FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE     

October 26, 2009                                          

Gilda’s Club Western New York Celebrates Five Years

of Supporting Western New Yorkers Living With Cancer;

Week of Free, Open-to-the-public Activities to Mark Special Occasion.

Buffalo, NY – On November 3, 2009, Gilda’s Club Western New York will officially mark its fifth anniversary of the opening of its signature red doors to offer emotional and social support to Western New York men, women, children and teens living with cancer, either through their own diagnosis or a diagnosis of a family member or friend. The occasion will be celebrated with free activities and events open to the public during the week of  November 9-14, 2009 (see attached sheet for a full list of activities and events).

            “Our first official member five years ago was Shelley Hirshberg, one of our cofounders,” says Mary Beth Karr, executive director of Gilda’s Club Western New York.  “Today, we have more than 1,000 active members, and we’ve had more than 14,000 clubhouse visits since January 1, 2009.”

            The concept for Gilda’s Club was developed in 1991 by Founder and President Joanna Bull, Gilda Radner’s cancer psychotherapist. Joanna was invited to New York by Gilda’s husband, actor Gene Wilder, as well as the late ABC entertainment critic Joel Siegel and actor Mandy Patinkin, and asked to design a program and create a facility where people living with cancer and their family members and friends could give and receive emotional and social support.

            The first Gilda’s Club, which included a worldwide training center, opened its signature red door in New York City in 1995.  Since that time, additional clubs have opened in both small and large cities throughout the United States and Canada. Gilda’s Club Western New York was the eighteenth clubhouse in existence when it opened in November 2004; today there are 28 Gilda’s Clubs. All Gilda’s Clubs have the same program, their own board of directors, raise their own funds and operate as 501(c)(3) non profits. Thousands of members now attest to the fact that Gilda’s Club has helped change their lives by restoring control and enabling them to plan their own emotional and social support, thus strengthening and enriching the entire family.

            “It has been wonderful to watch the growth of Gilda's Club WNY over the past five years,” says Sara Goldberger, LCSW-R, Director, Program Support, Gilda's Club Worldwide. “Not only has membership grown significantly, but the program activities have evolved and expanded so anyone whose life has been touched by cancer can find support, information, education and fun at the clubhouse. We are so proud of the work the staff has done to insure no one in the Buffalo area has to face cancer alone.”

            Sharon and Neal Burrows joined Gilda’s Club in 2004. They both still participate regularly in activities and events at the clubhouse, and are amazed at how much the program has expanded. “There’s so much going on!” says Sharon. “We’ve made so many great friends and received so much support – it’s like being held in someone’s hands. It’s been wonderful.”

            “Over the years, we have adapted our program activities to meet the needs of our members,” says Susan Lichtblau, program director. “We’ve added events and activities based on what our members request and, in 2009, I am proud to say we offered more than 100 lectures, workshops, support and networking groups, social events and Noogieland activities each month. We will continue to expand our offerings at members’ requests.”

            Though participants are called members, everything at Gilda’s Club is free of charge. “We want there to be no financial barriers to involvement,” says Karr. “There are plenty of other expenses related to cancer. And, we could never put a price on what our members give to or gain from others.”

            Funds to support Gilda’s Club Western New York come from gifts and grants from individuals, businesses, foundations and organizations.

About Gilda’s Club Western New York

            Gilda's Club Western New York (WNY) is a non-profit support community for men, women, children and teens who are living with cancer, as well as their families and friends.  Membership is offered free of charge to people at any stage of their experience with cancer.  Through participation in groups, lectures, workshops and social events, members build social and emotional support and learn to live with cancer. Gilda's Club WNY serves the eight counties of Western New York and is part of Gilda's Club Worldwide. For more information about Gilda’s Club WNY, call 716.332.5900, visit www.gildasclubwny.org or find us on Facebook: search Gilda’s Club Western New York.

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