BIG NEWS! THE SUMBA FOUNDATION PARTNERSHIP

We are proud to begin this newsletter with some exciting news! A project that has been in the works for the last year and a half is finally ready to be announced. We have been looking for JDJ to make an impact abroad and have had the perfect place in mind. After working with the local team to see how best to help, they have finally presented us with an opportunity. We are excited to announce that we will be fully funding the renovation of 4 existing health clinics and 2 completely new health clinics in Sumba. Sumba is a small island in Eastern Indonesia and is home to roughly 800,000 people. It is considered one of the poorest islands in Asia with malaria and other diseases prevalent. The existing health clinics we are renovating saw over 19,000 people last year. Some of the core health projects these clinics offer include village malaria screening and training, pre-natal care, a nursing program and a low-smoke burner program. Our new clinics will offer assistance to an additional 5,000 people located in Kodi and Wanokaka, where additional health care is most needed and will be opened in the next 6 months. We are proud to have established this partnership with The Sumba Foundation and to be supporting the work they are doing.

A MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT ON SUMBA:

It all started back in 2018, when Allyson and I had the opportunity to travel to Sumba Island. Upon arrival, we were intrigued by the beauty of the island but saddened by the poverty that surrounded us. We knew we had to figure out a way for JDJ to help. We met with The Sumba Foundation management team and spent time going around to local villages and witnessing the work that was being done firsthand. We visited a malaria clinic and served meals to families as part of their food program. It was a heartwarming experience being able to help those most in need. After witnessing this firsthand, we knew we needed to keep in touch and bring back this experience to the JDJ family. Even though it took some time, I truly believe that funding these health clinics will further support our core mission of helping the sick and underprivileged. I am excited to say that we are planning to send volunteers on an immersion trip to Sumba when our health clinics are up and running. When this happens, our experience there will have come full circle.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

We are calling on all of our supporters to help raise awareness about Sumba and funds should they be able to contribute a donation. Right now, the entire cost of this project will be $24,644 and we are looking for all of the help we can get. We are planning on using what we raise from a few of our upcoming fundraisers to help fund this grant and most importantly, donor support. Should this be of interest to you and you would like more details on the exact scope of the work we are doing, we would be happy to provide it. Additionally, one thing to highlight is that we are planning to send a limited number of volunteers to our health clinics in Sumba when they are up and running. This will likely be at the end of 2020/early 2021. So, if you do contribute, you will get the opportunity to see your support firsthand. DONATE HERE

JDJ WHEELCHAIR UPDATE

It didn’t take long for our recipient, Aadil, to start using his new chair. He recently finished his first race in his new chair in NYC. We supplied him with a new push racing chair this summer, and we are happy to see him using it already. At only 6yrs old, his continued dedication to racing is an inspiration, and we believe his racing future is very bright!

TICKETS FORE CHARITY RECAP

The Northern Trust Golf Tournament at the start of August was a great experience for all of those in attendance. We ended up selling 27 tickets in total and appreciated all of those who supported our charity by purchasing tickets through us. In total, we made over $600 from this fundraiser. Liberty National is a beautiful course, and it was thrilling to get so close to all of the professional golfers.

LHS VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

This quarter we are proud to shine the volunteer spotlight on Leigh Ann Boyle. As a graduate of NYU and employee of Memorial Sloan Kettering, Leigh Ann is no stranger to NYC. We are happy to have her as part of the Loving Heart Society family and can’t thank her enough for her help with our recent volunteer events. She was instrumental in helping at our Ronald McDonald House and Color Run volunteer events, and we are grateful for her continued support. Her consistent willingness to help is admiral and a great example for other volunteers to follow. Keep up the great work, Leigh Ann!

MSK BIKE TEAM

Big shout out to our supporter, Una Marie Antczak, who works at Memorial Sloan Kettering and was kind enough to bring to our attention that her work team was riding in the Garden State Fondo. The Garden State Fondo is a bike race that takes place in Morristown, NJ and consists of multiple races, one of which is 105 miles. Inspired by her team’s efforts, we sponsored their uniforms for the ride. Many thanks to their team captain, Charlie Stein, for designing the coolest ride gear and for all he did to make the ride a success. Overall, Team MSK raised close to $25,000 for rare cancer research and even had two riders finish 2nd and 3rd in their age groups for the 105-mile route. Charlie’s dedication to this event and cycling in general, is truly impressive. We hope to get some of our members on the bikes with them next year.

