Press Room
Check out the For This Mom Campaign – May 2011
Enjoy photos from two fundraisers planned by students at California State University, San Bernardino.
Thanks to the tireless efforts of their professor, ASRL Board Member Dr. Astrid Sheil, these PR and Communications students hosted two wonderful events to bring awareness in the local community.
Support a Hero During National Family Caregivers Month
Single parent caregivers head nearly 75% of the households aided by the Andre Sobel River of Life Foundation. This invisible community has few emotional or financial resources and little to no support.
Our team at the Andre River of Life Foundation urges you to recognize the heroes who many children turn to for comfort and protection when trying to be little heroes themselves, braving illness. You can find out more about how to support these caregivers by checking out our myHERO campaign during the month of November.
2010 Andre Sobel Award Winners Announced
The Andre Sobel River of Life Foundation has announced the winners of the 2010 Andre Sobel Award for Survivors of Pediatric Cancer and other Illnesses. This week, we feature Joseph Tong, a student at Richard Montgomery High School in Gaithersburg MD, won an Honorable Mention. Joseph’s experience of writing for the award provided healing to his family as they revisited his childhood illness..
Emily Ransom, of Burlington, VT, and a student a Boston College has won first place, and an award of $5,000 for her poem, “I had Cancer: Cancer Never Had Me.”
Colette Jaycox, of Fremont, CA, and a student at Columbia University, won second place for her essay, “Chai.”
Arianna Elnes, a student at Knox College in Illinois, won third place for her submission, a letter to her parents.
With a Little Help From Some Friends
On October 3, 2010, ASRL participated in the “Quality Time with PR Minds” event at the Rand Corporation in Santa Monica. Sponsored by the Public Relations Society of America/Los Angeles Area Chapter, the event brings together teams of public relations professionals to offer pro bono advice to nonprofits on everything from branding to using social media. Here, the pro bono team of Kristen Wood (left) from Disney, Jillian Green from Allison & Partners and Ron Owens (far right) of Kaiser Permanente consult with ASRL CEO Anne Swire about corporate sponsorships.
Valerie Sobel Honored by Longines and Town & Country
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
Andre Sobel Hosts Youth Event in LA to Raise Awareness
The Project Reverberate Launch Party on June 2, 2010, at the Target Terrace in Los Angeles was a catalyst event to expand the nationwide awareness of the Andre Sobel community. By combining the power of music with the powerful stories of families battling catastrophic illness, Project Reverberate echoed the message of hope for its young participants. The event was coordinated along with students at California State University San Bernardino under the leadership of ASRL Board Member Astrid Sheil.
ASRL Families Featured on CNN
Watch a piece anchored by CNN’s Fredericka Whitfield on the Foundation. You can also read the interview transcript here.
Valerie Sobel Featured As One of Lifetime Channel’s Remarkable Women
ASRL Founder and President Valerie Sobel was featured as one of the Lifetime Channel’s “Remarkable Women.” Lifetime Celebrates Remarkable Women is a year-long celebration of women who have inspired and empowered others to make a difference in their communities and throughout the world. Valerie joins role models Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, Sonia Sotomayor, Queen Latifah, Maria Shriver, and many others honored this year.
Join in the celebration of trailblazing women like Valerie. Valerie’s video can be viewed at http://bit.ly/6P2MiQ or you can tune in to the Lifetime Channel at home to view her video spot.
ASRL Foundation Featured on Tyra Banks Holiday Extravaganza Show
Watch how we made the holidays bright for single mom Kristi Drabick and her two young sons. Kristi lost her waitressing job because she lived at the hospital with her two year old when he battled cancer. Then ASRL stepped in. Check out this clip from The Tyra Banks Show’s Holiday Extravaganza that aired nationally on December 18, 2009: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6TPJFUNSiY
