David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation “Cruises For a Cure”

A local non-profit organization seeking to help those in the fight against cancer held an inaugural fundraising event for their cause this past Sunday at the , called “Cruisin’ For A Cure”.

The event featured a motorcycle, classic and decorated car ride which benefited the “David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation”, an organization seeking to “raise funds for cancer research, with a primary focus on head and neck cancer”, and “provide financial assistance to families affected by a cancer diagnosis to help them offset the costs of physician visits, treatments, medications, lodging and transportation.”

Just over two years ago, David Caldarella was a resident of Jupiter, Florida, who noticed a lump on the right side of his neck. Mere weeks later, the then 41 year-old Caldarella, now 43, was told that he had contracted Stage IV Squamous Cell Carcinoma in his neck. To say that the positive diagnosis for cancer was a shock to the system for this otherwise healthy man was an understatement.

After a grueling series of surgeries on his throat, tonsils, and neck plus aggressive chemotherapy over the seven months following his diagnosis, Caldarella was at last able to call himself a Stage IV cancer survivor in November of 2010, and has been in remission ever since.

Seeking to use his firsthand experience to make a difference in the lives of others who found themselves in a similar medical situation, Caldarella founded “David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation” in 2010.

“I kept a blog during my illness, which gave me something to do during my 24/7 battle with the disease. I would sign off each entry with the phrase, ‘Dream & Believe’, which is where the name of the foundation came from,” said Caldarella.

Caldarella mentioned that the foundation just recently assisted a woman suffering from breast cancer who was facing eviction from her residence, by helping bringing her rent payments up to date and allowing her to keep a roof over her head.

“We want to show people that besides the physical toll that cancer takes, there is also an emotional, as well as a financial toll,” Caldarella said.

The non-profit group has also received recognition from the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, for their contributions made to the Head & Neck Cancer Research program at that institution.

Caldarella said that when he created the foundation, the level of support and contributions he received from the public were overwhelmingly positive. Soon after, the idea for “Cruisin’ For A Cure” was conceived, with help from a friend.

“I worked with (event organizer) Kathleen Ryan at . At the beginning of the year, my foundation came to ask people for their help on a fundraiser. She likes to ride motorcycles, and came up with the idea for ‘Cruisin’ For A Cure’ to help our foundation,” said Caldarella.

Ryan was equally effusive regarding the fundraising event she helped to undertake.

“I worked with David, and was shocked at his diagnosis. He was so healthy and took such good care of himself, that it really showed this disease can happen to anyone,” said Ryan.

“I looked at this fundraiser as an avenue that the foundation had not yet explored, and thought it would be successful. But I didn’t expect that it would be embraced at this level. This is great,” she added.

In the past several months, Ryan and other organizers approached many local organizations and businesses for support and sponsorship for “Cruisin’ For A Cure”, and many of them stepped up to the plate, including , Stillwell Heating & Cooling, Mud City Crab House, and Long Beach Island P.B.A. #175, just to name a few.

Ryan expressed her gratitude and admiration for Caldarella in his fight against his cancer, and said that she hoped the event generated as much in financial donations as it could possibly could for his foundation.

“We were expecting about 100 motorcycles, 50 classic cars, and we also had people asking if they could bring their own personal cars decorated with photos of their loved ones and friends who have or have had cancer,” Ryan explained.

Current foundation president Tim Hall, who has known Caldarella for 35 years, said that the group was doing its best to “try and give David’s mission some visibility” and raise money for people who are in serious need of it.

“Some of these patients need $50 just to buy gasoline to make it to their chemotherapy appointments,” said Hall. “The little things go such a long way.”

Hall explained that in the foundation’s first year of operation, they were able to donate $30,000 towards the expenses of various patients, and an additional $15,000 to cancer research.

“Today, this fundraiser was Kathleen Ryan’s idea. I’m sure it will keep getting bigger and better as we go forward,” Hall commented.

Those who entered the ride portion of the event did so for $25, and received a commemorative pin, while a $50 admission price earned those in attendance a commemorative pin, long-sleeve T-shirt and buffet lunch after the event had concluded.

An after-party was held at Longshots in nearby Waretown from 1 to 4 p.m., featuring music from the Brother Pete Band and raffle games. A lunch buffet also served there for non-cruisers cost attendees $20. All proceeds from the day’s events go to the “David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation”.

Ryan asked anyone interested in contributing to the foundation to contact her at 609-276-3231, and to check the foundation’s website for more information at www.davidsdreamandbelieve.org.

Ryan concluded, “We’re hoping that we can make this an annual event. Next year, we hope to make it bigger, better, and have better weather!”