2009 Newsletter

The Andréa Rizzo Foundation
www.DreasDream.org
Volume 7, Issue 1
Inside this issue:
▪ Remembering Andréa
▪ Board of Directors
2
▪ Dréa’s Dreams
▪ Gift to Remember
3
▪ Golf Classic
▪ Cliff Walk
4-5
▪ Dance Across America
6-7
▪ Beyond the Dream
8-9
▪ The “Bounce” In Our Dance:
Those Who Support Our
Dream
▪ Young Leaders
▪ Experiencing the Dream
10 -11
▪ Our Mission
▪ President’s Message
12
This newsletter
is our way of saying
Thank You
For your support of
The Andréa Rizzo Foundation
Carrie Ann Inaba ~
The Andréa Rizzo Foundation National Spokesperson
Carrie Ann Inaba, well known
Choreographer, Director and currently one of the Judges on the hit
show Dancing With the Stars, has
signed on as The National Celebrity Spokesperson of The Andréa
Rizzo Foundation which funds
Dréa’s Dream; a pediatric dance
therapy program for children with
cancer and special education
needs.
“I believe strongly in the healing
effects of dance therapy and was
thrilled to participate in the kick off
of Dréa’s Dream at Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA this past
November,” states Inaba. Press
coverage of the event on People.com and ET online brought
added smiles and excitement to
the children and families at the
hospital.
For the past three seasons, The
Andréa Rizzo Foundation has
been awarded VIP tickets and front
row seats to Dancing With the
Stars enabling them to escort
pediatric patients for a “dream trip”
to the show. Through this wonder-
Courtesy of Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA/ Reed Hutchinson
Spring, 2009
Carrie Ann Inaba, National Spokesperson of The Andréa Rizzo
Foundation dances with a patient at Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA.
ful opportunity, President of the Foundation, Susan Rizzo Vincent, was
able to meet and talk with Carrie Ann
Inaba, who immediately offered generous support for the cause.
“With the help of Carrie Ann Inaba,
we will be able to touch the lives of so
many more children through the
power of dance,” said Rizzo Vincent.
We are so honored to be affiliated
with a celebrity of such stature, one
who knows first-hand the positive
impact that dance can have on
fragile children. PLEASE SEE CARRIE ANN, PAGE 9
“With the help of Carrie Ann
Inaba, we will be able to touch
the lives of so many more
children through the power of
dance.”
- Susan Rizzo Vincent
Brightening Many Young Lives
The famed show Dancing With the Stars has been the inspiration behind our gift of dance to the children at Mattel
Children’s Hospital UCLA. After escorting pediatric cancer patients to the show’s Season V and Season VI with donated VIP tickets and VIP treatment from the staff, we felt inspired by their generosity and compelled to give back to the
Los Angeles community. Their gift has been a “dream come true” for fragile patients. The perfect way to say "thank
you" was to provide the gift of dance therapy to children with cancer in Los Angeles.
The Andréa Rizzo Foundation then escorted a Mattel patient to Dancing With the Stars, Season VII. Breanna Pflaumer of California participated in the “kick off” of Dréa’s Dream at Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA and was treated to
VIP seats right next to Carrie Ann at the show just a few days later.
PLEASE SEE BRIGHTENING, PAGE 3
Breanna Pflaumer meets
Carrie Ann Inaba
Page 2
The Andréa Rizzo Foundation
About Andréa
Board of Directors
Andréa Rizzo had a love of life that was felt by all who knew her.
The Andréa Rizzo Foundation
She was a loving daughter, only child, good friend, dedicated Special Educa-
Board of Directors
tion teacher, gifted dancer and a childhood cancer survivor. She was attend-
Susan Rizzo Vincent
ing graduate school at NYU in hopes of becoming a dance therapist, so that she
President
could share her love of dance and its positive impact on her life with the lives of
Donald Mollitor
young cancer patients. She herself had been treated and cured of cancer as a
Vice President
very young child at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
Katie Dugan
Her life and dreams were cut short on May 19, 2002 by a drunk driver as she
Vice President
returned home from a dance performance in NYC. She was 24 years old at the
Terry Schimmel
Secretary
time.
Nancy Heagney
Treasurer
Remembering Andréa
With much appreciation to all those who
have kept Andréa’s memory alive.
♥ At their wedding, family friend Lindsey Pomfret and her husband Bryce Schweers gave
their guests a special wedding favor – a very
generous donation to The Andréa Rizzo Foundation in honor of each of their guests.
♥ Suzi Tortora, Senior Dance Therapist at
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, along
with her family members wanted her dear father,
Antonio Tortora to be remembered in a special
way when he passed away last summer. In lieu
of flowers they thoughtfully asked friends and
family to make donations to Dréa’s Dream, our
pediatric dance therapy program at MSKCC …
the very hospital where he was treated.
