Christmas Party 2011
Date/Time: December 11, 2011, -
Description: 


An afternoon of JOY for all of Candlelighters' children and their families!
Thank you sponsors, elf's, donors and volunteers for your generosity!







Andretti Thrill Park
Date/Time: November 11, 2011, -
Description: 

It was a cool Florida night perfect for the thrill at the tracks!  Families enjoyed their time together eating pizza, playing in the arcade, bowling, laser tag, rock climbing, and miniature golf.





Family Beach Retreat 2011
Date/Time: June 10, 2011 - June 12, 2011, -
Description: 


Our family had a wonderful weekend at the Doubletree.  We all appreciate your generosity!  The meals were delicious, massages relaxing and it was a real treat having an umbrella/chair waiting for me at the beach!!!  Kayla had fun too.....so happy she was able to enjoy it with us. 
Sincere thanks, Denise Rowell and family



Dear miss Adis and miss Carrie,
thank you soooooooo mutch for letting us go to the hotel it was super fun.I loved the big pool they had mostly because we do not have one.But i mostly loved the scavenger hunt you guys did, it was soooooooooooo fun. We were like running around the room finding every thing we could.the hardest thing to find was defenetly the penny.Even though the scavenger hunt was my favorite thank you for the dinner,i liked it too! And my favorite of the dinner was defenetly the sundaes we got to make.So thank you for all of it.I loved it all.
So again thank you.love, AVA  
ps.i loved the massage too, it felt great!




Congratulations to the Arbaiza/Ruiz family!
Winners of our family Scavenger Hunt!

Candlelighters would like to graciously thank Bari Stevenson, Mandy Black, and the wonderful staff at the Doubletree Guest Suites for their outstanding hospitality.
Also, a sincere that you to Jody Stork and students; Barbara Kemmler, Naeeima Al Kindi, Dale Filipowicz, and Sean Maclean from Space Coast Health Institute for the wonderful, relaxing massages given to our families.










Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure family outing
Date/Time: May 1, 2011, -
Description: 


Notes of gratitude from our families!


Thank you Candlelighters  for the excellent day Sunday out at Universal Studios. We all had a blast. ~Sharron & Family

Thank you so much for another great time at Universal Studios!!   We all had a wonderful time and the weather was great, too! Thank you for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers and doing all these special things for all of your extended families. We appreciate all you do for us!   Thank you so much, ~ Tonya & family        

Thank you Candlelighters for all you do to help make the lives of these kids much more than it could be! We appreciate your hard work and dedication you give, and the support for the parents too! We had a great time at Islands of Adventure. Thank you to the sponsors/donors for making it happen! ~ Marlo & family

Thank you Candlelighter we had such an amazing day at Universal yesterday. My family is so blessed to have such a wonderful group of people in our lives.  ~ Marielle & family

Thank you to all the incredible Candlelighter sponsors that made it possible for us to have such a wonderful day!!!! And thank you to Adis and Carrie for all you do! ~ Melisa & family

Thanks so much for the trip to universal studios!! My family had soooo much fun! If it wasn't for Candlelighters we wouldn't have be able to afford a trip to universal! Thanks again!  ~ Maria & family

Just wanted to say "thank you" for the Universal Studios family outing.  What a great day we had!  Josh is still talking about what a fun time we had.  He actually went on the Men in Black ride 4 times in a row and 5 times in total.  Thanks for that!!!! You guys are amazing!!!! ~Amy & family

 Thanks so very much for the fun time at Universal Studios.  We enjoyed seeing the new Harry Potter World.  Quite a place!!!  It was followed up by a delicious lunch at Hard Rock Café! ~Chris, Colleen, Lauren, and Joel

 


Celebration of Life 2011
Date/Time: March 27, 2011, -
Description: 

