Gilda's Club

GILDA'S CLUB

This year's committee continued to host events at Gilda’s Club. The committee plans and provides dinner, crafts, and entertainment for Gilda’s Club members and their families. More importantly, we touch the lives of individuals and families dealing with cancer, and help them put aside (if only for a few hours) the daily struggle of dealing with this dreaded disease in a loved one. We have had about 250 members of Gilda’s Club attend one or more of the 4 events this year (Halloween Party, Holiday Party, Pajama Party and the Cinco de Mayo Fiesta. With a limited budget, one of our key roles has been to secure donations of food, entertainment, and crafts. We would like to thank our very generous sponsors for their donations to support the Family Night events at Gilda’s Club. This year completes the JLR’s three-year commitment to Gilda’s Club for this project. We are working with Gilda’s Club to provide a smooth transition of the project to them in May, once all of the family night events have been completed for this year. If you have any interest in volunteering at Gilda’s Club, please contact Lindsey Long, Project Coordinator at Gilda’s Club.

The Christie Simonetti Award for Outstanding Volunteer was presented to the Junior League of Rochester, by Gilda’s Club Rochester & Cancer Action, Inc., on May 31, 2005. At the 2005 Gilda’s Club Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon, the Junior League was recognized for the volunteer work done throughout the year. The JLR was proud to partner with Gilda’s Club for a second straight year. The JLR held 6 fantastic events during our partnership with Gilda’s Club this year. We were able to accomplish this through the tireless efforts of the committee members and JLR volunteers. This creative group of women came up with unique ideas for each themed event. It was through the drive and dedication of these individuals, the generous contributions from our community partners, and the support of the Junior League that we were able to touch the lives of those living with cancer, giving them hope, friendship, and most importantly a reason to continue the fight.	(from left to right: Diane Pfister, Anne Chew, Lindsey Long, Rene Vurarro, and Jill Pranger)
Volunteer for an evening and help spread the magic! “Laissez les bon temp roules” (“Let the good times roll”) and so it did on Thursday, February 18, 2005 as the JLR Gilda’s Club committee hosted the 4th in a series of six events held at Gilda’s Club of Rochester. Over 50 Gilda’s Club members arrived for a Mardi Gras party, where they were greeted by JLR volunteers with Mardi Gras beads, festive Zydeco music, and a down home southern feast complete with New Orleans Mardi Gras specialty “King’s Cake”. After dinner the revelers were able to make a Mardi Gras mask (complete with feathers and sequins), learn how to juggle, and get a tattoo, all the while being entertained by a juggling jester. Alexander Street could have been confused with Bourbon Street when the younger revelers paraded through the halls of Gilda’s Club, sporting their beads and masks. Applause and cheers all around, as the evening concluded with a rousing piñata game. And so the night ended with families together, laughing and dancing and simply smiling!

1 man in a red suit 5 carols sung with Santa 75 cookies decorated with care 130 lives touched by JLR volunteers The Junior League of Rochester was proud to hold its 2nd annual Holiday Party at Gilda’s Club on December 16, 2004. This event was the 3rd in a series of 6, being held by the JLR Gilda’s Club committee. Gilda’s Club of Rochester is a free, non-profit support community for anyone touched by cancer. The JLR Gilda’s Club committee touches the lives of those living with cancer. The focus of the committee is to provide an atmosphere where members of Gilda’s Club can come with their family and friends, and celebrate life. JLR volunteers at Gilda’s Club help brighten the days of participants by providing a delicious meal, doing arts, crafts, and games with the kids while the adults who attend have the opportunity to visit and relax. The JLR Gilda’s Club will be holding 3 more events to be held during the Spring of 2005. Come help us make days brighter for those affected by cancer, volunteer today! For more information on Gilda’s Club of Rochester click here