♥ Andréa’s dear cousins, Jami Longo, Erika
Bitetto, Gary Bitetto, Tayler Mollitor, Justin
Bitetto and Makenzi Mollitor generously made
a donation to the Foundation in lieu of Christmas
gifts ~ a very generous gift for their cousin’s
dream.
Advisory Board
♥ Always thinking of their young colleague, the
Dr. Christopher Bentley, O.D.
staff at Narragansett Elementary School
donated $250 to The Andréa Rizzo Foundation
from a Feinstein Foundation grant awarded to
them to help their community.
Marlborough Family Practice, Marlborough, CT
♥ Once again, a beautiful collection of children’s books was donated to the library of
Memorial School in East Hampton, CT by
staff, friends and Andréa’s former elementary
teachers. Bookplates displaying a photo of
Andréa are lovingly placed inside the cover of
each book that has been donated over the last
seven years, totaling over 150 books.
º
A surprise birthday party was held for
Board member, Terry Schimmel. Terry’s
family knew that the best gift for her to receive
from friends and family would be a donation to
The Andréa Rizzo Foundation in her name.
Her generous friends and family did just that!
º Family friends, Sharon Courey and Joe
Cammilleri are planning a fall wedding and in
lieu of favors, they are making a donation to
The Andréa Rizzo Foundation in honor of each
of their guests.
Scholarships in Andréa’s memory were awarded to Maura Foley at Salve Regina University, Newport, RI and to Joanna Norko at Mercy High School in Middletown, CT. As both
scholarship funds continue to grow, many more students will have help attaining their goal
of helping children. Congratulations, Maura and Joanna!
Donations may be made to The Andréa Rizzo Memorial Scholarship at both schools: Salve
Regina University, Development Office, 100 Ochre Point Ave., Newport, RI 02840 or Mercy
High School, Development Office, Randolph Rd., Middletown, CT 06457.
Mary Connolly
Vice Chairperson of the Newport, RI City Council
Professional Lecturer in Education,
Salve Regina University, RI
Robyn Flaum Cruz, Ph.D., ADTR, LPC
Editor-in-Chief, The Arts in Psychotherapy
President, American Dance Therapy Association
Assoc. Professor & Coordinator of Dance Therapy,
Lesley University, Cambridge, MA
Greg Cummings
Marketing Advisor
Marketing Director, Terramar Sports
Janice DeFrances, Ed.D.
CEO/President, Harmony Hill School, RI
Day & Residential Treatment Ctr.
For Severe & Emotionally Disabled Youth
Diane Duggan, Ph.D., ADTR
Licensed Psychologist / Registered Dance Therapist,
New York City Dept. of Education
Adjunct Asst. Professor,
Graduate School of Dance Education & Special Ed.,
New York University, NY
Christopher Gray
Executive Director, Designate A Driver (D-A-D), RI
Nina Pickett, M.H.A
Administrator, Department of Pediatrics
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, NY
Simone B. Zappa, RN, MBA
Director, Medical Staff Office
New York Presbyterian Hospital, NY
Page 3
Brightening
DRÉA’S DREAMS COME TRUE
(CONT. FROM PAGE 1 )
Breanna was given bracelets from the
costume designers, a Dancing With the Stars
t-shirt and best of all, Carrie Ann Inaba escorted Breanna down the Press Line as she
shared her personal story and told the press
(ABC News, Access Hollywood, Entertainment
Tonight and People magazine) of her experience
participating in our new dance therapy program
at Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA. Breanna
also met Julianne Hough, her favorite dancing
star. (see photo below)
WIN A iPod!
SEE PG. 4 for details!
The Andréa Rizzo Foundation is grateful to so many
who have donated tickets, gifts and special once in a
lifetime experiences to patients who have participated in Dréa’s Dream. We will continue to seek
ways to bring smiles to the faces of fragile children
and add joy to their hearts. We are proud and excited
to make Dréa’s Dreams Come True an ongoing
initiative. If you know of generous donors who would
like to help us to brighten pediatric cancer patients’
lives in any way…big or small, please have them
contact us at [email protected].
Luke and his twin brother meet two of the
Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall’s
Christmas Spectacular. Backstage with
their mother, the boys are joined by
“Santa,” Richard Claffey, General Manager
of Radio City Music Hall and Andréa’s aunt,
Jill Mollitor.
“Caesar is a 6-year old patient who endures
lengthy hospitalizations following liver and
renal transplantation. When introduced to
dance and movement, he found new ways to
express excitement and frustration during
admissions.”