Dear Candlelighter Families, 
  

The Celebration of Life picnic was a wonderful way for us to meet many of you.  Matthew had a great time playing with the water toys and going to the beach. It is hard to put into words how much joy we experienced watching him play with the other children. He was diagnosed with high risk, b-cell ALL in November of 2010.  These past 4 months have been the darkest of our lives. Becoming part of the Candlelighter family has helped us realize that we are not alone in this fight.  Thank you for helping us financially, with generous gifts and providing valuable information about the help we can receive from your resources.  At the picnic when Matthew released the butterflies, he said, “I hope they find their friends in heaven”. That was a beautiful way to remember those precious angels and to remind us of how every life is a gift.  We are humbly grateful to the Candlelighters for everything you have done for us and look forward to all of the other special events.  Thank you for helping Matthew laugh and understand that he is not alone.

With Love and Blessings,
The Shillingsburg Family
Charlotte, Steve and Matthew












Memorial Quilt
Date/Time: December 14, 2010, 6:00 pm-8:00 pm
Description: 


"God's Garden has been filled with Love"

Roberts@hometownnewsol.com

In the past 21 years, hundreds of children throughout the Space Coast have received love and support from Candlelighters of Brevard.

While many overcame a difficult fight with cancer, others lost the battle.

The lives of 43 children will forever be remembered through the countless stitches of a homemade quilt, sponsored by Candlelighters of Brevard.

A nonprofit organization based in Indian Harbour Beach, Candlelighters provides emotional and financial support for children with cancer and their families.

Its members and volunteers are currently caring for 52 families in Brevard County, currently undergoing chemotherapy and/or radiation, said Adis Perez, family services coordinator for the organization.

"Overall, we have 192 Candlelighter families," she said. "Once a family, always a family."

While the organization has initiated numerous fundraisers and activities since its inception, the idea to create a quilt came from longtime volunteer Elaine Lewis.

An Indialantic resident, Mrs. Lewis witnessed first-hand the devastating effects of cancer when she performed research at Columbia University and while tutoring young cancer patients.

"The quilt is a memorial to their short lives here on earth," she said. "We hold their memories in our hearts."

With the help of her fellow volunteers, Mrs. Lewis discovered a local quilter, Maria Parkhurst of Melbourne Beach.

Ms. Parkhurst first began sewing as a teenager, but took her first quilting class 19 years ago and said she has been in love with the process ever since.

"After Elaine asked me to create the quilt, I prayed about it and felt like God wanted me to do this," she said. "I have two sons of my own and cannot imagine the pain of losing my child."

Within the past year, Ms. Parkhurst volunteered 170 hours to design and construct the quilt.

At 75-by-52-inches, the handmade quilt features photographs of all 43 children who have died from various types of childhood cancer since Candlelighters was founded in 1989.

Mrs. Lewis' brother, James Gordon of St. Cloud, assisted with embedding the photos of the children onto the patches.

"My hope is that this quilt will help to honor the memories of these beautiful children, who, I believe, are now with God in his garden," Ms. Parkhurst said. "Hence the title on the quilt:
'God's garden has been filled with love.'"

Inscribed on the back of the quilt is a dedication, also written by Ms. Parkhurst.

It reads: "In memory of the love of these beautiful lives that blessed us for too short a time."

More than 50 guests attended an unveiling ceremony Dec. 14, in which families and friends of the departed children viewed the quilt for the first time.

The quilt will remain at the Candlelighters' office and be taken to the various functions attended by its members throughout the year.

"It's so sad to think there is no end to the children and families who will be affected," Ms. Parkhurst said. "Cancer is a mean thing, but it gives us an opportunity to share love with others, which we may otherwise not have done."

The Candlelighters of Brevard office and thrift shop is at 1875-A South Patrick Drive, Indian Harbour Beach.

 
 


Christmas Party 2010
Date/Time: December 12, 2010, 2:00 pm-5:00 pm
Description: 



To All Our Friends at Candlelighters,

 It's hard to express in words how thankful we are for all of you and for all that you do!!

