Welcome to our first newsletter of 2025. We are excited to share some great happenings and amazing things just around the corner.<\/p>\n
Operations Update<\/strong><\/p>\n We were able to make 27 grants in 2024, for a total of $32,000. We are grateful to the members of the public and corporations that donated to make this possible. We also help families raise $20,000 toward their own staff-assisted vacations through our GoCruiseMe platform.<\/p>\n Our Board of Directors have reviewed the Foundation\u2019s operations and are implementing the following changes in 2025:<\/p>\n Dreams Come True<\/strong><\/p>\n The Foundation wants to make its grants more impactful and reach families in the most need of support. We will shortly be releasing our first round of applications for our “Dreams Come True” grants, which will fully fund a cruise vacation (including transport to\/from the port) for families of individuals with a disability. The families eligible to apply in this round will be contacted in early February. You can read more about the program on our website\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n GoCruiseMe<\/strong><\/p>\n To cover credit card processing and administration costs, the Foundation regretfully needs to start charging a 10% fee for all funds raised through GoCruiseMe. This decision was not taken lightly but it is necessary for the proper operation of the platform. This and other updates to the GoCruiseMe terms and conditions can be found on the website\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Fundraising Round Up<\/strong><\/p>\n We closed out 2024 on a high note!<\/p>\n Continuing the trend, 2025 began strongly!<\/p>\n The community of Warwick, NY came together on Saturday January 18th for a night of music, friendship and fundraising. The talented pianist\/ singer\/ songwriter Sophie Worsley from Blackpool, England entertained the crowd at “Barn 108”, the beautiful home and performance space of Warwick residents Dixie Comeau and Greg Galluccio. Sophie was also joined by local high school student Julia, and together they delivered a stunning rendition of \u201cValerie\u201d, made famous by Amy Winehouse. The event was sponsored by the Galderisi-Kohlmeier foundation that also generously matched all funds raised on the night, bringing the total donations to over $4,200. Our heartfelt thanks to everyone involved.<\/p>\n You can see Sophie and Greg performing Songbird in this video<\/p>\n\n
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