Well friends – the day has come where I can FINALLY share with you the success of Playing for the Cure: Brainstormin’.  The timing is good as the news has been very negative of late, no matter which party you affiliate with.  So let me cut right to the chase and end the anticipation…

Along with my family and friends, we returned to Yale today on a happy occasion.  No MRI, no office visit – instead, we went with a check in hand with the net proceeds and I am ecstatic to share with you that, this year’s donation was $37,250.00!

As I handed over the check and in my remarks, I had a moment of reflection.  As I told Dr. Piepmeier and his fellow neurosurgeons, as well as the staff at the Yale Brain Tumor Center, but for them and without their support and care for me, as well as the assurances provided to my family, I would not be here and my family would not be giving their time year after year to raise money to support their research efforts.  It truly is a labor of love.  “Its a full time job, the work’s never done.  Twenty-four seven, it’s a labor of love.”

I have said it before, and I’m going to repeat it here.  But for our sponsors and all of those who contributed and helped to make this year such a success, today’s donation never would have been possible.  Thank you again to our sponsors – ShelfSpace Marketing, LLC, Carla’s Pasta, Specialty Packaging, Beirne Wealth Consulting, Edge Technology Services, Stop and Shop, Unitas Club, Sardilli Produce, iHeart Media, Henry, Raymond & Thompson, LLC, Liuzzi Gourmet Food Market, Guida’s Milk and Ice Cream, The Farmer’s Cow, Severance Foods, Updike, Kelly & Spellacy, P.C.,  Blum Shapiro, Al Mac Motors II, Channel 3 and WTNH.  A huge shout out to Stony Creek Brewery for not only working with us to make this event run so smoothly, but for your extremely generous contribution toward the fund.  And to every single person who came out to share in the night and celebrate with us as we raised money to  help find the cure, thank you.

Going into 2016, my goal was $20,000.  But by early June, after the sponsorship letters were sent out and the checks started rolling in, I upped the goal to $25,000.  Yet never did I imagine, or envision, being able to hand over this sum of money, but let me tell you – I am so proud to do so, and cannot express how grateful I am for each and every one of you!

Today, Dr. Piepmeier shared his continued plans for use of this money, and this includes investing this money into various research projects that he hopes will lead to breakthroughs in treatment options, as well genetic testing.

Together, with the support of the Yale Brain Tumor Center and other facilities throughout the world, the cure to brain tumors will be found.  However, until that time, I remain committed to putting together this fundraiser for Yale as a way of saying “thanks” for saving my life and giving me a second chance at living.

I am forever grateful for my family and friends who got me through these dark days and allowed me to pick myself back up and continued on with my life.  But I am also thankful that you have helped me to explore and find my passion, and that is being an active part of the brain tumor community.