You are currently browsing the category archive for the ‘The Ishan Gala Foundation’ category.
Christmas and the associated breaks bring us time to reflect with family and friends. We may have spent some time complaining about the travails and plights of the world, but by far, we need to acknowledge that the world is better than it has ever been. People are living longer, healthier lives than they ever have.
We need to be careful to give “air time” to the striking progress that is taking place and to celebrate it. Let us challenge ourselves to be positive in this New Year – to spend less time focusing on suffering, flaws and disappointments and more energy on elevating goodness. As Bill Gates said, “The belief that the world can’t solve extreme poverty and disease isn’t just mistaken. It is harmful.”
We are thankful to all of our Ishan Gala patrons who have helped us in the past year. We have changed the lives of families who have children with cancer and we are supporting research that could one day end neuroblastoma.
Keep being a beacon for the good in the world!
-Alice Gentry-Lingerfelt
Director of Operations
We have exciting news to share with you. After completing an extensive search, it is our great pleasure to introduce Alice Gentry-Lingerfelt, who joined the Ishan Gala Foundation in April as its first-ever Director of Operations.
We feel incredibly fortunate to have found an accomplished leader in Alice, who has a proven track record of success in program management, non-profit development, and fundraising for a variety of organizations.
Alice Gentry-Lingerfelt
Director of Operations
Ishan Gala Foundation
Alice also brings a lifelong regard for the support, nurture, and encouragement of children to her new position with us. Through her work as an advocate for children’s issues and for public health, she came to understand the devastating impact that illness, particularly cancer, can have on our families and our communities.
As the Director of Operations, Alice will lead efforts to identify and fund pediatric cancer research programs, build and engage the community through innovative programming, and raise funding to provide support to individual families living with pediatric cancer and the demands therein.
With infectious enthusiasm and energy, Alice is excited to join our foundation in its promise to change the future of children with cancer. You can reach out to and welcome her via email at alice@ishangala.org or by phone at 434-227-5317. Twitter: @ishangalafdn
Thank you for sharing the journey with us,
Mayank Gala
Founder
Ishan Gala Foundation
Charlottesville, VA – The Ishan Gala Foundation is proud to announce their 4th Annual Splash For a Cure fundraiser event to take place August 11th at ACAC Waterpark in Charlottesville, VA.
For the fourth year in a row, The Ishan Gala Foundation is proud to announce ACAC Fitness & Wellness Center as the main sponsor of the event, with the generous donation of their waterpark facility. Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, Arch’s and Papa John’s all have donated food for the event which will be available for purchase. Live DJ, raffle, games, and other family-friendly activities will be taking place during the evening.
Advance admission and raffle tickets are now on sale and available online at http://splash4.eventbrite.com/. Tickets for admission are $15 per adult, $10 for youth, with family packages available. Raffle tickets are being sold in two categories: $10 and $50 with prizes ranging from vacation packages, restaurant gift certificates, to an ACAC membership. Stay tuned to the website for updates on ticket sales and prizes.
Kelley Kassay is serving as this year’s Chair for Splash for a Cure. Kassay has spoken at past Splashes about her son, Mason, who attended the pool party in 2010 but lost his battle in June of 2011 to Neuroblastoma, the same form of pediatric cancer that took Ishan’s life. Mason was the Ishan Gala Foundation’s first recipient of a Hero’s Grant and his family have been great advocates for awareness and fundraising, holding local events such as a Walk for Mason and a paintball tournament.
All proceeds from Splash for a Cure will benefit the foundation and go towards finding a cure for Neuroblastoma, the disease that took Ishan’s life in 2008 and is a cancer that affects mostly children. IGF awards grants for research focusing on less toxic treatments for children fighting Neuroblastoma as well as assisting families facing the financial burden of the cost of treatment for a child fighting Neuroblastoma through our Hero’s Grant program. Every 16 hours a child dies of Neuroblastoma, which makes up 15% of all pediatric cancer deaths, and yet little is known about the disease.
