Creating Memories of Joy for Children with Cancer
& Granting Final Wishes for Children Battling a Recurrence
In Loving Memory of Lauren "Elle" Richmond
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ELLE's Spring Highlights
May 2021
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Most Recently Granted Wishes |
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Jaxson, a 6 year old from Williamstown, NJ, wished to go to Give Kids the World with his family & visit all the Orlando theme parks. He wanted to have fun with his brothers, meet all kinds of characters and ride the rides.
When ELLE Foundation received Jaxson's application last February - there were so many "Green Flags" that ELLE needed to grant his wish. First, his birthday June 6th, is the same day as Lauren's. Next, his wish was to go to Orlando and his first wish was not Disney related - so the planning began. Then COVID hit and we all know the story.
When GKTW announced it was reopening on January 17th - the first call we made was to this wonderful organization and told them that Jaxson was coming to GKTW if the doctors approved it! The excitement mounted as all the wish details started to come together. We all held our breath as Jaxson had to overcome obstacle after obstacle - but he fought hard and arrived into the loving arms of his GKTW family. Jaxon and family spent several wonderful days at the theme parks until a medical situation changed the story.
Of course, none of us ever imagined the wish would take the turn it did, but as we reflect on all that happened - we are finding peace and comfort in knowing we all gave Jaxson the time to enjoy his final days on the wish he dreamed of. We know Jaxson created memories of joy with his brothers and parents that he carried in his heart to heaven.
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What a blessing to know that Lauren's legacy allowed Jaxson to spend his final days surrounded by the love of his family, but even more importantly giving Joseph & Dominick the memories of laughter and fun with their little brother.
Although we could not grant the one wish we were all praying for, Lauren's vision and ELLE's mission gave Jaxson and his family time to Create Memories Their Hearts Will Treasure Forever.
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Carlos - One ELLE of a MacBook Pro
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Meet Carlos, a 17 year old from Philadelphia. In 2015, at the age of 12, Carlos was first diagnosed & treated for osteosarcoma at NY Presbyterian Weill Cornell. Then at the age of 16, after being in remission for 4 years, Carlos faced the terrifying diagnosis of a recurrence in October of 2019. We granted his wish for a MacBook Pro with accessories so that he can attend online college classes. |
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Brandon & Brianna - One ELLE of a Paddleboard
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Meet Brandon, a 12 year old, and Briana, an 9 year old, who are siblings from Middlesex, NJ. Both children are suffering from franconi anemia - bone marrow failure.
They are huge fans of the ocean, and fell in love with paddle boarding when they took a lesson.
We granted their wish for paddleboards so they can look forward to loads of fun on the water this summer.
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Right now, due to COVID-19, travel safety is uncertain & ELLE wants to be sure that all of our wish children are safe and can completely enjoy their wish without any limitations.
All of our travel & special event wishes have been postponed but definitely not cancelled!
As the nation slowly reopens, so too will ELLE resume wish granting as appropriate to each wish.
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Di'Andria - One ELLE of a Birthday Celebration in NYC
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Meet Di'Andria, a 15 year old from Irmo, South Carolina.
First diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia in 2011 at the age of 6, she was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome with monosomy 7 in 2020.
As DeeDee recovered from a bone marrow transplant and chemo at MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital, she was kept isolated from her from her family for many months and was unable to have a family celebration for her 15th birthday. Her wish is to go to New York City, a place she has always wanted to see, to celebrate her 16th birthday with her family.
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Caroline - One ELLE of a Harry Stiles' Concert and in the Meantime...
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Meet Caroline, a 20 year old from Toms River, New Jersey, who is battling Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia at Bristol Myers Squibb Children's Hospital/Rutgers Cancer Institute of NJ. Caroline, a long time fan of One Direction and Harry Stiles, says she turned to music and theater to help her cope with her illness.
As Caroline awaits the Harry Stiles concert, ELLE is granting a "During the Pause Wish" for Caroline to attend the Firefly Music Festival in September with her friends.
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Savannah - One ELLE of a New York City Visit
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Meet Savannah, an 11 year old from Tucson, Arizona who is battling Pre B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia at Banner University Medical Center in Tucson. Savannah has wanted to go to New York City with her family since she was little, and is learning as much as she can from U-Tube videos and online research, waiting for the day when she is able to enjoy all that the city has to offer in person. |
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"Alex Originals" Fundraiser |
Alex W. recently created her own fundraiser for the ELLE Foundation whereby she sold her original artwork and donated the proceeds to the ELLE Foundation. What started off as an idea to get Alex off her iPad, turned into an amazing art fundraiser that raised over $1100. She has received many commissions for her one of a kind drawings, "Alex Originals", which she creates to spec and mails out to each requester.
Dana Richmond of ELLE Foundation presented Alex with an “Artist Fundraiser Award” for her amazing efforts.
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Henkel - Heart of the Foundation Sponsor
Update - Donation Amount was originally listed incorrectly
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One ELLE of a Thank You to ELLE's loving ambassador Kathy Mignella for once again submitting us for a Henkel Charity Grant. For the second year on a row, the Henkel Corporate Social Partnership grant of $10,000 continues their Heart of the Foundation sponsorship.
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One ELLE of a Thank You to Kendra Scott at the Mall at Short Hills who hosted a "Shop for Good" event to benefit ELLE Foundation on December 14th - December 15th.
20% of all purchases from this event went to
ELLE Foundation.
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Mt. Olive Maniac Girls Basketball |
One ELLE of a thank you to the The Mt. Olive Maniac Girls Basketball Program, a travelling basketball program through the Mt. Olive recreation department.
Due to COVID's prohibition on fans in the stands at sporting event, they had the great idea to sell cardboard cutouts that friends and family could order with a picture of their choice. Those cutouts were displayed on the gym wall to give the illusion of fans attending the game. Over 60 individuals purchased these wonderful cutouts!
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Kiwanis Club of Somerset Hills
Welcomes Laurie Richmond
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Kiwanis Club of Somerset Hills is a community service organization in the Somerset County area that is the sponsoring club for the local high school Key Clubs at Ridge, Bernards, and Bridgewater-Raritan High Schools.
As part of their their global Kiwanis International goal to serve the children of the world, Laurie was invited to give a talk to the membership about ELLE Foundation's mission to provide second wishes to children with cancer and about how ELLE's kids are impacted by the foundation. Kiwanis also made a $100 donation to the foundation.
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New Mobile-Optimized ELLE Foundation Website Coming in June! |
Coming June 6, just in time to celebrate Lauren's birthday, our new website which will feature a format optimized for viewing on your mobile devices.
Look for our "launch birthday" social media and email notices!
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One ELLE of a Night Designer Purse Bingo |
Thursday, September 30, 2021
Get your ELLE Bingo Team together!
Shimon and Sara Birnbaum JCC
775 Talamini Road, Bridgewater, NJ 08807
Time: Doors open at 6:00 p.m.
Bingo begins at 7:00 p.m.
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DONATE YOUR CAR, TRUCK, MOTORCYCLE, BOAT, TRAILER
Call 1-855-500-RIDE or 1-855-500-7433 , 24 Hours/7 days a week or complete the online Donation Form at:
The ELLE Foundation will receive a donation from the sale of your vehicle and you will get a tax-deductible receipt. If the vehicle sells for over $500 you will receive an IRS 1098c form with your receipt.
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ELLE Foundation
P.O. Box 8068, Bridgewater, NJ 08807-8068
908-393-5529
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See what's happening on our Facebook site: |
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