- Amy Bullock, Director, Child Dev. Services
Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA
A Gift To Remember
This past December, The Andréa
Rizzo Foundation escorted a pediatric
patient who participates in Dréa's
Dream at Memorial Sloan-Kettering
Cancer Center, NYC to the Radio City
Music Hall Christmas Spectacular.
Patient, Luke Rosoto of Long Island, NY
was joined by his Mom and twin
brother. The Garden of Dreams Foundation (of Madison Square Garden
Entertainment) presented this generous gift of orchestra seats for the
whole family.
The incredible VIP treatment that
Radio City Music Hall, General Manager, Richard Claffey gave to this special family was filled to the brim and
overflowing with kindness. They were
met at the stage door with their tickets
all set to go. Between feeding the camels backstage and then meeting some
"real live" Rockettes, it was a magical
event not to be believed.
The boys actually got to go straight
to Santa's dressing room and Santa
somehow already knew their names
and what they had done all year! Mr.
Claffey had goodie bags for them
filled with baseball caps and t-shirts
and it sounds like he would have offered them the world if he could have.
Of course the show was SPECTACULAR, but Mr. Claffey and his staff at
Radio City Music Hall made sure that a
treasured memory was created for
Luke that he will remember for a long,
long time.
Continue the Dream … Your Donations
For those who cannot attend our special events but would like to make a tax deductible donation to
The Andréa Rizzo Foundation, please visit our website at www.DreasDream.org or send a check
payable to: The Andréa Rizzo Foundation, 10 East Beach Road, Charlestown, RI 02813. Thank you
for helping children with cancer and special needs through the power of dance therapy.
If you would like to make a special “Angel” donation in honor of someone’s memory or as a gift to a
“Star” in your life, please visit our website for more information. A beautiful personalized certificate
and note will be sent in that person’s name. All donations are tax deductible.
The Andréa Rizzo
Foundation
looks forward to
making many
more dreams
come true for
young cancer
patients.
Page 4
The Andréa Rizzo Foundation
7th Annual Andréa Rizzo Foundation Golf Classic
The 7th annual Andréa Rizzo Foundation Golf Classic was held on October
27, 2008, at the beautiful Woodmere
Club in Woodmere, New York. Once
again we had another sunny day for our
wonderful and loyal golfers. Don Mollitor, General Manager of the Woodmere
club and Andréa’s uncle organized a
great day of golf. We were honored to
have representatives from Memorial
Sloan-Kettering Development Office
represent the hospital and address the
crowd, sharing with us how each year
our program touches more and more
patients and how the response is overwhelming. None of this would be possible without the continued support of all
of you.
This year our Auctioneer Ed Kline did
a great job in raising funds through the
generosity of many club managers who
donated foursomes to our live auction.
Our 50/50 raffle winner Barbara Caporaso so generously donated back her
winnings. George Bassil of Custom
Monogram Shoppe in Franklin Square
continues to overwhelm us with his continued support and generosity. This year
he supplied each
golfer with a
beautiful blanket
m on og r amm e d
with our logo. As
always,
Brian
Fern of Pearsall
Station in Lynbrook provided a
buffet for the
golfers after the
event.
Don Mollitor
An event like this could not run as
smoothly without the support of our
dedicated volunteers. Once again Rich
and Gail Mauch, Roberta Tarulli, Mary
Orgera along with many family members
manned the raffle and check in stations.
Words can’t express our appreciation
to the Woodmere Club for their extreme
generosity and continued support in
allowing us the use of their beautiful
facility for our biggest fund raising event
of the year.
Andrea’s grandfather, Vince Bitetto (center
in photo) is joined by fellow golfers.
The core of this event is the love, support and generosity displayed by so
many wonderful friends and supporters.
We thank each and every one of you.
Mike Battaglia (left) and law firm, Skadden,
Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom, LLP give
countless hours to our cause. He is joined by
Foundation President Susan Rizzo Vincent
and MSKCC representatives.
L to R: Andréa’s mother, Susan is joined by
Andréa’s aunt, Marilou Bitetto, Mary Orgera
and cousin, Jami Longo.
Dedicated volunteers L to R: Gail Mauch, Jeff
Cowell and Rich Mauch
Andréa’s grandmother, Gloria Bitetto, aunt
Jill Mollitor and volunteer Roberta Tarulli
SAVE THE DATE!
