A look back in time at the history of The Weber Foundation of Helping Hands and some of the successful fundraising events and grants issued in their very first year.
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We sincerely thank you for your support – together we are making a difference!
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10/04/2000 "The Weber Foundation of Helping Hands" is Established12/31/2000 First Grant: $4,000 Robby Sorrentino, 4 yr. old suffering with Lukemia04/14/2001 Grant: $1,000 Mr.&Mrs. J. Phillion, Melrose, Ma. (house fire)05/16/2001 Grant: $500 Jason Dedrick, E. Sandwich, Ma., suffering with Lou Gehrig's Disease05/17/2001 The First Helping Hands Reception05/24/2001 Grant: $200 McHugh Family Education Fund07/02/2001 Grant: $5,000 Bobby Terry, 3 year old suffering with a brain tumor07/03/2001Grant: $2,000 Conley family of 8, (house fire)07/16/2001 Grant: $2,000 Bryanna Bryce, from Maine, in need of a kidney transplant07/16/2001 Grant: $2,000 Catherson family (house fire)08/17/2001 Grant: $5,000 Kelly Conlon, in need of a double lung transplant08/19/2001 Dance Artistry "Better Than Broadway"08/21/2001 Grant: $250 Bud Ochsner, Ottowa, Illinois08/21/2001 Grant: $500 Richard Goldstein, Hull, Ma.08/21/2001 Grant: $250 St. Francis House of Boston, Ma.09/16/2001 Conigliaro Family Golf Tournament and Clambake09/20/2001 Grant: $1,000 Ginny Rojas, Lynnfield, Ma. (house fire)10/06/2001 The Weber Foundation sponsors first annual "Bike for Life"11/26/2001 Grant: $8,000 Bryanna Bryce, in need of kidney transplant12/05/2001 Grant: $2,000 Kimberly McKay. suffering with Stage 4 Lung Cancer12/13/2001 Grant: $2,500 Desiree Lambert, paralyzed from an auto accident12/24/2001 Grant: $9,000 N.Y. Fire Dept., to help the families of three victims of the 9/11 tragedy 12/28/2001 Grant: $6,000 NY Police Dept., in memory of two brothers who died in the 9/11 tragedy. |
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 May 17, 2001
“The Weber Foundation of Helping Hands Inc.” celebrated its beginning with a reception at the Weber’s home in Melrose, Mass., with nearly 300 people in attendance.
Elizabeth welcomed everyone to the first “Helping Hands” reception and told her story about how the Foundation got started. Lisa Tedeschi Gray, Treasurer and Clerk, explained the mission statement of the Foundation and Sandy LaVersa, Secretary, announced the upcoming events encouraging everyone to participate.
The evening was filled with excitement, compassion, love and togetherness. All present truly felt they were making a difference in other people’s lives. The Foundation was created on the premise that “Everyone needs a Guardian Angel once in awhile.” Each grant given will identify the name of the individual who submitted the request as the recipient’s Guardian Angel.
Elizabeth shared the following during her speech, “It takes a lot of ‘Helping Hands’ to make a difference so let’s makes a difference together. When you give back you are saying, ‘Thank you’ for what you already have, and you open yourself up to a better, more fulfilling life. The more that you give to others, the more that is given to you.”
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The Foundation’s first charitable event was a resounding success, raising nearly $50,000. The Weber’s were overwhelmed with the response and generous donations given, as well as the time and service donated by volunteers. Elizabeth and Bruce personally donated all of the expenses for the evening so that 100% of the donations would go to those in need.
To date, the Foundation has issued seven grants to individuals and families. The first grant was to the D.A.R.E. Fun Walk for Robby Sorrentino, the young boy who was battling leukemia. The second grant was given to a Melrose, Mass. family of six who lost their home to a fire. The next grants issued went to a twenty-nine year old man suffering from Lou Gehrig’s disease and the Terry family of Norwood, Mass., whose three-year-old son Bobby is suffering with a brain tumor resulting in numerous complications and six brain surgeries.
The Foundation issued grants to two other families who lost their homes to devastating fires: the Conley Family of eight from Wilmington, Mass. and Patty Catherson, a single mother of two little girls from Lancaster, Penn.
