The Ellie Fund's Winter Newsletter

2015 Winter Newsletter

December 15, 2015

Season's Greetings!

A note from our Board Chair

It is an exciting time at the Ellie Fund as we continue to grow and evolve every day in order to support the needs of patients and families as they battle breast cancer. I consider it a true honor and privilege to be the current Board Chair for Ellie Fund and have the opportunity to work with such a great team of dedicated staff and volunteers.

The Ellie Fund has always been an organization of great professional reverence and personal attachment. I have volunteered with the Ellie Fund for over nine years and recently joined the Board of Directors in 2014. Having three young children myself when I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I can empathize with the emotional and financial complications that one encounters in their battle with this disease. During the treatment process there are many challenges that require unconditional support to help offset the uncertainty of breast cancer. The Ellie Fund is a partner with a steadfast commitment to support these families throughout their fight.

It is through the continued support of our generous donors, hardworking volunteers and amazing staff that the Ellie Fund has become a true success story. Our Executive Director, Gail Fine, and her staff diligently work to increase awareness and exposure of the Ellie Fund to our community, while ensuring that every patient is treated with the special care and support they deserve. It is through this collective effort that Jeff Popkin's vision and mission of the Ellie Fund has become a reality.

In February we will be celebrating our 20th anniversary of the Red Carpet Gala. Due to the kind generosity of WCVB-TV Channel 5, we are fortunate to exclusively have the Academy Awards telecast broadcast live at the Fairmont Copley Hotel. It is an evening of fine wine, delicious food and one of a kind auction items. We hope you can join us for this festive evening on Sunday, February 28 at 6:00 pm.

I am so appreciative of the immense generosity of our donors and volunteers and want to thank everyone for their continued support and interest in the Ellie Fund. Without you we would not be celebrating 20 amazing years of leading the way, providing the hope and funding the care.

As we look to embrace a new year of exciting challenges, I wish you and your families a healthy, peaceful and joyous holiday season and much happiness in 2016.

Best wishes,

Marcia Boyle

Board of Directors Chair

Helping Women, Men and Families Through Their Journey with Breast Cancer

We often receive thank you notes and phone calls from many of the patients we assist. Each correspondence fills our hearts with joy and reminds us of why we do what we do. We stand side by side with our patients to support them and their families on the long path of recovery and healing.

The positive impact on the life of this 10-year-old and his mother could not have become a reality without your support of the Ellie Fund.

Patient Services Update

This quarter was very busy, confirming the growing need for the critical support services we provide. Since October, we have awarded 223 grants to breast cancer patients and their families.

In 2015 we provided a total of 764 grants, helping 506 breast cancer patients, 598 children and 1,779 total family members.

Do Good and Annual Fund Campaigns Round-Up

Since October, our Do Good and Annual Fund campaigns have brought together local businesses, loyal supporters and new friends, raising nearly $100,000 to date.

We were astounded by all of the generous support we received,from donations collected at the registers of Massachusetts Hannaford locations and Frugal Fannie's to a night of music with Sisters in Song to turning Southie Pink . Partnered with the success of the Annual Fund, our campaigns have brought us one BIG step closer to providing a third month of essential support services to the estimated 630 breast cancer patients and their families that we will serve in 2016.

There's still time to Do Good
and make a difference! Donate to the Annual Campaign this holiday season to give the gift of hope to a breast cancer patient.

Special thanks to all of our Do Good 2015 sponsors:

MassSave, Caught in Southie, CYCLEBAR Wellesley, Frugal Fannie's, Hannaford Supermarkets, Sisters in Song, The Local Kitchen & Bar, The Slater Foundation, al fresco, Arthur Murray Dance Centers, Bocado Tapas Wine Bar, Boston North Fitness, Brighton Collectibles, Cape Clogs, Colonial Carpentry Innovations, Dependable Cleaners, First Commons Bank, Hard Rock Cafe, Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, Impulse by Adamas Fine Jewelry, In A Pickle Restaurant, Lolita Cocina and Tequila Bar, LOTUS Studios, MiniLuxe, Molly Shaheen, Odyssey, Salli & Rocco, Salon B, Sara Campbell, Sonsie, Tavern in the Square, Tavitas, and The Candy Bar.

Save the Date for our 20th Annual Red Carpet Gala!

You are cordially invited to an exclusive viewing of the 88th Academy Awards® Telecast live from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood! Join hosts from WCVB-TV Channel 5 for our 20th anniversary gala, honoring Sue Brady Hartigan and featuring chef stations by BostonChefs.com, premium hosted bars, Best of the Best auctions, deluxe gift bags and more! Click here for more information and tickets.

Individual Tickets: $250 before 2/15, $300 thereafter (while available)

Reserved Table of 8: $2,000 before 2/15, $2,400 thereafter (while available)

Special thanks to our event committee:

Marcia & Bill Boyle, Sue Brady Hartigan, Tripp & Robin Jones, Luba Levin, Diane & Robert McManama, Christina & Ryan Pierce, Rachel & Matt Segien, Heather & Rob Shanahan

Running for Ellie

Ellie Fund co-founder Jeff Popkin with fellow Team Ellie runner Hannah Quesnell before the start of the Falmouth Road Race

The Boston Marathon was the catalyst to the Ellie Fund's fundraising efforts with co-founders Jeff and Eliot Popkin running in 1989, 1994 and 1996. We are honored to continue using this historic event and other local races as important platforms to help change the lives of the women, men and children that line the racing routes each year. In 2015 we were ecs tatic to add another race to our line-up: the Falmouth Road Race. Our runners supported th e hundreds of patients we assist each year through their fundraising and training efforts.

Falmouth Road Race 2015

Ellie Fund co-founder Jeff Popkin led the way with his exceptional fundraising efforts along with Alex Mulcahy and Hannah Quesnell as they ran the Falmouth Road Race on August 16, 2015. Our heartfelt thanks to Jeff, Alex and Hannah who collectively raised $17,029 to support the mission of the Ellie Fund.

Boston Marathon 2016

We are proud to partner again with the John Hancock Non-Profit Marathon Program and participate in the 120th Boston Marathon on April 18, 2016. Runners Leslie Horn and Amy Sparks are off to a strong start, raising more than $6,000 thus far. To support our runners or to join them at an upcoming fundraising event, click here.

Supporter Spotlight

We are deeply grateful for the support from all of our sponsors. This month, the spotlight shines on Devaney Energy, a dedicated partner of the Ellie Fund for many years. In addition to their generous donations, Devaney Energy's pink oil trucks help raise awareness for the Ellie Fund throughout the community.

T he motivation behind Devaney Energy's generosity is simple. Owner James Devaney describes it as "a local family-owned business wanting to give back to families in need." Since 2013, Devaney Energy has contributed nearly $20,000 to support our Healing Together Patient and Family Care Program. Thank you, Devaney Energy, for positively impacting the families in our community coping with a breast cancer diagnosis.