Message from Connor's Heroes about coronavirus
We’re All Looking for Hope, Guidance, and Support
You are getting a lot of information about the coronavirus from businesses, government, friends, and nonprofits. As the world looks for hope, guidance, and support, our childhood cancer families don’t have to look far. Hope, guidance, and support are the key words in the mission of Connor’s Heroes. While hospital restrictions mean our program team can not be in the hospital or clinic right now, they are in regular contact with our families who have a child in treatment. Last week, we mailed off $6,200 worth of grocery gift cards to help these families. The iPad Mini we put in every Heroes Bag and Backpack is a lifeline for our young heroes. They video chat with their friends and family — sharing laughs and blowing kisses.
What we are hearing from our families is that cancer hasn’t stopped during this time. Our families are pros at keeping a home germ-free and practicing social distancing. The life we are experiencing now is routine for a family who currently has a child in treatment for cancer.
You can continue to support the childhood cancer community that you care about so much. Our biggest need is gift cards. We compiled a list on Amazon. You can order from home and ship them to our office. No surprise, Netflix, Amazon, and iTunes are popular with families right now. You can treat a family with a gift card for Panera located at the main hospital. When you order, include your name and email in your gift message, so we can thank you.
To all of our brave childhood cancer families, generous donors, caring volunteers, and dear members of our community, thank you.
— updated 25 March 2020
Helpful Links and Emails
Contact Connor’s Heroes: Staff Directory website
Connor’s Heroes staff is equipped to work remotely and is doing so for the time being. Email is the best way to reach the staff. If you do call our office line, (804) 897-1272, and leave a voicemail message, a staff member will check the voicemail once a week. You can mail correspondence to Connor’s Heroes Foundation, PO Box 2536, Midlothian, VA 23113. A staff member will check the mail once a week.
Children’s Hospital of Richmond: website for COVID-19
VCU Health: website for COVID-19
The VCU Health and Children’s Hospital of Richmond COVID-19 hotline: 804-628-7425
Virginia Department of Health: website for COVID-19
Donate to Connor’s Heroes: Give online with a single gift or set up monthly giving
You can mail a donation to Connor’s Heroes Foundation, PO Box 2536, Midlothian, VA 23113.
A staff member will send you a tax letter for your generous donation.
Stay Connected:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/connorsheroesfoundation/
Twitter: twitter.com/connorsheroes
Instagram: www.instagram.com/connorsheroes
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/organization/10421708
Email Updates: Heroes And Hope Signup
DaJean's Hospital Room
17-year-old DaJean started his lengthy bone marrow transplant in a hospital room all decked out in gear from his favorite basketball team, The Washington Wizards. Thanks to our board chair, Tom Voekler, and his family who decorated the teen’s room. The Voekler family transformed DaJean’s hospital room into a Washington Wizards Wonderland. They decked out DaJean’s room with everything basketball — including a Wizard’s jersey, pictures signed by DaJean’s favorite players, and bobbleheads! Connor’s Heroes provided games and iTunes gift card to help the family through the long stay in the unit.
Here are descriptions of the other programs we offer a family when their child is in treatment for cancer. You can learn more about the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit where childhood cancer patients are treated.
Update On Heroes Art Ball
The health of our hero community is our number one priority. That is why we made the difficult decision to postpone the 10th Annual Heroes Art Ball to Saturday, August 1, at the same location, the beautiful John Marshall Ballroom. The Heroes Art Ball will be a magical night for the childhood cancer heroes who are our special guests. We need this night to be a safe environment for them, their families, caregivers and all who attend. Though we will not be celebrating in May, you can still let our brave childhood cancer families know that there is a community of heroes who care by joining us on August 1. For Connor's Heroes, this one night will raise the money we need to make sure every family with a child diagnosed with cancer will not face their child's cancer alone.
ALREADY PURCHASED YOUR TICKETS?
There is no need to do anything else. Your tickets are valid for the August 1 date. If you cannot join us on August 1, please consider donating your ticket purchase to Connor's Heroes.
WANT TO PURCHASE TICKETS?
Visit one.bidpal.net/2020artball
Questions? Please email admin@connorsheroes.org
If you haven't already, sign up for our Heroes And Hope E-Newsletter. We share information about upcoming events, ways you can volunteer and stories about our childhood cancer heroes. Share your email to signup.
