Standing By Amanda - local charity event

Two great articles re: a charity event happening tomorrow in FLL, put on through a charity I've been involved with, the Jessica June Children's Cancer Foundation. Stories like these really make you grateful for what and who you have in your life ... visit www.jjccf.org for more information or to make a donation.


Event to benefit family of teen fighting cancer
Two charities are rallying around a Margate father caring for a daughter with cancer -- and no money to pay the rent.

BY EILEEN SOLER
Special to The Miami Herald, August 1, 2009

Burly, hardworking Dave Blake picked up the pieces of a broken home a decade ago, when he was left with three kids, one paycheck and just enough money to cover the bills.

On Dec. 26, 2008, when the single dad's only daughter, Amanda, 15, was diagnosed with a rare form of osteosarcoma, a bone cancer, the chemical salesman quit his job and dedicated himself to saving his daughter.

For the whole article, click here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/broward/communities/story/1165176.html?story_link=email_msg


Standing by Amanda — a father reaches out to the community to help his daughter
From Society Scene, A marketing publication of the Sun-Sentinel Company, August 5, 2009

Although many are coping with tough times, people still come together when one of their own is in need, as evident in the case of Amanda Blake. The 15-year-old South Florida girl is suffering from osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. Amanda and her two brothers are being raised by their single father, David, and have little contact with their mother. To care for his daughter, David had to leave his job, and since becoming unemployed, he has not been able to keep up with the household bills. The family, who resides in Margate, has relied on handouts and is living month-to-month with the threat of eviction looming.

When David reached out to the Jessica June Children's Cancer Foundation (JJCCF) a non-profit organization that provides temporary financial assistance for needy children fighting cancer, its founder, Sandra Muvdi, sprang into action.

For the whole article, click here: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/community/custom/society/broward/sfl-flsecoverboxstory1amanda0805seaug05,0,3934241.story