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Our heartfelt thanks go out to the more than 1,000 people who supported this event. As a result of your support we were able to raise over $5,000 and issue grants to two deserving individuals.
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August 2001
A $5,000 grant was given in August 2001 to Kelly Conlon a 14-year old student at Stoneham Middle School who is in need of a life-saving double lung transplant. Despite insurance, the costs associated with Kelly's lung transplant and post-op care are staggering. Kelly"s Guardian Angels are Connie and and Brian Spellman also from Stoneham, Mass.
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September 16, 2001
The Conigliaro Family sponsored a golf tournament & clambake at Kelley Greens By the Sea Golf Course, Nahant, Massachusetts
The Weber Foundation and the Conigliaro family thank you all for your support. A fun day of golf and great food resulted in us being able to donate $5,000 to the New York Police Department and the Fire Department of New York to help in aiding the families of our brave Policemen and Firefighters who gave their lives in the World Trade Center tragedy. BACK TO TOP
Below- some images of our golfers enjoying a beautiful day on the links: | |
Lisa Gray, Elizabeth Weber, Sandy LaVersa L to R: Kenny & Lisa Gray, Elizabeth & Bruce Weber |  L to R: Elizabeth Weber, Linda Doucette, Kelly
Cannones, Heather Philo, Lisa Gray Out for a day of fun and good will, supporters of The Weber Foundation of Helping Hands pose for a group picture |
October 6, 2001
“The Weber Foundation of Helping Hands Inc.” sponsored and held it's first annual “Bike for Life” around picturesque Sebago Lake in Maine. 
The event was a huge success! We had over 100 participants and raised approximately $20,000. In addition, a group of Independent business owners, Market America UnFranchise Owners, from Wisconsin donated $5 from every admission ticket to one of their regional business training events. Their donation totaled $5,525 and, when added to the other funds raised by the "Bike for Life, brought the total amount raised to over $25,000. Everyone involved made it possible for us to give several large grants. One for a total of $10,000 went to a little nine-year-old girl, Bryanna Bryce from Limerick, Maine. She needs a kidney transplant. We gave her a small grant already, but the family needs quite a bit of money for the father to take off work for 3 months to have surgery himself to supply his daughter with his kidney. He is self-employed, with no insurance and has four other children at home.
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L to R: NYPD Emergency Services Unit, Sergeant John Lambkin, Phil Guido, NYPD Sgt. John Jorhden | |
In addition, $6,000 was donated to The New York Police Department, Emergency Services Unit - Bomb Squad Relief Fund, in memory of two brothers, Peter and Tommy Langone, one an NYPD ESU Police officer and the other an NYFD Firefighter, who were both lost in the September 11th tragedy.
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Another $9,000 went to New York Fire Department Engine Company 217 in Brooklyn who lost their Fire Chief, Lt. Ken Phelan, and two of their firefighters, Steven Coakley and Neal Leavy, to the Twin Tower Disaster. This grant will help those families at a very devastating time.
We are so proud of our "Angels on Wheels" for making this happen! We believe in angels and without angels, like all of our participants in this event, there wouldn't be miracles like these taking place.
Thank you to everyone that joined The Weber Foundation of Helping Hands in the " Bike For Life" and supporting our mission.
Warmest Regards,
Sandra LaVersa, BFL Event Coordinator
MORE INFORMATION
 More than 100 people supported The Weber Foundation of Helping Hands first annual "Bike for Life" | Elizabeth Weber, Andrew Weissman
& Mike Schiavone | L to R: Sandy LaVersa, Andrew Weissman, Elizabeth Weber
and Lisa Gray |
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December 7, 2001
A $2,000 grant was given to Kimberly MacKay who was diagnosed with cancer and two brain tumors. The grant is to help alleviate some of her living expenses and help to celebrate a beautiful Christmas with her family. Her guardian angels were Jean Licata Jerry Sacco and Susan Cummings.
Image L to R: Susan Cummings, Kimberly McKay, Jean Licata |
December 13, 2001
A grant of $2,500 was given to Desiree Lambert, a 17 yr old girl involved in an automobile accident that left her permentantly paralyzed from the neck down. The grant was given to buy a roll-in shower for Desiree.
Image L to R: Guardian Angel Kelly Danico and Desiree Lambert
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See More Grants Issued: 2002 / 2003 |
