Valerie Sobel, Founder and President of the Andre Sobel River of Life Foundation, was honored this last week at the second annual “Women Who Make A Difference Award” by Town & Country Magazine.  Sobel was honored for her inspirational and visionary work founding the only national nonprofit that provides urgent financial assistance to single parents of catastrophically ill children so that the parent can remain by the child’s bedside. Financial relief is provided within 24 hours.

Town & Country has partnered with Longines, the Swiss watch company, to celebrate extraordinary women who have made an impact on children’s lives.

Sobel was recognized at a prestigious awards dinner at the Hearst Tower in New York City on September 1, hosted by tennis legend, philanthropist and Longines ambassador Stefanie Graf and Town & Country Editor-at-Large Pamela Fiori.  As part of the honor, the Andre Sobel River of Life Foundation will be featured in the magazine’s February 2011 issue.

See news coverage of the event here: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=134963

“When a child has a medical crisis or is faced with a terminal diagnosis, it is not business as usual,” says Sobel.  “Compassion can’t wait when the family’s finances also spiral into crisis and the struggling parent must choose between working or being with their child,”–a choice Sobel believes no parent should have to make.  ”If we can ease a moment’s pain for a family, we will not hesitate or procrastinate,” she emphasizes.

Town & Country (www.townandcountrymag.com) is America’s longest continuously published general-interest magazine. Today, it is the premier luxury lifestyle magazine in America, edited for the country’s most sophisticated, affluent and accomplished women. Watchmaker Longines can look back on more than 175 years of non-stop craftsmanship, as well as a solid heritage as timekeeper for world championships in various sports and collaborator with different international sports federations.

We are excited to share this honor, and thank you for your continued support of the Andre Sobel River of Life Foundation and our community of single parent families.   As Valerie says, “To see with the heart is to know what is essential, and to help as one breathes is to help with urgency and without effort.”

ASRL has been selected as a recipient of a $500.00 Associates in Action grant through the Kohl’s Department Store in Moreno Valley. Thanks Kohl’s!

If you are in the California Inland Empire area, come visit us in Claremont tonight at the weekly street festival, starting at 5 p.m. Meet our wonderful team of interns and find out ways to become more involved.

The festival is located off Second Street and Indian Hill Blvd.

Hope to see you there!

The Andre Sobel River of Life Foundation is thankful to have supporters like NFL Star and Dad Lorenzo Neal. Check out a video below of Lorenzo Neal talking about his own experiences as a parent and empowering young people to make a difference in the lives of the hundreds of families currently struggling.

Update: Announcement of Winners

We are thrilled to have received over 200 entries in the 2010 Andre Sobel Award contest.  Due to this unusually high volume of entries, we are pushing back the announcement of the winners.  We want to  make sure to give ample time to carefully consider each entry, as we know how much care and time has gone into preparing them.  Please stand by, we will announce the winners at the end of July!

Thank you for your patience,

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