past 10 years, she has been a special education teacher in Guttenberg, NJ. Growing up, Camp and The Valerie Fund were ingrained in her life, spending her first birthday at CHT and has volunteered for The Valerie Fund doing projects with her girl scout troop, and volunteering at parties and events. In what is a rite of passage in her family, Cara joined Camp Happy Times as a Counselor in 2016 - as soon as she was old enough to become a counselor and loves all of her summers at Camp Happy Times.

Neil and Jane Yaris

Neil and Jane Yaris have been involved in The  Valerie Fund for over 30 years, with Neil serving as a board member since 2017 and Board Chair since 2018. After a 29-year career on Wall Street at firms including   Goldman Sachs, Credit Suisse and Bank of America, Neil retired to focus on family and charitable endeavors.

Both Neil and Jane, a former child life therapist and early childhood educator, were passionately drawn to The Valerie Fund’s mission of providing comprehensive care and support for children with cancer and blood disorders in close proximity to their homes. The Yarises have shown their support to the organization through their commitment, leadership and involvement in everything from The Valerie Fund Showhouse, Grace’s House, where Jane served as a lead committee member, to the Valerie Fund Walk where Neil and Jane volunteer annually. Over the years, their enthusiasm and dedication has inspired many friends and family members to become involved with The Valerie Fund.

Other nonprofits and institutions close to Neil and Jane’s hearts include Friends of United Hatzalah, CASA of Essex County and Washington University in St. Louis.

Neil and Jane have been married for 37 years, live in Maplewood and have three children and two grandchildren (with a third on the way!)