February Heroes Art Session
A lot of planning goes into putting together our monthly Heroes Art Session, especially one that was as popular as our February Heroes Art Session. More than 30 childhood cancer heroes, brothers, sisters, parents, volunteers, staff, and talented Richmond artists came to our February Heroes Art Session.
We begin, like all projects, with a calendar. Erin and Sarah, Connor’s Heroes program staff, book a Sunday every month at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond. The Visual Arts Center generously donates their studio spaces for our Heroes Art Sessions. We have a crew of regulars: our volunteers — Samantha, Nora, and Melissa — and artists Jennike, Monica, and Nancy.
Sarah contacts the city’s top artists who have big hearts and will donate their talents to create with our heroes at a Sunday session. Sarah orders all the art supplies the artists need for their creations. Artists use the Heroes Art Sessions to try out new ideas and work with unusual materials. For the February Heroes Art Session, Noah Scalin showed the kids how to “paint” with stickers. Nico Cathcart let the kids experiment with colors on wood panels. The kids worked with Madison Fariburn on using paper to make a bouquet of flowers. Matt Lively rolled out large sheets of paper for the heroes to paint whatever they imagined.
Our Heroes Art Sessions welcome children in all stages of treatment. The Heroes Art Sessions lets them be free to create in a safe, welcoming space.
“As an art teacher, I see the restorative power of art. I watch a child use art to explore their feelings, gain a sense of pride, relieve stress, and play. Art is a kind of therapy that we all need to make time for. I love that Connor’s Heroes understands the power of art and allows our brave kids to create side-by-side with talented, professional artists.”
— Sarah Cross, Connor’s Heroes Program Coordinator
Your donations to Connor’s Heroes gives us the resources and staff to offer Heroes Art Sessions year-round. You will have a chance to win the stunning works of art created at our Heroes Art Session. We will put them up for auction at our Heroes Art Ball. Each piece is more than art. It is a permanent expression of the joy the child felt at that moment and much more powerful than their cancer.
“THANK YOU” from all of our February Art Session Heroes: *Persphone, Bart, Brody, Serenity, Kalliophe, *Charlie, Grayson, *Daynne, Angela, *Holden, Piper, *Savanna, *Javi, Alex, *Alvion, *Sophia, Emilo, *Zyann, *Jonathan, *Liana, Noella, Elaina, Taliah, *Tariq, Sulayman, *Koree, Elijah, Kacee, and *Autumn!
*Childhood Cancer Hero
August 1, 2020: 10th Annual Heroes Art Ball
DATE: August 1, 2020
LOCATION: John Marshall Ballroom, 101 N 5th St, Richmond, VA 23219
DETAILS: The 10th Annual Heroes Art Ball is a magical night for our hero families and the community who support them. The main event is the live auction of art created by our Heroes with help from local, professional artists. Each piece expresses the emotions of being a child with cancer and the hope for a better future. This one night will fund the programs we offer for families throughout the year.
REGISTRATION: Tickets and sponsorship opportunities can be found online: one.bidpal.net/2020artball/welcome
CONTACT: celia@connorsheroes.org
Today's Helping Hero: Artist Frankie Slaughter
“I remember a little girl who came to a Heroes Art Session. She sat at the table where I set out my clay. I have never seen a child that young painting her clay tiles with such dexterity and focus. Her ideas were flowing. Her little fingers were busy. Even her older sister was impressed.”
Artist Frankie Slaughter has many memories working with our childhood cancer heroes. Frankie is a volunteer at our monthly art sessions for over five years. Frankie is a well-regarded Richmond artist who likes to give back to the community. She happily donates pieces of art to nonprofits’ fundraising events. She said that Connor’s Heroes is special because “not many nonprofits ask me to donate my time and work side by side with children. I love sharing my love of art with kids.“
Frankie is back in the studio! She is working with our childhood cancer heroes to create a beautiful piece exclusively for the 10th Annual Heroes Art Ball. Frankie is volunteering her talents with other Richmond artists such as Amelia Blair Langford, Matt Lively, Nico Cathcart, and Nancy Jacey. The main event at the Heroes Art Ball is the live auction of art created at the Heroes Art Sessions. The winning bids will support the mission of Connor’s Heroes.
