I have learned valuable new lessons every time I write an article for L.I.G.H.T. FOR CHARITY™ (which stands for Long Island Gives Help Together For Charity). One such lesson is that it only takes one person to start a charity, and any one of us can make a meaningful difference. In this article I shine a LIGHT on a Long-Island based charity named GO WITH COURAGE, which is dedicated to finding a cure for cancer and helping families who have loved ones with cancer.
Go With Courage, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charity that was founded in 2011 by Roslyn resident Robyn Jaslow. Robyn has unfortunately witnessed the effects of cancer from several different perspectives. She herself is a breast cancer survivor, her father battled gall bladder cancer, and her brother Craig died from pancreatic cancer. Instead of focusing on negatives, Robyn turned her experiences into incredible positives by forming Go With Courage to help others facing similar challenges.
Go With Courage focuses on two different, but equally important, missions. One mission is to raise money, which then funds critical cancer research at facilities including The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Dana Farber, in addition to supporting national charities dedicated to finding cures for cancer, such as The Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research and The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Go With Courage also has a family support program, We’ve Got Your Back. Run out of Robyn’s home office, this program supports families while a parent or child is in cancer treatment by helping with meals, childcare, homework, tutoring, entertainment and transportation so that relatives of cancer patients can get the attention they need through difficult times. Robyn partners with Jill Scherer, Ltd. in Roslyn Village to send support packages to those currently affected by cancer.
Go With Courage holds several fun charitable social events throughout the year, including card parties, shopping events, golf outings all involving Roslyn students, who earn community service credit for their volunteer hours. Next up is A Day of Courage in Roslyn Village, scheduled for Friday, October 13th. This community-based shopping day succeeds because of the generous support of most Roslyn Village retailers, who generously donate a percentage of their business sales on that day. Please visit Go With Courage’s website at GoWithCourage.org to learn more about how you can help families being impacted by cancer.
Robyn Jaslow has a meaningful quote on the Go With Courage website: “I implore you to be strong in the face of adversity and to try your best to . . . GO WITH COURAGE!!!”.
Kayla Donnenfeld, shining a LIGHT for Charity
Kayla is a sophomore at Roslyn High School
