Richard Nares to Run his 6th Rock 'n' Roll Marathon
On Sunday, May 31, 2009, Richard Nares will be running his 6th Rock 'n' Roll Marathon not only to honor his son, Emilio, but to raise funds for the foundation. In last year's event, he finished in 4 hours and 59 minutes, and managed to raise an incredible $11,000 for the foundation. Knowing that so many people were behind him really helped Richard to push to the finish line. Those contributions will directly support the many families that ENF helps on a daily basis with emotional and financial assistance, and help fund the Ride with Emilio transportation program. We all look forward to another sucessful run next month!

MBE Allocation Grant Awarded to Emilio Nares Foundation
$32,000 Will Support Unique Nutritional Education Programs for Sick Children

The Emilio Nares Foundation (ENF) is the inaugural recipient to the MBE Allocation Grant.

ENF's mission is to assist families with children battling childhood leukemia and other forms of childhood cancer. Funds will be used to expand a unique nutritional education program that provides cooking classes and food for low- income families. ENF was nominated for the grant by MBE Associate Tom Deere and his wife, Emily, who become involved in ENF when their son Ryan was being treated for cancer.

When the Deeres learned in 2005 that their 21-month-old son, Ryan, had been diagnosed with bilateral Wilms' tumors in both his kidneys, they knew they would be facing months of chemotherapy, radiation, and surgeries as Ryan battled for his life. Though the months of treatment and hours spent in the hospital were difficult to endure, at least the Deeres had the professional flexibility and financial resources to make it through the process.

Not every families does. For many low-income families, the opportunity cost of caring for hospitalized children is sacrificing a paycheck or even losing a job, especially if there is not adequate medical care in their hometown. Families from out of town sometimes end up living at the hospital because they simply have nowhere else to go. Meals from the hospital cafeteria or nearby restaurants are often too expensive, so many families skip meals.

All of this occurred to Emily Deere one day in the hospital waiting room. "Being at the hospital daily, switching shifts with my husband for weeks at a time, was a very trying, emotional period," she recalls. "At some point I thought of the parents who couldn't take the time off work and how difficult it must be to cope. Then I looked up and saw a poster for Ride with Emilio, an ENF program that transports child patients to and from their treatment sessions. I thought that was a great idea because I could only imagine how difficult it would be for certain families."

Emily then sought out ENF founders Richard and Diane Nares. They started the foundation in memory of their late son Emilio, who passed away at the age of five after succumbing to leukemia. More than anything, ENF serves s an information and resource center offering updates on trial studies and treatment options as well as a directory of sources for financial assistance. Specific programs include counseling and assistance for families upon diagnosis, Ride with Emilio, and wellness education sessions.

Typically, Richard Nares meets with families in need of such resources within a few days of their children being diagnosed. In this case, Emily sought out the foundation looking to provide support in any way she could. "It's so easy when you've living life to not think about how these things affect others," Emily comments. "But when you go through it day after day with other families, you realize how, almost overnight, a functional family can have their lives turned upside-down. There's no preparation cycle. One day you're living life and the next day you're in the hospital. It's a struggle to not only care for the sick child, but also maintain the lifestyle of other kids in the family. I didn't have visibility to this issue or what it was like to have a child diagnosed with cancer before it happened to Ryan, but in reality there are hundreds of families stuck out there in the same treatment cycle in San Diego alone."

Emily and Ryan subsequently starting doing some publicity for the foundation, such as speaking at fund-raisers. "When I learned just how dedicated Richard and Diane were, that became the direction I knew I wanted to go in." she said. Even when Ryan's treatment came to a successful conclusion, Emily remained involved. She subsequently accepted an invitation t serve on the ENF board of directors and now helps out with planning, fund-raising, business, and legal issues. "Emily has been a real force and huge plus for our foundation," comments Richard Nares. " She 's such an effective advocate because she's living proof of what families endure. Getting support from families like the Deeres makes us who we are and their support has been invaluable."

When the MBE annual grants program was announced, the Deeres knew that ENF's emerging nutritional education courses would be an ideal beneficiary. ENF has been given space including use of kitchen facilities, at the Ronald McDonald House near Rady Children's Hospital. The room was first used for informal knitting and sewing sessions, which allowed families and siblings to bond. However, Richard noticed that many of the kids spending time at the Ronald McDonald house were overweight or not getting the proper nutrition to enhance their treatment regimens. About a year ago, Richard began inviting interns from a culinary institute to prepare healthy meals and lead lessons on nutritious, budget-conscious meal preparation.