HAPPY HOUR SPONSORSHIP RECAP

We are proud to share that the event we sponsored in Jersey City to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Essex, Hudson and Union Counties was a huge success. More than 125 people headed to the Ashford for a good cause. We matched the first 80 people in attendance with a 2:1 ticket donation at the door. In total, we sent $4,000 to help BBBS with their mentorship program and recruiting new members. Thanks to everyone who came out and especially, Carlos Lejnieks, and the BBBS management team for putting together such a special event.

MORE CYCLING FOR A GREAT CAUSE

We would like to congratulation LHS volunteer, John Hederman, for also crushing 100 miles for Type 1 Diabetes research. His efforts raised over $4,500 for JDRF, and these funds will go directly towards pioneering research. Nice job, John!

MONTE CARLO 2020 TICKETS

A limited number of early bird tickets are now on sale for our 2020 Monte Carlo Night on Friday, May 1st, 2020. At $175 per person, this is sure to be a great night. We have already lined up two amazing guest speakers that we are planning to announce as it gets closer to May. This event will also be at the New York Athletic Club, and we plan to put everything we raise towards our cancer research and treatment programs. PURCHASE TICKETS

BOX TRUCK DONATION

When a partner of ours is in need, we answer the call. JDJ is proud to be sponsoring a much-needed box truck for our friends at Habitat for Humanity Monmouth County. When we hosted our volunteer build with their team last summer, we realized how important these trucks are to the work they do. Unfortunately, due to bad luck and over 200,000 miles on each, their two existing trucks have broken down numerous times. In order to help, we have sent a $7,000 donation to assist with the purchasing of another truck.

SPU SCHOLARSHIP UPDATE

As the new school year is in full swing, it is only fitting to mention our work at Saint Peter’s University. In 2017, under our education initiative, we established a $5,000 scholarship for a NJ student majoring in accounting, economics or finance. To date, there are currently 3 scholarship recipients at SPU, and we are proud to be helping them get a college degree.

BARRY’S BOOTCAMP SUCCESS

Our supporter, Paul Caruselle, organized a Barry’s Bootcamp fundraiser and it was a hit. For the 3rd year in a row, he encouraged people to workout for a great cause and raised over $1,600 for the Alzheimer’s Association. Well-done Paul!

JDJ LIBRARY

We are proud to have set up a small free library at The BelovED Community Charter School in Jersey City. Thanks to LHS volunteer, Mike Long, who came up with this great idea, we were able to help his school in a very unique way. The JDJ library’s purpose is to promote reading and encourage students and scholars to donate and take out books. Thanks Mike, for bringing this to our attention and for all of your work in setting it up. Happy reading!

CHARITABLE SPOTLIGHT

Joey’s Foundation is a nonprofit located in the Washington DC area and is doing some exciting work. They are focused on providing financial support to help further research, education and innovation related to children with brain injury. This organization started when a young boy, named Joey, suffered a severe brain injury due to a lack of oxygen. His injury was called Hypoxic Anoxic Injury (HAI) and it has impaired his motor skills. Unfortunately, there is no cure for this condition, and Joey is not alone. There are many children that are born with a range of clinical symptoms under the general category of cerebral palsy. 10,000 kids a year are actually diagnosed with CP and luckily, with the right care, support and love, most of these children live a rich, full life. Ultimately, Joey’s Foundation is here to help these children and their families. MORE INFO

SHUFFLEBOARD FUNDRAISER

This is sure to be a Sunday Funday in Brooklyn. On 10/20, we are hosting an event at the Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club from 1-3PM. $50 tickets include all you can drink beer/wine and shuffleboard. Everything we raise will be going towards our Foundation. Hope to see you all there! PURCHASE TICKETS

LHS RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE VOLUNTEERING

For those of you that missed our volunteering event at RMHNY in May, here is another opportunity. This time we won’t be serving a meal but rather helping the house with whatever they need. Normal volunteer duties include cleaning, pantry-sticking, donation organizing and more. This will be on Sunday, 10/27 from 1-4PM. SIGN UP

LHS MAGIC WHEELCHAIR VOLUNTEERING

Excited to share that this is the first time we will be sending LHS volunteers to help with a fundraiser. Our friends at Magic Wheelchair need assistance with their event in the Flatiron District on Saturday 11/9 from 7-10PM. Volunteer duties will include selling tickets, serving food, cleaning up, etc. SIGN UP

JDJ 3V3 BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

We have finally secured a gym for our 3v3 Basketball Tournament. This will be taking place at Xavier High school on W16th Street in NYC. Teams will be competing on Saturday, 12/7 from 6:30-10:30PM. All funds raised will go to JDJ and the champions will win tickets to the Big East Tournament. If you are interested in participating, please let us know. More details to follow. CONTACT US