Golf Classic - OCTOBER 26, 2009
CUT HERE & RETURN WITH YOUR CHECK PAYABLE TO: ANDRÉA RIZZO FOUNDATION, 10 East Beach Rd., Charlestown, RI 02813
Drawing to be held: August 16, 2009 at the 2009 Cliff Walk-a-thon at Salve Regina University, Newport, RI
WIN an iPod Classic
$5.00 per ticket OR 5 tickets for $20.00
BENEFITS DRÉA’S DREAM
Name: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Address: ____________________________________________________________________________ Zip: _____________________
Phone: ______________________________ # of tickets _____________ Amt. enclosed: ______________________
Page 5
2008 Cliff Walk-a-thon & Dance Celebration: Walk for the Children
The annual Andréa
Rizzo
Foundation’s
Annual “Walk for the
Children” was again a
wonderful and huge
success. Friends, family members, and
many supporters gathered again to honor
the memory of Andréa
by walking the Newport Cliff Walk and
watching the wonderful dance performances at Rodgers Recreation Center Salve Regina University on August 17,
2008. We are extremely grateful to Salve
Regina University, Andréa’s alma mater,
for donating this magnificent site each
year. It was especially poignant as the
walk marked what would have been
Andréa’s 31st birthday.
This year our event was sponsored by
Olympic Gold Medalist Kristi Yamaguchi’s
Always Dream Foundation. There were
exciting autographed raffle prizes donated
by Kristi Yamaguchi, actress Jane Seymour
and Dancing With the Stars making this a
very special event.
Cliff Walk-a-thon and Dance Celebration Committee Members gather together at the event.
Front row (L-R): Barbara Pomfret, Nancy Heagney, Lee Ann Hooper, Maureen West, Jen Moitoso, Katie Dugan and baby Kieran, Martha Lynch.
Back row (L-R): Rose Donner, Michael Pugh,
Kerri Green, Terry Schimmel, Mary Jane Traska,
Shelia Enos, Aldo Passarelli, Claudette Downey,
Sarah Puerini, Mckenzie Kelly, Carol Kelly, Faith
MacDonald, Susan Rizzo Vincent.
Rosemary School of Dance
Andréa’s proud family
We were thrilled to have fourteen different teams walk with us this year! Each team
walked with a special banner provided by
the Foundation which represented its special organization, cause, or memory of a
loved one.
Everyone who came out for the event
enjoyed the brilliant and energetic dance
performances. We were honored by the
appearance of Ashley Audet, the 2008 top
pledge raiser of our “Dance Across America” fund-raising initiative, as well as dancers from Nelia Lawton’s Providence Ballroom & Jazz Project, Gladding School of
Dance, and Rosemary School of Dance.
Thanks to all these talented dancers for
providing such marvelous entertainment
and donating their time and talent to a
cause that is close to their hearts.
Thank you to the many community businesses that donated items and gift certificates for the bountiful raffle baskets and
prizes. The iPod Classic raffle, won by
Cheri Rivard-Lentz of CT was a big hit!
We look forward to seeing all our supporters at the 2009 Andréa Rizzo Foundation “Walk for the Children” along Newport’s scenic Cliff Walk overlooking Narragansett Bay! SAVE THE DATE!
SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2009
Win an iPod!
See raffle ticket p. 4
Our Supportive Teams
L-R: Madison and Meghan Cullinan and
Andréa’s cousins Makenzi Mollitor and
Justin Bitetto lend a hand.
*** Team raised over $500 in pledges
♦
Puerini’s on Parade ***
♦
Barbara Dugan’s Beach Babes
& Beach Bums ***
♦
SRU Dance ~ Salve Regina University ***
♦
General Federation of Women’s Clubs ***
♦
Gladding School of Dance
♦
Dréa’s Dream
♦
American Dance Therapy Association
♦
The Andréa Rizzo Foundation Young Leaders
♦
The 92 Crew
♦
In Memory of Leanne Gannon
♦
Autism
♦
Rosemary School of Dance Education
♦
D-A-D Designate a Driver
♦
Team “Breath”- Colleen Finlay
Former MSKCC patient, Jonathan
Walker (left) and family enjoy the event.
Gladding School of Dance
Page 6
The Andréa Rizzo Foundation
DANCE ACROSS AMERICA ™
This is the 4th year of our Dance Across America fundraising initiative. Dancers across the country are combining DANCE and COMPASSION to make a difference
in the lives of fragile children by holding dance-a-thons
and benefit performances. This offers dancers of all ages
an opportunity to unite for a worthy cause. We thank
EVERLAST WOMEN’S WEAR for providing fabulous
EVERLAST prizes to our top pledge raisers! In addition,
the top pledge raiser’s photo will appear in the October
issue of Dance Studio Life magazine along with the
names of all the participating dance companies/dance
schools and their top pledge raisers. We thank each and
every dancer for … letting their hearts move their feet!
