This is my third year of involvement with the Charna Radbell Foundation, and I am proud to have been a part of its incredible growth and success. It truly has been a rewarding experience, and I have been fortunate to work with Arlene and Larry Radbell. Their dedication and devotion to keeping Charna’s dream alive is truly inspiring.

Personally, I have been deeply moved by Charna’s story and the Radbells’ tremendous love for her. I’ve enjoyed listening to her family and friends tell such fabulous stories of her life, making me wish that I could have known her myself. It would have been a privilege and even more so to have called her a friend.

So, it’s my honor to participate in this unique and worthwhile cause, and I am thrilled to have been a part of this year’s significant achievements of The Sunshine Fund. Not only did we host a number of new and exciting fundraising events, such as a Horse Training Clinic, a Holiday Toy Fair, and a Jewelry Boutique Show, we are also celebrating a new partnership with the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital at the New York-Presbyterian University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell. I am humbled by this wonderful opportunity to help so many deserving children and their families.

The staff at this hospital undoubtedly understands that when a child is sick the whole family hurts, and although children are resilient, they are also fragile. The specific path taken to address even one traumatic incident in a child’s life can affect his/her well-being long into adulthood. Unfortunately, I know how true this is as cancer has impacted my family as well. Therefore, I wholeheartedly support the goals of our Child Life Program which will provide the necessary physical and emotional support for the child and his/her whole family during such difficult times.

None of this would have been possible without your help. I am grateful to all of you for your financial support, tireless efforts, dedicated service, and endless sacrifice. A special thank you goes to Sarah Lilburn for joining our staff and making things much easier on all of us.

Please join me in congratulating Arlene! This year, she was appointed as a new member of the Columbia Presbyterian Health Sciences Advisory Council. We are so proud of her.

Our future is bright, and I hope you will continue to support the Charna Radbell Foundation. As we continue to grow, your financial help is needed now more than ever. We will also need volunteers for Charna’s Kids Club at the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital. We invite you to read more about these opportunities on our new website at charnaradbellfoundation.org.

In the meantime, have a fabulous evening!

All the best,

Julia Wannamaker