Sunday, April 15th @ 11am
Woodlake Country Club, Lakewood NJ.
Door price $40

Life can be funny. Everyday life is filled with obstacles and challenges that test the faith of even the most optimistic person. The secret to remaining positive is to look for the jewels that surround us. A jewel is not necessarily an object or thing of value. It can be something as simple as the sound of a baby  laughing, a beautiful rainbow AFTER the storm, or the voice of a comfortable friend. There are many distractions in our daily lives to consume our thoughts and cause us to overlook these wonderful everyday occurrences.

The way you look at the glass of life is a conscious choice! Challenge yourself to be not so willing to accept the glass as half empty, but rather, consciously shift your perspective to view it as half full.
Greet each new day by looking forward to the possibilities ahead and reflect only upon the positive things in your life. Change your day to day routine and take charge of the things in your life that you can control and simply release the things that you cannot change. The result may surprise you, when you and others, begin to see the contrast of your new improved outlook.

So, tomorrow when you wake up…take a deep breath, close your eyes, and visualize your life the way you want it to be and practice living in gratitude!

Photo credit: Contrail

It is very possible you can. Bone Marrow and Stem Cell donation are a unique opportunity to give someone the gift of life. More than 10,000 children and adults each year rely on the generosity of these donations to save their lives.

What are Bone Marrow and Stem Cell donation?

• A majority of bone marrow donations are done using a non-invasive procedure where blood is taken out of a donor, the stem cells are removed, and the remaining platelets are re-injected into the donor's body. This is called a peripheral blood stem cell donation. To increase the number of blood-forming cells in the bloodstream, medicine injections are given for five days. The procedure generally requires two outpatient stays in the hospital.
  
  
• The other, less common method consists of liquid marrow being collected straight from the bone via a hollow needle. It is done under anesthesia and the donor may experience some discomfort afterwards, but this is usually temporary and does not cause any long-term side effects.
  
  
• Expectant mothers can choose to donate umbilical cord blood. No blood is taken from you or your baby, only from the umbilical cord itself after your baby is born. Your labor and delivery are not affected.

As if the words, “your child has cancer” are not devastating enough, imagine not being able to pay for your child's treatment and being faced with losing your home. This nightmare started for the Reed Family in September of 2010 when their 5-year-old son, Aidan was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Aidan’s parents Katie and Wiley were devastated by the diagnosis, but were given hope when experts said the type of cancer Aidan had came with a 90% cure rate. But while such early news was reassuring, Aidan, nevertheless, needed care immediately. So, over the next few months Aidan’s cancer treatment required weeks of chemotherapy, spinal taps and other painful procedures. After several months of treatment and faced with mounting medical bills, the Reed Family made the decision to put their home on the market to pay for Aidan’s continuing care.