DANCE ACROSS AMERICA PARTICIPANTS:
* Linton Dance ~ Dobbs Ferry, NY
* City Dance Academy ~ Perth Amboy, NJ
* South Jersey Performing Arts Group LLC ~ Stratford, NJ
Just Dance! Dance Company,
Framingham, MA
Art in Motion, N. Kingston, RI
Dance Across America
2009
Top Pledge Raisers
* The Champagne Girls ~ Branchville, NJ
* Higher Ground Dance Co. at Purdue University ~ IN
Announced!
* SRU Dance at Salve Regina University ~ Newport, RI
1st Place: Ashley Audet
* Nelia Lawton’s Providence Ballroom & Jazz Project ~ RI
City Dance Academy, NJ
* Gladding School of Dance ~ Newport, RI
2nd Place: Michelle Gaudreau
* New England / American Dance Therapy Association
New England ADTA
3rd Place:
* Just Dance! Dance Company ~ Framingham, MA
Morgan Lewis
* Art in Motion ~ North Kingstown, RI
* Thomas J. McCann Woodside I.S. 125 ~ Woodside, NY
South Jersey Performing Arts, NJ
Abby Sawyer
* Rosemary School of Dance, Warren, RI
Art in Motion, RI
* Steps Alive ~ Franklin Square, NY
Top Benefit Performance:
Higher Ground Dance Co.
Purdue University, IN
City Dance Academy, NJ
* Tracie Stanfield Benefit Class at Manhattan Movement &
Arts Center, NY
Check out www.Dance-Across-America.com
for more details and to sign up for
Dance Across America 2010!
A BIG Thank You to
Dance Across America Committee Members
Barbara Pomfret, Faith MacDonald, Claudette Downey,
Gabrielle Shultis, Lynn Audet and Sarah Puerini.
Higher Ground Dance Company at Purdue University, IN
Top Fundraising Performance!
Page 7
LET YOUR HEART MOVE YOUR FEET ™
Top
Pledge Raising
Dance-a-thon
Dréa’s Dream ♥
Memorial Sloan-Kettering
Cancer Center, NYC
City Dance Academy, Perth Amboy, NJ
NEADTA
New England
American Dance Therapy Assoc.
Nelia Lawton’s Providence
Ballroom and Dance Project
Providence, RI
Linton Dance, Ardsley, NY
Ashley Audet
Thomas J. McCann Woodside I.S. 125,
Woodside, NY
The Champagne Girls, Branchville, NJ
City Dance Academy,
South Jersey
Performing Arts Group LLC,
Stratford, NJ
Perth Amboy, NJ
GRAND PRIZE
WINNER
SRU Dance
at Salve Regina University, RI
Page 8
The Andréa Rizzo Foundation
Beyond the Dream … Reaching Out
We are proud to announce that our
premier expansion program will bring
the gift of dance to the children at the
J.M. Rapport School for Career Development in the NYC Public School
System. By funding AileyDance Kids
for a weeklong residency provided by
The Andréa Rizzo Foundation, we look
forward to a long relationship with Alvin Ailey Arts in Education. CoDirector, Heather McCartney states:
“We know and have witnessed the restorative spirit dance has made in the
lives of the students we serve and their
families. Both organizations can attest to
the benefits of self-awareness, selfesteem and sense of accomplishment
dance and movement have made in the
lives of young people with cancer or are
learning disabled. When Ailey says
“dance is for everybody”…we mean
every body, regardless of ability or affliction.”
Only those programs that actively
engage children with cancer and special needs in the healing effects of
dance will be considered for our expansion program.
THE GIFT OF DANCE SPREADS
Drea’s Dream Programming
ACROSS AMERICA
Pediatric Medical Centers
Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA Dance
Therapist, Lori Baudino, Psy.D., ADTR
(see far right in photo below) leads a
group of children with Carrie Ann Inaba.
Courtesy of Reed Hutchinson
To enable us to reach many more
fragile children through the power of
dance, The Andréa Rizzo Foundation is
expanding beyond funding their dance
therapy programming and embracing
all forms of dance as expressive movement that promotes inner healing and
positive transformation in children’s
lives. By unifying the efforts of all those
in the dance community, we know that
we will have a more far reaching effect
on our target population….children with
cancer and special education needs.
Drea’s Dream is now at Massachusetts
General Hospital Pediatric Epilepsy Program and Herscot Center for Tuberous
Sclerosis Complex. Dance Therapist
Jean Basiner, MA, DTR has brought the
gift of dance each Sunday to young children (see photo below). The New England Chapter of the American Dance
Therapy Association helped to fund this
program by holding a “Dance Across
America” event at THE PLACE in Boston.