According to Richard, the availability of healthy food at the hospital is extremely limited. He wants the whole family to integrate a healthy diet into its lifestyle and get in the habit of taking healthy snacks to the hospital instead of relying on fast food and vending machines.

"Children with cancer have special dietary needs." Emily further explains. "The high-fat foods they may be used to are not good during chemotherapy. This program teaches families how to create healthy meals on a low budget." The meal preparation is also an opportunity to bring families together. "Class attendees get to eat what they cook, which is crucial given their low budgets," points out Emily. "And they're not just eating-they get to have a family meal together that day. It's an incredible experience to witness and all the families are extremely thankful."

At lunch time on a class day, the Ronald McDonald House kitchen is a whir of activity, with mothers knitting as toddles crawl under the table. Chef Teresa Torres is busy in the kitchen preparing a healthy, budget-friendly lunch. She explains to the assembled parents the ingredients involved and preparation method. Teresa also uses her training as a professional chef (her paid job is at Roy's in La Jolla) to devise a menu low in fat and rich in vitamins and nutrients. During a recent lunch she offered a salad with vinaigrette dressing and fettuccine with chicken and bell pepper cream sauce. In addition to the benefits of the salad, Teresa pointed out the whole wheat pasta and protein-rich chicken. She said a family of four could prepare this meal for about $10.00; for that day's lunch, her $50 budget fed 72 people.

While Teresa teaches and cooks, Richard and other ENF staffers serve the steady stream of families hungry for lunch. A cacophony of languages fills the kitchen as families share their experiences and trade hugs with Richard and ENF volunteers. The Ronald McDonald house also offers one of the few nearby opportunities for families and patients to escape their hospital rooms for a few hours.

Currently, ENF offers cooking classes two days a week, but Richard says the MBE grant will allow ENF to expand the classes to five days a week. "Our focus is on low-income families where money is extremely tight so this benefits them greatly," he explains. " Expanding our classes will provide more food for families to take home or take to the hospital. Programs like this take time, but I think we've already made a big impact on teaching the fundamentals of healthy eating and this grant will only increase our impact."

An equally important element of the cooking classes is the socialization and bonding opportunities for families visiting the Ronald McDonald House. Richard explains that there are no activities during the day, but the cooking courses bring families together with their families. It's a phenomenon he's already witnessed with sewing and knitting sessions ENF offers. "We wanted to give families some activities, so our staff came up with the idea of sewing and knitting. At first, only three to four women showed up, but now 15-20 regularly attend," he comments. The sessions evolved into de-facto support groups, with Richard explaining how parents are now "talking to each other and discussing they wouldn't have before."

Emily recalls the isolation of spending so much time in the hospital. "I would just wander the halls looking for other parents to talk to ," she remembers. "What ENF is offering through the sewing and cooking classes sounds simple, but it's so powerful-a safe haven and support place. ENF is really creating something of value to the community."

Healing T-Shirts
ENF is currently working with experienced parents to design a t-shirt to be worn by children undergoing treatment. The Healing T-Shirt will be designed so that nurses can have easy access to the children's bodies without them having to pull up their shirts. It will have a Velcro closure at the shoulder to ensure easier removal. These specially made t-shirts will be made available free of charge to all Hematology/Oncology patients.

 

5th Annual Harvest for Hope - September 14, 2008
Our annual food and wine tasting fundraiser, the 5th Annual Harvest for Hope, was held on September 14th, 2008.
Visit our event website at WWW.ENFHOPE.ORG!

The Grand Del Mar was pleased to host the event. Capturing the elegance and comfort of an old-world Mediterranean estate, and nestled in a serene canyon preserve, Southern California’s newest luxury resort surrounded guests in the rich decorative arts of Italy, Morocco, Portugal and Spain. A Renaissance-inspired spa, the private fairways of San Diego’s only Tom Fazio-designed golf course and acclaimed signature restaurant Addison, completed this stunning masterpiece inspired by the exotic architectural style of Addison Mizner. Visit enfhope.org for additional information.

3rd Annual Camp Agape - August 28 - 31, 2008
Last year, ENF collaborated for the return of the the first kids' cancer camp to include moms, dads and siblings. Twenty five families, including over 100 children, spent Labor Day weekend at Camp Marston in Julian. Moms were treated to a "day at the spa", and our famous knitting circle. Families enjoyed swimming, hiking, arts and crafts, and games. Camp Agape (the Greek word for love) was sponsored by the Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society. Click here to learn more about Camp Agape and how you can help.

SEE YOU NEXT RACE!