Today's Helping Hero: Mike with Scelzo Real Estate Group LLC
I don’t want the lack of accessibility to be a reason for one of our kiddos to fall behind this year.
— Mike Scelzo, The Scelzo Real Estate Team, and Jaiden’s dad
As families face schooling during the pandemic, Mike wanted to make sure a child with cancer could connect with friends, teachers, and classmates. Mike knows first-hand the struggles of a family who has to juggle work, education, and a child’s cancer diagnosis. His son Jaiden was diagnosed with ALL in October 2016. The family was featured at our 2018 Heroes Art Ball. Jaiden is now in post-treatment and starting kindergarten. Mike donated 16 Google Chromebooks for us to give to the childhood cancer heroes who need a laptop. Mike’s donation came just in time for the first day of school. On behalf of our heroes, thank you Mike!
Exciting News About 2021
Celia Martin, Executive Director of Connor’s Heroes, with Elias Neujahr, CEO of Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU, tell you about a special partnership coming in 2021.
2020 Jr. Hero Squad
Congratulations to Graeme’s Warriors: Graeme, Connolly and Macklin.
These brothers raised the most money of all the Jr. Hero Squad members. They raised a total of $2,957. What makes this honor so special is Graeme is a childhood cancer hero himself. Graeme was diagnosed with Pre-B Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) in May 2016. We featured his family in the 2017 Heroes Art Ball.
Our 16-member Jr. Hero Squad raised $19,110 for children who are in treatment for cancer. Their team goal was $5,000 — 282% more than anticipated. The fact these kids and teens were thinking of other children during this difficult time speaks volumes of their kindness. Here are snapshots of the creative fundraisers put together by some of the members of the Jr. Hero Squad.
💛 9 have journeyed through childhood cancer themselves or in their families
💙 3 know Connor’s Heroes because their parents volunteer
💛 4 signed up because they want to help other kids!
Say “hello” to the amazing and caring kids who joined our FIRST-EVER Jr. Hero Squad. The Jr. Hero Squad is young people from schools and neighborhoods across Central Virginia. What brought them together was a desire to make sure no child or teen will face their cancer alone.
The Jr. Hero Squad will be the hero a child with cancer needs right now.
Track their progress and add your name to OUR COMMUNITY OF HEROES!
Art Session On Zoom
Connor’s Heroes resumed our Hero Art Sessions! The coronavirus put our monthly sessions at the Visual Arts Center on hold. We knew the kids missed being together and creating together. Sarah, our program coordinator and art teacher, developed art sessions and invited our heroes to tune in on Zoom! 15 families (of past and current Heroes) logged on. They followed Sarah’s instructions as she showed them how to draw their favorite flower. We will piece each flower into an art piece you can bid at our online auction for the Heroes Art Ball. We plan to hold art sessions each week in June. Connor’s Heroes supplied all the materials and even delivered them to the houses’ of our families.
The donations you gave since the coronavirus made it possible for us to redesign our Hero Art Sessions and offer them to all of our families. You can support future virtual sessions by making a donation. You can give every month or donate a single gift.
Connor Goodwin: Then & Now
We want to send congratulations to Connor Goodwin, our namesake. Connor graduated from the Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School in June and on July 2, he will report to the United States Naval Academy. For the past 14 years, Connor has served as an inspiration for other kids who were diagnosed with cancer. Not only is he a survivor, he is an awesome friend for many of our childhood cancer heroes along the way. When Connor’s parents named the organization, “Connor’s Heroes,” it was an acknowledgement of all the people who supported their family when Connor battled leukemia as a preschooler. The name also signified their determination to continue building a community of heroes to provide hope, guidance, and support to other childhood cancer families.
Around here, we think Connor was our organization’s first HERO.
We are so proud of him and can’t wait to see the incredible impact he will have on this world.
To see photos of Connor’s journey with cancer and the start of Connor’s Heroes, view our timeline: https://www.connorsheroes.org/about-us/#our-story
Cookie Delivery
Thank you to our friends at Holland Baking Company. Holland Baking Company specializes in custom-designed sugar cookies. The cookies are a true work of art and they taste delicious, too! Holland Baking Company put together individual cookie decorating kits for us to deliver to our families who have a child in active treatment. Each kit had iced cookies for the whole family, edible paints, and chef’s hats. Connor’s Heroes staff dropped off the kits at our Heroes’ houses. Within hours, we received pictures of the fun our hero families had painting (and eating) their cookie surprises.