California
Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
(planning stages)
Connecticut
Connecticut Children’s Medical Center
Soundbridge Center for the Hearing
Impaired
Florida
St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital
Massachusetts
Massachusetts General Hospital
New York
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Ronald McDonald House
Rhode Island
Hasbro Children’s Medical Center
Public Schools
Connecticut
Memorial Elementary School
Indiana
Glen Acres Elementary School
New Jersey
Herbert Richardson 21st Century School
Ignazio Cruz Early Childhood Center
New York
John Street School
J.M. Rapport School for Career Development
Rhode Island
Narragansett Elementary School
West Warwick High School
City Dance Academy supports our programs in
the Perth Amboy, NJ Public Schools.
Standing L to R: Brandon & Lynn Audet, Supt. of
Schools John Rodecker, City Dance Director
Jamale Graves, Susan Rizzo Vincent, Amber
Sporer, Ashley Audet and young CDA dancers.
With a $10,000 grant from the Ronald McDonald House Charities of
the New York Tri-State Area we were able to expand Drea’s Dream
dance/movement therapy programs at the following locations: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, John Street School, Franklin
Square, NY, Herbert N. Richardson School, Perth Amboy, NJ, Ronald
McDonald House, NYC. We were also able to initiate a new program at Garden City Middle School, LI, NY. So many fragile children benefited because of the generosity of the RMDH Charities of the New York
Tri-State Area. We are thrilled to spread the gift of dance therapy across America.
Page 9
The “Bounce” in Our Dance: Those Who Support Our Dream
Carrie Ann Inaba
“Gives the Clothes Off Her
Back”
For Dréa’s Dream
Our National Celebrity Spokesperson, Carrie Ann Inaba finds
unique ways to help The Andréa
Rizzo Foundation that are beyond
our wildest dreams. Carrie Ann
created a wonderful “Dancing With
the Stars Experience Package” that
was recently auctioned off on the
website www.clothesoffourback.org
and she has designated that the proceeds go to The Andréa Rizzo Foundation in support of Dréa’s Dream at
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer
Center, NYC. She has done this in
honor of her mother who was recently treated at MSKCC. The auction package included a gown designed especially for Carrie Ann by
renowned designer Randolph Duke
and worn by Carrie Ann on the
opening night of Season VIII of the
popular TV show, Dancing With the
Stars.
In addition to the dress, Carrie
Ann arranged for the winner to receive a pair of gold Carlos Santana
shoes, a yellow gold D. Side
Damiani necklace, two tickets to the
Dancing with the Stars show finale, a
meet and greet with Carrie Ann at
the finale and a pair of jewels by
Damiani.
Carrie Ann raised $12,500 which
will be presented to the Foundation
for Dréa’s Dream, the pediatric
dance therapy program at Memorial
Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
Carrie Ann continues to promote our
cause in all media outlets including
The Bonnie Hunt Show, E! TV, Billy
Bush, People.com, and ET Online.
Look for these and any upcoming
announcements about Carrie Ann on
the home page of our Foundation
website at www.DreasDream.org.
Jennifer Whitley, member of The Andréa
Rizzo Foundation, designed a fundraising
event to support Dréa’s Dream at MSKCC
with the help of a dedicated and tireless
committee. heart&feet showcases several
NYC dance companies that exemplify the
highest standard of expression through
movement. This event highlights dancers
and choreographers that use the language
of dance to bring a voice to special causes.
On June 5, 2008, dance companies Synthesis Dance Project, The Next Stage Project
and Naganuma Dance performed throughout the night to a crowd that filled a 3,000
square foot loft space with spectacular
views of Manhattan. The attendees were
enthralled by the awe-inspiring talent and
performances of these compassionate dancers.
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center’s Administrator of Pediatrics, Nina
Pickett along with the President of the NY
Chapter of the American Dance Therapy
Association gave our supporters testimony
as to the healing effects of dance/movement
therapy, as did the parents of one of our
patients.
heart&feet 2008 committee members
Friends from Memorial SloanKettering Cancer Center at
heart&feet
L to R: Susanne Hershowitz, Ilana
Pickett , Nina Pickett with Susan Rizzo
Vincent and Simone Zappa
Fabulous raffle and silent auction prizes
were donated including a football signed
by the NY GIANTS 2008 Super Bowl Champions, tickets to a Yankees game and our
highest bids went for two separate weeks at
Rose and Michael Pugh’s oceanfront home
on Isla Mujeres, Mexico.
We thank Jennifer, along with Fred
Colen, Ana Gallegos, Sarah Wasserman,
Mike Kirtley, Lauren Yuen, Jennifer Cho,
Lauren Schaeffer and Kelly Nichols, for all of
they did to make this event a success.
