Initiatives

The initiatives are different programs that have been established to fulfill the Foundation’s goals.

In an effort to provide a Smile Today, we provide three programs designed to give children and families fun and memorable experiences throughout an illness.

  • Forest’s Fun Night offers different interactive events through sponsors who are willing to provide safe, isolated space for kids in treatment.
  • Forest’s Fun Gifts provides toys and other presents for patients to help them through a long day or difficult procedure.
  • Forest’s Normal Life provides assistance to families meeting the increased expenses associated with prolonged treatment in an effort to help them maintain a sense of normalcy.


Forest’s Fund initiative seeks to promote awareness and assist in funding those research efforts that show promise and have potential to find a Cure Tomorrow.

For more information on how you can contribute to Forest’s programs or arrange for a patient to participate, please contact us.

 

Forest’s Fun Night:

All kids deserve a fun night out. Kids in treatment especially look forward to being able to go places and do things that their illness normally prohibits. Forest’s Fun Night makes it possible for patients and their families to:

  • Enjoy a normal night as a family, doing fun things like visiting a favorite toy store or participating in activities at an exciting attraction. Our partners arrange for their venues to be closed or isolated from the public during these family excursions.
  • Join established programs with other families, including:

    • NBC Experience Store
    • Today Show Concert Series
    • Build-a-Bear in New York City


Forest enjoyed the original Fun Night with his sister, Caroline, and his best friend. He and Caroline also got Toys R Us to themselves for a whole hour of private shopping one Saturday morning. These experiences provided excited anticipation, fun moments and great memories for the whole family.

To learn more about Forest’s Fun Night, please view the brochure.

 

Forest’s Fun Gifts:

Video games, favorite toys and other special treats helped Forest pass the time while he waited for his doctors and underwent treatments. His special collection of entertaining activities helped to make hospital visits more fun and lifted his spirits when he otherwise felt bad. Nothing provides a Smile Today quite like an unexpected present.

The Forest’s Fun Gifts program was created to provide gifts to children who are facing extended hospital stays, in need of a “reward” after getting through an especially tough day, or just deserve a special pick-me-up.

We recently made the first donation (Legos) under this program to Children’s Hospital at Montefiore in Bronx, NY.

 

Forest’s Normal Life:

It’s critical to maintain some sense of normalcy when life has been turned upside down following a transplant. This program was created to do just that – provide relief to families who have been put under emotional and financial strain as they try to overcome this disease.

The limited financial assistance provided by this program offers funds for:

  • Parking, dining, housing, travel and even kids’ pocket money.
  • Medically necessary items not covered by insurance.


Forest was able to maintain normalcy – as shown in the picture – by making a pumpkin pie and decorating a birthday cake for his mom. Our goal is to provide other families with the resources to continue enjoying the little things.

We have established a program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center whereby quarterly grants are made to identified patients.

 

Forest’s Fund:

Thirty years ago, Forest may have survived only a month. Ten years ago, Forest would not have survived the nearly five years that he did. In fact, Forest benefited from the research and development that occurred between the time of his diagnosis and his last months. But, what wouldn’t we give for one more quality day with him?

While the chances of long-term survivability for a leukemia patient increase everyday, improvements in research are necessary to advance treatments and find a cure. By supporting, encouraging and demanding this continual improvement, we hope to see a day when this disease can be cured or even prevented. In the meantime, adding quality days, months and years to the lives of these children is precious.

We are committed to providing funding for pediatric oncology research, and we strive to do the following in conjunction with our fundraising efforts:

  • Establish a medical advisory board and contacts.
  • Identify programs that make, or have the potential to make, a significant difference and require funding to do so.
  • Provide research grants to these selected programs.