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!
Help A Family During Coronavirus
*Update* Sarah, our program coordinator, mailed off a much-needed $100 grocery gift card to June and all 66 families who have a child in treatment for cancer right now. Thank you for thinking of others and helping local families. Below is the story of June and her family.
On behalf of Connor’s Heroes, thank you for doing your part to stay at home. Our hearts go out to the families who are facing the uncertainty of their child’s cancer and, now, the coronavirus.
JUNE’S STORY
DID YOU KNOW?
Every other month, a family with a child in active treatment receives a $100 gift card for gas or groceries thanks to the generosity of our donors. Normally, April is not a gift card month. But these are not normal times.
YOU CAN HELP
You can support a family by making a gift today and help pay for a family’s next order of groceries. Our goal is to raise $6,700 by April 15. You will make sure every family with a child in active treatment will receive an “extra” gift card right now!
Shop on Amazon Smile
Use smile.amazom.com when you shop online, designate Connor’s Heroes as your charity, and Amazon will donate a percentage of your purchase to Connor’s Heroes.
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