Family Memory Week Launches Nationwide To Celebrate Family Togetherness
Online, July 24, 2011 (Newswire.com) - This summer marks the first national Family Memory Week, a 10-day celebration that encourages families to come together to commemorate the creation, capturing, and sharing of fun, positive, and cherished family moments - moments so special that U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson and Georgia State Senator David Shafer have sponsored a resolution recognizing July 23 through August 1 each year as Family Memory Week.
Family Memory Week was created by the Jack & Jill Late Stage Cancer Foundation (JAJF), a national non-profit dedicated to providing families impacted by late stage cancer with fun, entertaining getaways, called WOW! Experiences®, to give them a positive timeout from their hardships and to create indispensable memories as a family...while they still can. Every year, one million Americans are affected by a mom or dad who has been diagnosed with late stage cancer. Despite the advances in cancer research, too many young parents are dying from cancer, leaving behind their children. Since its inception in 2006, JAJF has treated hundreds of those late stage families.
"When we 'treat' families to their timeout from late stage cancer, their time spent together truly is indispensible and cherished, but it should not take a terminal cancer diagnosis to create family time and memories," explains Jon Albert, president and founder of JAJF. "This is why we have established Family Memory Week: to remind everyone how important it is to celebrate the joy and happiness of life with loved ones."
JAJF and Senators Shafer and Isakson declared Family Memory Week as July 23 through August 1 because it is the perfect time for being outdoors, going to ballgames, strolling along beaches, watching sunsets, or riding bikes. Isakson has hosted JAJF's late stage families to private, VIP tours of the White House and behind the scenes tours at the Senate. When he heard about Family Memory Week he shared his enthusiasm and faith in JAJF with Senator Shafer. "We are truly honored to sponsor the Senate Resolution recognizing the week of July 23 through August 1 as Family Memory Week," say Senators Isakson and Shafer. "We would like to personally commend JAJF for the great work being done to care for these families. You have our full-fledged support."
"JAJF touches hearts in a special way," says Brenda Horne, chief executive officer, Community Health Charities. "I've seen firsthand the work they do to create memories - a WOW Experience® - the best time a family may ever have before the loss of a parent due to cancer. I applaud JAJF's launch and celebration of Family Memory Week. We all need to be reminded to take our own timeout occasionally and make good memories with our families."
JAJF has a poignant section on their website called "The Appreciation Archives," sharing the gratitude, joy, happiness, relief, and reality of hundreds of the families they have touched. Many of these WOW® family moms and dads are now gone. Their words, however, are powerful and lasting reminders of the spirit of Family Memory Week: "life is to be lived to the fullest," describes Connie Struckman, a past WOW® family mom, "This is a time to show appreciation for what we have been given and treasure every memory made. The kids will always have this extraordinary gift of togetherness after I am gone. The family photo album is a treasure....a true treasure. Memories do become our greatest inheritance."
JAJF is supported by corporate partners and individual donors who make the WOW! Experiences® possible. Members of the national hospitality community are the true heroes of providing cherished, lasting, fun family memories: AirTran, Southwest, Continental, United Airlines, Starwood, Ritz Carlton, Marriott, Four Seasons, Loews, Celebrity Cruises, AVIS-Budget, NBA, Universal, Disney, Disney Broadway, The Coca-Cola Company, SeaWorld, and Six Flags, among others, are some of the family memory companies. Additionally, new JAJF partners including, The What to Expect Foundation, Yes! Video, and Newell Rubbermaid, are also planning nationwide family events and celebrations for Family Memory Week 2012.
"What makes working with JAJF so rewarding, special, and humbling is the tangible, meaningful, and measurable nature of our interaction," says Bruce Gorelick, general manager, Renaissance Hollywood Hotel & Spa. "The strength you see from these families is incredible and the dignity they show in their last days is truly remarkable."
To learn more about JAJF and Family Memory Week, "like" the "Jack & Jill Late Stage Cancer Foundation" on Facebook or visit the JAJF website at http://www.jajf.org.
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