On November 18th, 2021 once again the Rotary Club of Paramus demonstrated the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self" - We adopted a Harry Potter theme as a tribute to a young guest Elija Kim, a 12 year old East Brook student, who is battling a tenacious form of cancer for the last 6 years.
A little over 2 years ago the Paramus Rotary Club partnered with Tommy Head, the founder and CEO of Childhood Cancer Society and author of Adventure Ted: Night at the Enchanted Theme Park.
Childhood Cancer Society (CCS) began with the vision of a 7-year-old boy, Tommy Head, who realized the importance of having the support of family while being evaluated for childhood leukemia. This was a life changing experience, which at a young age was the impetus for later founding CSS.
Due to his condition, Tommy’s physical activities were limited for years. During this time, he found an outlet in acting. He was featured in numerous commercials, print ads, and appeared in several episodes of ABC’s One Life to Live and became a member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG). At 12 years old, he used the proceeds from his first commercial to make a donation of video game consoles at the hospital that cared for him during his health challenges, and noticed the impact that these pleasant distractions had on his pediatric peers. It was at that moment that Tommy knew he would be helping more of these families in the future.
By 16, Tommy’s platelet count fully recovered, and given what felt like a second chance, he used money earned from acting to found Childhood Cancer Society a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. CCS provides funds for medical care, accommodations, and travel expenses to make it possible for families in need to obtain the necessary care for their children. Furthermore, CCS donates gifts, organizes special events, and provides wish grants to children with pediatric cancer. We believe that these types of support facilitate a positive state of mind and create an optimal environment for the body to heal. Recipients of our support are recommended to us via hospital social workers, which keep an eye out for families who are in need of this support.
https://www.childhoodcancersociety.org
Our activity with this organization was halted for the last year or so due to COVID-19 and the resulting restrictions on meetings and travels. However, our fundraising continued during COVID-19 and thanks to the generosity of our great members and friends – Paramus Rotary presented Elijah Kim along with his family members Jeremiah, Anthony and Grace Kim also of Paramus with a Harry Potter Style Reveal for an all-expense paid VIP Vacation of a lifetime to Disney World, with a special visit to the Wizarding World of Harry.
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