JMCE donates $22,000 to Hasbro Children's Hospital

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“We feel very fortunate at Hasbro Children’s Hospital to have the support of the incredible folks who make up the Johnston Memorial Cancer Events,” Michele Branigan, the Senior Major Gifts Officer, said. “Their efforts over the past 10 years have resulted in over $175,000 raised in support of our pediatric cancer programs.”

Branigan issued that statement along with three other colleagues after JMCE officials last week presented a $22,000 check to Hasbro Children’s Hospital that came from the highly-acclaimed non-profit’s 2017 fundraising events, most notably the group’s 10th Annul Golf Tournament that was held in May at the Connecticut National Golf Club in Putnam, Conn.

“Linda LaFazia and her JMCE team have created golf events that the community really wants to support because they’re a whole lot of fun and they never lost sight of the fact that they’re helping children,” Branigan added while getting a thumb’s up from Tracey Wallace, Vice President of Pediatric Services. “We appreciate their commitment and truly consider the JMCE part of the Hasbro Children’s Hospital family.”

Likewise, Joseph Pannozzo, Vice President and Chief Development Officer as well as Marisa Podbros, a Development Associate, were in awe of the entire check ceremony and what the JMCE has meant to Hasbro Children’s Hospital in the past decade.

Last week’s $22,000 presentation hiked the JMCE’s gift giving to $47,000 over the past two years.

Moreover, the JMCE, which is made up of a small group of friends who enjoy helping people and most especially children who are battling cancer, has committed to raise $100,000 over a five-year period that Branigan said will go a long way in Hasbro’s room renovation project.

To date, the JMCE has raised over $175,000 for Hasbro Children’s Hospital and as several staffers noted during last week’s check presentation, “that’s an extraordinary amount and far cry from the first check these beautiful and wonderful people gave the hospital ten years ago.”

Back then the small group of friends formed the JMCE and donated $4,000 to Hasbro Children’s Hospital from several community events like “Campfires for Cancer” and hasn’t skipped a beat since.

“We have an awesome committee and great support system that has helped us reach this amount in ten years,” said Judi Graham, one of the JMCE’s founding members who along with her husband David Graham owns and operates Graham Builders of Smithfield. “There is a Game Dinner in January and other functions throughout the year.”

The JMCE’s premier event, though, is the golf tournament that has become so popular that last May’s 10th annual tourney was sold out by Feb. 28 and featured 144 golfers.

“Next year’s golf tourney will be played on May 5, also at Connecticut National Golf Club,” said Linda LaFazia, who along with her husband Vin, the former Johnston Park and Recreation Director, have developed the golf tourney into one of the most popular and best in season events of its kind in a three state area. “We’re already getting calls from people who have never played in our tourney.”

There’s perhaps one underlying fact about the JMCE, which has never boasted about its successes and just keeps moving forward to someday, as its entire membership hopes, where there is a cure for childhood cancer.

The JMCE will begin 2018 with what has become a terrific New Year’s Day tradition; a golf tournament that has never been cancelled and is played in all sorts of weather at Glocester Country Club.

“It’s our kickoff event of the year,” Judi Graham said. “Glocester Country Club has been very, very supportive and we all pay $20 and play just three holes. It was very cold this year but we had 40 people who came to play golf. We even had spectators who donated money and we truly appreciate their support, too!”

So does the staff at Hasbro Children’s Hospital, who have been able to institute special programs for kids who are being treated for cancer from each and every penny the JMCE has donated in recent years.

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