UNION COUNTY JOINS WITH MIKE PETERS OF THE ALARM AND THE VALERIE FUND IN CHARITY ANNOUNCEMENT ON TUESDAY FOR ROCK ON! WALKATHON & 5K ROCK N’ RUN

SUMMIT---Mike Peters, of the rock group The Alarm, joined with Union County officials on Tuesday afternoon in announcing The Valerie Fund as one of the beneficiaries of the Rock On! Walkathon & 5K Rock N’ Run.

Peters, a two-time cancer survivor and a founder of the charity Love Hope Strength Foundation (www.lovehopestrength.org) toured The Valerie Fund facility at Overlook Hospital, visiting with families and staff, and held a press announcement with Union County government officials, including the County Manager, and representatives of The Valerie Fund, including Executive Director Barry Kirschner.

“On behalf of the Love Hope Strength Foundation, I would like to once again thank the Freeholder Board and the County for their support in allowing us to partner for this benefit,” said Peters. “This will allow our foundation to provide critical funding globally for cancer centers worldwide through our foundation, and help children locally with cancer and blood disorders in New Jersey through The Valerie Fund.”

Peters is a two-time cancer survivor and a founder of the charity Love Hope Strength Foundation (www.lovehopestrength.org). The Valerie Fund (www.thevaleriefund.org) is a not-for-profit organization established to provide support for the comprehensive health care of children with cancer and blood disorders. The Rock On! Walkathon and 5K Rock N’ Run (www.ucmusicfest.com) will be held on Saturday, September 6th at Musicfest ’08 at Nomahegan Park in Cranford with registration at 7:30 a.m., followed by a 9 a.m. run start, and a 9:15 a.m. walk start.

The Rock on! Walkathon and 5k Rock N’ Run (www.ucmusicfest.com) will be held on the morning of Saturday, September 6th at Musicfest ’08 at Nomahegan Park in Cranford.

The Rock on! Walkathon and 5k Rock N’ Run (on a certified USATF course) will precede Union County MusicFest ’08, with registration at 7:30 a.m., and 9 a.m. run start, 9:15 a.m. walk start.

The Valerie Fund (www.thevaleriefund.org) is a not-for-profit organization established to provide support for the comprehensive health care of children with cancer and blood disorders.

The Valerie Fund provides support for the comprehensive health care for children with cancer and blood disorders. The fund maintains eight centers in the tri-state area, including its original location in Summit at Overlook Hospital.

“It is an honor to partner with Union County, the Freeholder Board and the Love Hope Strength Foundation,” said Valerie Fund Executive Director Barry Kirschner. “Through this partnership, we will be able to do more to help children and their families who suffer from cancer and blood disorders and make a huge difference in their lives.”

The Valerie Fund will use the donations to provide transportation for needy families to cancer care, as well as provide for a “Community medicine chest” to help families without drug plans who cannot afford the high cost of oncology drugs. The money will also be used to begin a neuropsychological testing program for children off treatment, who exhibit late effects of chemotherapy.

The Valerie Fund is a non-profit organization established in 1976 in memory of nine-year-old Valerie Goldstein by her parents, Ed and Sue, who saw the need for making quality outpatient care available close to a child’s home. They realized that parents and their sick children should not have to contend with exhaustive commutes to reach adequate medical care. Their grass-roots effort began in their basement with the help of friends and family.

The Valerie Fund’s Children’s Centers now comprise the largest network of health care facilities for children with cancer and blood disorders in New Jersey and is one of the largest in the nation. The centers hosts approximately 28,000 patient visits each year.

Last year, the fundraising walk raised more than $75,000 for both the Love Hope Strength Foundation, and the New Jersey Citizens Coalition for Cures, a statewide not-for-profit organization dedicated to educating the public about the importance and potential benefits of stem cell research.

In the event of rain, MusicFest will be held at Kean University, however the Rock on! Walkathon and 5K Rock N’ Run will continue to be held in Cranford.

http://www.ucmusicfest.com/news.html#UNION%20COUNTY%20J...THE%20VALERIE%20FUND