Joined by Kim Rice, Lauren Zucker, Jonathan Hecht, Jillian Eid and Jo-Anne Rubin,
they are working hard to produce an even
bigger and better evening of cocktails, hors
d’oeuvres and live performances by Synthesis Dance Project and Border Crossing
Collective and more! Mark your calendar!
We look forward to seeing you at
heart&feet 09’ on June 18, 2009 at 7pm at
EMI Music, 150 Fifth Ave., 10th floor, NYC.
We are grateful to EMI Music for donating
this year’s venue … a fabulous outdoor rooftop space in the heart of Manhattan.
Tickets for this event can be purchased
online at: www.DreasDream.org/events.
Synthesis Dance Project
Page 10
The Andréa Rizzo Foundation
Young Leaders Continue the Dream
The future of The Andréa Rizzo Foundation looks bright.
Many young people have contributed their time and energy to help us achieve our goal.
* Salve Regina University Work Study Students, Sarah Puerini and Mckenzie Kelly with the assistance of senior Lauren Wood
guided our many freshman Community Service Volunteers during fundraising events and many other important tasks. They were
joined by Gabrielle Shultis our Salve Regina University intern who worked as our Dance Across America Press Correspondent.
(see photos)
*At Narragansett Elementary School, the very school where Andréa was a Special Education teacher, Mrs. Preston’s 4th
Graders had a book sale and all the proceeds went to The Andréa Rizzo Foundation.
*Madison and Meghan Cullinan, once again traveled from NJ to attend our Walk for the Children in Newport, RI and worked
hard to fill all the orders for their beautiful hand-woven bracelets.
*Makenzi Mollitor, Andréa’s cousin worked for weeks to create little ceramic dancers in tutus and sold them to interested walkers at our Walk for the Children in Newport, RI. She donated all of the proceeds to the total funds raised that day! (see photo)
*Many Rhode Island high school seniors focused their Senior Class Project on The Andréa Rizzo Foundation’s mission. Alex
Renshaw, a long time Foundation Volunteer decided to add a fundraising component to his Senior Project…a Dodge Ball Tournament held at Rogers High School in Newport, RI. (see photo)
*When Madison Cullinan celebrated her birthday this year, she wanted to do something special for children in need. She
asked that her guests bring a brand new Teddy Bear to her party so that she could bring a beautiful assortment of Teddy Bears to
the children who participate in Dréa’s Dream at the Ronald McDonald House, NYC.
Morgan Lewis is a six year old dancer at South Jersey Performing Arts LLC in New Jersey. She sat at church each Sunday with
her presentation board (see photo below) and told the story of The Andréa Rizzo Foundation. Her goal was to double the
pledges she had raised last year for our Dance Across America Initiative. Morgan exceeded her goal. We are so proud of her!
A BIG thank you to all these wonderful young leaders who continue to support The Andréa Rizzo Foundation’s mission!
Makenzi Mollitor
Alex Renshaw
Sarah Puerini
Morgan Lewis
Mackenzie Kelly, Gabrielle Shultis
with Katie Dugan, Foundation VP
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE ANDRÉA RIZZO FOUNDATION
“I applaud the Andréa Rizzo
Foundation’s dedication to
medically fragile children,
bringing Dréa’s Dream to
Mattel Children’s Hospital
UCLA in an effort to promote
healing during lengthy
hospitalization.”
- Amy Bullock, Director, Child
Development Services, Mattel
Children’s Hospital, UCLA
“Dréa’s Dream brings the physical, emotional and psychotherapeutic benefits of
dance therapy to many children here at the Ronald McDonald House in NYC.”
- Fordham Murdy, Program Director, Ronald McDonald House, NY
“The ‘power of dance’ is evident in the smiles of our students as they begin each
dance therapy session. It has improved the emotional well-being, self-esteem,
spatial awareness, socialization and communication skills of our students.”
- Maura Gallagher, Dir. of Special Education Franklin Square School District, NY
“The teachers have told us numerous heartwarming stories of children, especially those with Autism,
who are unable to communicate
verbally but respond to the dance
therapist with smiles and attempts
at vocal communication.”
- Lynn Audet, Teacher and
Dance Therapy Coordinator
Herbert N. Richardson School,
Perth Amboy, NJ
Page 11
Experiencing the Dream
THANK YOU
Check out our website at:
JANE SEYMOUR
Jane Seymour has once again
supported us in a very special way.
Not only did she mention “our
story” in an interview on the popular
talk show, The View on February 4,
2009, but she included “our story”
in her beautiful new book Open
Hearts (page 91 in the book).
On February 28 2009, Foundation
members were invited to attend
Jane’s art exhibit at the NYC ART
EXPO. It turned out to be a very
special event for Foundation President, Susan Rizzo Vincent as Jane
bestowed upon her an Open Heart
necklace in honor of Susan’s quest
to turn a great loss into something
that will help others … namely children with cancer and special needs.