Holland Baking Company is one of several local businesses who are our Hero Partners. They donate their services or products to help children with cancer and their families.
Be A Hero Shirts
Here is a picture of Mia eating dinner at home. She’s been spending time FaceTiming her friends and playing Minecraft. She helps out at home with some chores.
— Mia’s mom
We give a child their own “Be A Hero” shirt after their cancer diagnosis. Those three words – “Be A Hero” – reassure them as they start their journey. We asked our heroes to send us a picture of them wearing their special “Be A Hero” shirt while staying at home during the coronavirus. See who is showing off their “Be A Hero” shirt. Pictured are heroes who are currently in treatment and some who are survivors now.
Click on their photo and meet our heroes.
Message about 10th Annual Heroes Art Ball
Celia Martin, Executive Director of Connor’s Heroes Foundation, shares an important message about the 10th Annual Heroes Art Ball on August 1, 2020.
With this global health crisis, cancer has not stopped for our hero families. The Heroes Art Ball is Connor’s Heroes largest source of funding for the year. You make it possible for a family to receive hope, guidance, and support throughout their child’s treatment. Our children need a community of heroes especially right now.
HOW CAN YOU PARTICIPATE?Register online at one.bidpal.net/2020artball Anyone can participate and all are welcome. When you register, you will have access to our online auction when it goes live! All proceeds benefit the hundreds of childhood cancer families in your community who are supported by Connor’s Heroes. There is no charge to register.
ALREADY PURCHASED YOUR TICKETS?You can convert your ticket into a much-needed donation for our childhood cancer heroes who are in need of financial and emotional support. When you donate your ticket, your contribution becomes 100% tax-deductible.Want to learn more? Email celia@connorsheroes.org
HOW DOES CONNOR’S HEROES HELP FAMILIES RIGHT NOW?During the pandemic, Connor’s Heroes staff is in touch with Hero Families finding creative methods to deliver much-needed financial and emotional support. The staff explains how they are able to offer hope, guidance, and support at this challenging time: https://www.connorsheroes.org/coronavirus/
Today's Helping Hero: Arborscape
Thank you Connor’s Heroes and Arborscapes!! We loved our Burger Bach!!!!
— Jess, mom to Easton
Our Hero Partner, Billy Davis with local landscaping company Arborscapes LLC., reached out to Celia with an idea. He wanted to do what he could do to help our childhood cancer heroes during the coronavirus outbreak. He also thought it would be great to support the Richmond restaurants we all know and love! We got creative and, together, figured out how Billy and his amazing crew could help. Arborscape would order dinners from local restaurants who are offering carrying out. We ordered from Tazza Kitchen, Burger Bach and Fat Dragon. His crew picked up the meals and delivered them to each families’ doorsteps. It was extra special because these restaurants appreciated the orders, too. It took a community of heroes to pull this off, but we did! Thanks to Arborscapes team, their clients and customers for raising more than $8,000 for our hero families. They delivered more than a meal – they delivered smiles and hope to our heroes.
Thank you to Arborscapes and Connor’s Heroes for getting our family a delicious dinner.
— Tom, dad to Charlie
Thank you for the perfect Friday night burger party!!! Such a treat!!
— Lauren, mom to June
Today's Helping Hero: Robyn and Hospital Staff
“It’s a true blessing to be connected with all of you.”
— Robyn Dillon via Facebook
Cancer is definitely not following practicing social distancing. An average of one to two children in Central Virginia are diagnosed with cancer every week. These stats have not changed during the coronavirus pandemic. What changed was how we helped families in the hospital or clinic without being in the hospital or clinic, due to current hospital restrictions. Thanks to our on-going partnership with Children’s Hospital Of Richmond — especially Robyn Dillon, a licensed clinical social worker at VCU, and their nurses — we continue to support Hero Families in the hospital, on the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, and in the outpatient clinic. Sarah dropped off a fresh supply of backpacks and parent totes to keep on hand in the hospital. When we learned that three children could be on the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit over the next weeks, we delivered games, toys, and crafts for them. The hospital staff will put our surprises in the children’s rooms.
We are creatively adapting our work, so children in treatment continue to receive support during this challenging time. We have our own community of heroes: Robyn, the nurses, and staff at the hospital and clinic. We thank them for keeping our mission moving forward!