“Connecting through art is a beautiful thing. I see parent’s faces light up when they watch their child making art. The child is reveling in a moment of creativity and happiness. They are not sick. They are a child creating.”
Heroes Art Session - January 2020
Connor’s Heroes hosted another Heroes Art Session at the Visual Arts Studio. This session was the first Heroes Art Session for the new decade! Photographer John Nikitakis captured special moments of the afternoon with our Heroes Of RVA: Alvion, Josie, Javi. Alex, Katie, Gabby, Koree, Kacee, Elijiah, Charlie and Grayson, and Tay.
Our Hero Art Sessions allow children to playfully express themselves and meet other children who are going through cancer. Parents appreciate talking with parents in a comfortable space away from the stress of clinic. We hold art sessions every month leading up to the big art auction at the 10th Annual Heroes Art Ball on May 1, 2020.
Connor’s Heroes Art Sessions are loved not only by the kids but also by their parents. As a child is focused on adding the perfect color to a painting, mom is talking with another mom about their children’s last treatment. Grandpa thanks Erin for hosting the holiday open house in December. Parents quietly watch as their children paint side-by-side. And mom patiently lets her toddler smear paint all over his hand and then on the canvas.
Connor’s Heroes thanks our talented hero artists who generously donated their time: Amelia Blair Langford, Nancy Jacey, Monica Wilmore, Samantha Davis, Jennike Duignam, and Melissa Peay.
Make 2020 Your Year
Here are some feel-good resolutions that can help you better yourself and be a hero to a child with cancer as you start a new decade.
VOLUNTEER
You can spend a morning in clinic helping a child make a craft or spend an afternoon decorating a child’s hospital room. Your first step is to register with Connor’s Heroes. A staff member will contact you to learn more about you!
GIVE BACK
Turn your next party into a giving party! Instead of receiving gifts, you can inspire your friends to purchase crafts, games, stuffed animals, or gift cards from our wish list posted on Amazon. You will make sure a child or parent has precisely what they need to get through a day of treatment. You can choose gifts for teens, infants, or caregivers.
SPEND TIME WITH FRIENDS
The 10th Annual Heroes Art Ball is a magical night where you meet brave children who represent the children battling cancer in our community. The main event is a live auction of art created by our heroes with inspiration from local, professional artists. Each piece expresses the emotions of being a child with cancer and the hope for a better future. The night includes a buffet and open bar. Tickets go on sale on March 1, 2020. Encourage your friends to join you for the Heroes Art Ball.
BE POSITIVE
Use your social network for good. You can create a Facebook fundraiser for Connor’s Heroes and enlist the help of your friends. Connor’s Heroes accepts donations through social networks Facebook and Instagram. People helping other people sparks inspiration especially when you can help a child with cancer.
2019 Holiday Heroes
Our 2019 Holiday Hero campaign was a success. Thanks to you, every family who had a child in active treatment and registered with Connor’s Heroes received a generous holiday surprise: a $250 Visa gift to use where they needed it most over the holidays. This magic moment happened thanks to the generous people listed here.
2019 Holiday Lights Tour
“More lights! More lights!” was the cheer our childhood cancer heroes and their families chanted as we took off in style for our annual Tacky Lights Tour last night. More than 100 hero family members piled into two big charter buses. We saw the best and the brightest (literally) of Richmond’s holiday lights.
The Holiday Lights Tour is for hero families who registered with Connor’s Heroes. We have children who are in active treatment having fun with teens who are out of treatment. Parents meet other caregivers and share stories and reassurance. The night started with everyone digging in for pizza and salad at Mellow Mushroom. After dinner, we boarded two charter buses. We drove through the West End checking out the best of the best of the holiday lights.
Connor’s Heroes offered the Holiday Lights Tour free of charge thanks to our team of heroes:
• Mellow Mushroom Midlothian fueled us up with a delicious pizza dinner.
• Winn Transportation drivers donated their tips back to Connor’s Heroes.
• McGuireWoods LLP finance and accounting department provided the best gift bags jammed packed with blinking light necklaces, reindeer antlers, goofy glasses, and yummy cookies!
• The Richmond Christmas Mother grant helped fund the tour.
• and YOU — Your generosity throughout the year gave our Heroes Of RVA this wonderful holiday adventure. Thank you!
Happy Holidays from Connor's Heroes!