We are so honored to be included in
Jane Seymour’s book of inspiring
stories, prose and poetry.
Top, Andrea’s family and Jane
Seymour. Bottom L to R: Susan Rizzo
Vincent, Nina Pickett of MSKCC, Jane
Seymour and Simone Zappa of
NY Presbyterian Hospital
www.DreasDream.org
Visit our website and read all about the
Foundation’s growth and expansion as
we spread the gift of dance/movement
therapy far and wide.
Left, Jane Seymour presents Susan Rizzo Vincent
with an Open Heart necklace. Right, Susan Nagy
Luks, Art Director of Jane Seymour’s Coral Canyon
Publishing with Susan Rizzo Vincent
Susan Rizzo Vincent,
Foundation
President receives a
Citation of Merit
honoring
Dréa’s
Dream,
from
RichardO’Reilly,
M.D., Chairman of
the Dept. of Pediatrics at Memorial
Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center in
NYC.
The Andréa Rizzo Foundation is
proud to announce it’s membership
in Unity of America’s Dance Organizations, Inc. This organization was
founded by Rhee Gold and we thank
him for the attention that he has
brought to our Foundation on DanceLifeTV.com and Dance Studio Life
magazine (see www.DreasDream.org
to view both).
Check out all the exciting links on our
website featuring national press coverage about this year’s happenings.
A VERY SPECIAL GIFT
When Ashley Audet of Perth Amboy, NJ
won our 2008 Dance Across America
grand prize of VIP tickets to Dancing With
the Stars, she selflessly gave them to her
friend Casey Stover of Pennsylvania. Casey had recently undergone many surgeries and Ashley knew that this prize would
brighten her life.
L to R: Season VI winner of Dancing With the
Stars Kristi Yamaguchi, Casey Stover, dancer
Mark Ballas, Casey’s mother Linda, Andréa’s
uncle, Gary Bitetto and Foundation President
Susan Rizzo Vincent pose for a photo after
the show.
“Having a psychosocial intervention (Drea’s
Dream) to complement medication gives the
patient and family a sense of control over
pain, which maximizes coping and
adjustment.”
- Nina Pickett, Administrator of Pediatrics
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, NYC
The Andréa Rizzo Foundation
www.DreasDream.org
10 East Beach Road
Charlestown, RI 02813
Non Profit
U.S.
Postage
PAID
Newport, RI
02840
Permit 286
401.952.2423
[email protected]
LET YOUR HEART º MOVE YOUR FEET ™
Dréa’s Dream
Our Mission
The Andréa Rizzo Foundation will foster
Andréa’s dream of providing dance therapy for
children with cancer and special needs.
We are a 501(c)(3)non-profit, tax exempt
organization dedicated to the growth and success of
Dréa’s Dream, a pediatric dance therapy/expressive
movement program for children with cancer and
special needs in hospitals and public schools across
the nation.
President’s Message
The one word that comes to mind when I reflect on this past year is INSPIRATION! I continue to be deeply moved and inspired by the inherent goodness
and generosity of others. As more hearts are touched by our gift of dance therapy and expressive movement, our mission is supported far and wide. When
Andréa’s dream was first put into motion, I never imagined that the gift of dance therapy and expressive movement for children would be so far reaching and
shared across the country in so many special ways. VIP trips for children with cancer to Dancing With the Stars and Radio City Music Hall are examples of
how others have been inspired by the Foundation’s mission and have come forth to share their compassion and generosity. Carrie Ann Inaba, our National
Celebrity Spokesperson, is one such person giving national exposure to our cause through her kindness and giving spirit ~ truly an inspiration.
As I meet young dancers who have participated in our Dance Across America initiative, I continually hear them say
to me, “I want to be a dance therapist!” I am touched that Dréa’s Dream is inspiring those who share the same love of
dance that Andréa embraced. It inspires me to want to do more. Recently, I had the honor of attending Purdue University’s Higher Ground Dance Company’s annual benefit dance performance for The Andréa Rizzo Foundation. After the
show, a beautiful young dancer approached me and shared the story of her recent diagnosis of cancer. In tears, she
expressed that her greatest desire was to continue dancing despite the possible loss of her leg due to the cancer. She
asked if it would be possible to participate in Dréa’s Dream so that she could “keep dancing.” Because of your continued support, I was able to give her the answer she hoped for. Together we can make dreams come true. Please
accept my sincerest thanks for keeping Andréa’s dream dancing on.
Newsletter Designer: Barbara Ulkus © 2009
Susan Rizzo Vincent
Andréa and her mother, Susan
Photography Coordinator: Jill Mollitor