Press Release
June 26, 2007
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact: Michele Fisher
(732) 235-9872
fisherm2@umdnj.edu
"Quarters for the Cure" Campaign to Fight Cancer Wraps with End of School Year
Nearly $24,000 Raised for Research, Patient Care, Programs at UMDNJ's Cancer Institute of New Jersey
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NEW BRUNSWICK—Nearly $24,000 has been collected by The Cancer Institute of New Jersey Foundation (CINJF) following the recent "Quarters for the Cure" campaign, which had students collect pocket change to support cancer research, patient care, education and community outreach at CINJ.
The effort - which concluded last month in 27 elementary, middle and high schools in 12 counties throughout the state - featured various fundraising activities to fill their five-gallon water jugs with quarters. This included teachers matching coins the students brought in from home, youngsters selling paper flowers, teachers and faculty paying to wear jeans on Fridays, a flag-football tournament, a bowl-a-thon, bake sales and friendly competitions between classes and grades.
The top fundraiser was Elms Elementary School in Jackson Township, which raised $3,123. All the first grade classes participated in honor of a classmate, who died of cancer in March. Natalie DiPietrantonio, who coordinated the drive at the school, was the girl's teacher, who notes her student was a bright young lady that was very brave. And while it was DiPietrantonio who tutored the girl at home when she was ill, it was the student who gave the lesson: "She never complained and always had a smile on her face. She has taught us all to appreciate life. The first-grade classes would like it if you could keep her in your thoughts as this money is used to fight cancer," said DiPietrantonio. The CINJ Foundation was on hand at Elms Elementary this month with a certificate of appreciation to thank the students for their hard work and generosity. (Attention Editors: photo available; please contact Michele Fisher)
Michelle Walker, Director of Annual Giving for CINJF, said of all the students, "The heartwarming notes we received from teachers shows that these children, regardless of their age, believe they can make a difference and used this determination and generous attitude to help those touched by cancer."
The participating schools are as follows:
Atlantic City Texas Avenue School $537.33
Barnegat Cecil S. Collins Elementary School $617.63
Bridgewater Adamsville School $3,062.14
Bridgewater Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School $1,000.00
Bridgewater Milltown Primary School $1,500.00
Clark Carl H. Kumpf Middle School $265.19
Cresskill Merritt Memorial School $1,014.00
Flemington Hunterdon County Polytech Career Academy $200.00
Hasbrouck Heights Hasbrouck Heights Middle School $200.00
High Bridge High Bridge Elementary School $336.00
Iselin JFK Memorial High School $628.50
Jackson Elms Elementary School $3,123.00
Marmora Upper Township Primary School $1,266.74
Monmouth Junction Monmouth Junction School $1,835.00
Neptune C.L.A.S.S. Academy High School $150.00
New Brunswick Woodrow Wilson Elementary School $400.00
Newark Ann Street School $1,935.00
Newark Lafayette Street School $1,362.73
Oak Ridge Cozy Lake Elementary School $338.95
Orange Oakwood Avenue School $857.00
Perth Amboy Anthony V. Ceres Elementary School $1,121.00
Plainfield Clinton Elementary School $371.27
Ridgewood Travell Elementary School $434.87
Saddle River Saddle River Day School $200.00
Spring Lake Heights Spring Lake Heights Public School $324.54
Trenton Cadwalader Elementary School $110.00
West Orange Roosevelt Middle School $768.45
Total: $23,959.34
The CINJ Foundation is a 501C3, non-profit organization, which raises funds to support programs at CINJ, New Jersey's only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, an elite distinction
held by only 38 other cancer centers in the country.
Still in its infancy, CINJF has raised $10-million dollars since it was formed nearly two years ago. It raises funds through corporation and foundation support, gifts from individuals, special events and planned giving. To support New Jersey’s only NCI -designated Comprehensive Cancer Center call-732 235-8614 or visit www.cinjfoundation.org.
About The Cancer Institute of New Jersey
The Cancer Institute of New Jersey is the state’s first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, and is dedicated to improving the prevention, detection, treatment and care of patients with cancer. CINJ's physician-scientists engage in translational research, transforming their laboratory discoveries into clinical practice quite literally bringing research to life. The Cancer Institute of New Jersey is a Center of Excellence of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. To support CINJ, please call The Cancer Institute of New Jersey Foundation at 1-888-333-CINJ.
The Cancer Institute of New Jersey Network is comprised of hospitals throughout the state and provides a mechanism to rapidly disseminate important discoveries into the community. Partner Hospitals: Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Atlantic Health (Morristown Memorial Hospital and Overlook Hospital). Affiliate Hospitals: Bayshore Community Hospital, CentraState Healthcare System, Cooper University Hospital,* Jersey Shore University Medical Center, JFK Medical Center, Mountainside Hospital, Raritan Bay Medical Center, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Hamilton (CINJ-Hamilton), Saint Peter’s University Hospital, Somerset Medical Center, Southern Ocean County Hospital, The University Hospital/UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School*, and University Medical Center at Princeton. *Academic Affiliate
About the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
UMDNJ is the nation's largest free-standing public health sciences university with more than 5,700 students attending the state's three medical schools, its only dental school, a graduate school of biomedical sciences, a school of health related professions, a school of nursing and its only school of public health, on five campuses. Last year, there were more than two million patient visits to UMDNJ facilities and faculty at campuses in Newark, New Brunswick/Piscataway, Scotch Plains, Camden and Stratford. UMDNJ operates University Hospital, a Level I Trauma Center in Newark, and University Behavioral HealthCare, a mental health and addiction services network.
