Bonnie Shyer, Paul Jimenez, Joanna Jimenez, Cheryl Rosen
We listened with our hearts and danced in celebration of a little boy’s life, and the thousands of children and families fighting this battle.
Mamaroneck, NY (PRWEB) November 08, 2016
Pediatric Cancer Foundation (PCF), the 46 year-old, Mamaroneck-based nonprofit committed to fighting pediatric cancer, hosted its Rock The Cure Gala at Brae Burn Country Club in Purchase, New York on November 2nd. The evening drew more than 250 attendees and featured legendary rock music by Unforgettable Fire, a world-renowned U2 cover band. The gala raised $225,000 to support research, state of the art equipment/instruments and patient/parent care for doctors at the hospitals PCF supports.
This year’s event was in memory of Paul Ulysses Jimenez, a 10-year-old Westchester County boy who passed away in January, 2016, from Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), a rare form of cancer of the skeletal muscles. “Our amazing little boy taught us so much about life, about love and about strength,” remarked Paul Jimenez, Sr. in his keynote speech. “This week will mark 10 months since we have been able to kiss Paul and tell him how much we love him. I implore each and every one of you to please spread awareness for pediatric cancer research. We need to find a cure and our dream is to one day see that cure happen.”
“It was an incredibly moving night,” exclaimed Bonnie Shyer, PCF president. “We listened with our hearts as Paul Jimenez spoke about his son and losing him to this horrible disease. We danced in celebration of a little boy’s life and the joy he brought to others, as well as the thousands of children and families fighting this battle. And, most importantly, we raised critical funds needed by the generosity of our steadfast supporters.”
What started out as a small, local organization has now become a nationally-recognized nonprofit. With the inclusion of advanced technological equipment that the organization supports, PCF-funded doctors are in communication with hospitals both nationally as well as on an international level. PCF has grown to include support for children and their families afflicted with all types of cancer. Four decades of support has enabled the foundation to purchase state-of-the-art equipment, support research projects and bring exceptional fellows to both surgical and oncology departments across the country.
County Executive Robert Astorino attended the gala, stating, “PCF started here in Westchester 46 years ago and is still going strong. Thank you for all you are doing." Noting the moving story of young Paul Jimenez's life, he went on to say, "We're here tonight to help families down the line, so that they may never have to experience something like this.”
About PCF
PCF’s mission is to find a cure for childhood cancer. The 501(c) (3) nonprofit raises money for research, state of the art equipment/ instruments and patient/parent care for world-renowned doctors at the hospitals PCF supports. These hospitals include: NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Stephen D. Hassenfeld Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at NYU Langone Medical Center, Feinstein Institute of Medical Research - Northwell Health, Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital at Westchester Medical Center and Comer Children’s Hospital, The University of Chicago Medicine & Biological Sciences.
For more information about Pediatric Cancer Foundation, please visit http://www.pcfweb.org/ or contact Nancy Joselson at 914-777-3127.