Splash for a Cure has generated over $60,000 in funds raised since its inaugural event in 2009. Over 400 participants come out each year to swim, dance, eat, and be a part of the magic as they learn about this rare disease and how it affects families around the world. The event will continue no matter rain or shine – 2011’s Splash was moved inside due to a hurricane, but still entertained families and raised thousands of dollars. So expect this year’s event to be bigger and better as more supporters rally to help change the future for children with cancer.
For more information the Ishan Gala Foundation, visit www.ishangala.org
or contact Gretel Truong at media@ishangala.org.
At the Neuroblastoma and Medulloblastoma Translational Research Consortium in June 2011, IGF founder, Mayank Gala, presented a $25,000 check to Dr. Giselle Sholler, MD with the Van Andel Institute. This check was the second half of grant totaling $50,000, which IGF awarded last year. Dr. Sholler serves on IGF’s medical advisory board and is one of the nation’s leaders in Neuroblastoma research. IGF is excited to be funding this grant so she may continue her valiant efforts towards fighting and finding a cure for neuroblastoma. We would again like to thank the members of our IGF family for the countless donations and fundraising efforts. This money will go towards changing the lives of many families around the world for years to come.
Watch the video of the check presentation here:
For more information on neuroblastoma and the medical research the Ishan Gala Foundation supports please visit the “Research” page on our website at www.ishangala.org/research.
On a beautiful Saturday morning on Charlottesville, many gathered near Scottsville for the Walk for Mason to benefit our Hero’s grant grantee and dear friend Mason Thomas who has undergone 17 rounds of chemotherapy and is currently in New York City. Michael and Christopher know Mason and have swam alongside him at other Ishan Gala Foundation events such as Splash for a Cure and wanted to shave their heads to support him. The Tomanators as many refer to them took to the 7 mile walk and raised nearly an additional $400 in support. “Checks just showed up at our door” says their mother Ann.
Thank you Toman family for your generous support and being part of our mission to change the future for children with cancer.
What will your story be?
25 years and four children after running her first Marine Corps Marathon, Linda Garnier decided to join Team Curing Hand for her 50th birthday and ran 26.2 miles in celebration!
Join Team Curing Hand for the 2011 Marine Corps Marathon and 10k and help us change the future for children with cancer!
2010 Team Curing Hand after completing the Marine Corps Marathon
The Ishan Gala Foundation is proud to announce that the 2011 Team Curing Hand registration for the Marine Corps Marathon October 30th is now open!
Our season last year was a huge success. We are expanding the field and doubling the number of participants in pursuit of breaking through $100,000 raised to help spread the awareness about childhood cancer and finding less toxic treatments for neuroblastoma.
To register, donate to a runner, or find out more information please go to http://www.curinghand.org.
See you at the finish line!
- Alex Angle and Son enjoy their Splash for a Cure Raffle Prize at a UVA Basketball game
The fun from 2010’s Splash for a Cure continues as raffle prize winners redeem their prizes – such as Alex Angle and his son who won tickets to the University of Virginia’s basketball game. Above they are featured with the Hoos’ own Cav Man!
We are currently looking for raffle prizes for this year’s Splash for a Cure. If you would like to donate a prize, please email info@ishangala.org.
Can’t wait to see out at Splash for a Cure later this year and see who gets the opportunity to win some other great prizes!
The Gala family is proud to announce the newest member of their family, Archer Gala. Archer was born on December 1, 2010 at 5:40 AM, weighing 7 lb 2 oz.
Sejal and I are so excited about starting the next chapter in our life. We are so thankful to the Lord for giving us another opportunity to be parents.
– Mayank
We at the Ishan Gala Foundation would like to extend a sincere to congratulations to Dr. Sholler at the University of Vermont who has received a $100,000 grant from Hyundai’s Hope on Wheels.
Check out the research projects that Dr. Sholler is working on the help find a cure for Neuroblastoma in the video below as well Dr. Sholler accepting the grant:
Dr. Sholler serves as one of IGF’s Medical Advisory board and was also the recipient of a $50,000 grant from IGF in 2010.
The Ishan Gala Foundation Blog 