The Candlelighters Christmas Party was the greatest! We said that last year but it seemed even better this year which is pretty darn hard to do!!

The food, the music, the gifts were all so wonderful!!! It was so nice to meet some new friends too!!

The love and endless labor it took (we are sure) to put on such a heartwarming party for our children is greatly greatly appreciated.  Thanks again for all those who made this very special day happen.

The party helped to kick off the holiday season being very thankful for all that we have.

Love and thanks again,
Chris, Colleen, Lauren Larsen and Joel Palmer





Thank you Sponsors, Donors, and Volunteers!
Your support truly made this
Christmas Magical for our Candlelighters' families!!

 

 

FAMILY SPONSOR

Beth Pafias
Bert Beauchat
Bruce & Tracy Jacobus
Carl & Roslyn Smedberg
Don & Julie Herndon
Dr. Theresa Yasonis
Harry & Mary Deffebach
Health First, Vivian, Linda, Mary, Deanna, Michelle, Peggy, Erin, Karen, Laura
Ionie Murrillo, Cherie Murillo & Jeanne Crews
Jackie Burns – 2
Jim Fanto – Fanto Group, LLC
Jonnie & Elester Wright
Ken Smith/Edna Fairbanks-Smith
Kerry & Karen Speed
Laurel Crowe
Mike & Maureen Downey
Patricia Savage
Richard Hawkes
IN HONOR OF OUR NIECES & NEPHEWS:
Elizabeth & Clara Ciminelli
Carolyn & Christina Ciminelli
Gabriel CiminelliAriel Hartney
From Paul & Maureen Stewart

 1 CHILD SPONSOR
Christine Michaels
Dennis Kluge
Ellie Culliton
Jan & Don Whitney
Jim & Kelly Parry
Joan Williams
Kay Shaw
Margie Fischer
Millie Neil
Mrs. Ramon Smith
Suntree Medical Associates

 2 CHILDREN SPONSOR

Joe Marinello
Kay Shaw
Laurel Crowe
Miriam Doyle

 ELVES

3rd Youth Ministries, Grace United Methodist Church
Alice Kadlick
Atlass Insurance employees
Bill & Debbie Klein
Coastal Hyundai & Cocoa Hyundai employees
Craig Hoffarth
Dayle Gaffney
Dreamcatchers  Suntree
Elaine Lewis
John & Jennifer  O’Neill 
Kris Falkner
Kristy Curtis
Mary Kay O’Toole
Nancy Dyer

 PARTY DONATIONS

Alice Noble
Ann Hartnett
Ann & Walter Scott
Arlene Reckard
Candlelighters’ Volunteers
Chuck & Marylou Dunsford
Coca-Cola Bottling Company
Eddie & Barbara Struttmann AKA Mr. & Mrs Claus
Elaine Lewis
Ellie Culliton
Frito Lay
Jay DiBella
Jim & Kelly Parry
Kim Kotsifas
Ladies Oriental Shrine of North America
Leaning Tower of Pizza
Party House, Indian Harbour Beach
Pepsi Cola
Rua King
Satellite Beach PAL
Sharon Mecca
Subway – Indialantic
United Methodist Church MI, Youth Group
Timmy Vee
Violet & Joseph Guerrero, We paint happy faces
In memory of Mary Lou Galloway, Ben & Olga Harris














Universal Studios
Date/Time: April 25, 2010, 10:00 am-7:00 pm
Description: 

Universal Studios/Island's of Adventure!

Thank you notes from the families.

We had an amazing day and didn't leave the park until the first raindrop fell around 6:30pm!  As I'm sure you noticed there were NO LINES and GREAT WEATHER....a perfect day all in all.  Another heartfelt thank you to Candlelighters for our special day!

~Denise  

 

Thank you Adis, Carrie, and the rest of the Candlelighters are awesome.  We had a great family day at Universal Studios!
~Marielle

Dear Adis and Candlelighters of Brevard, my family and I want to say thank you so much.  It was nice to spend one fun day with our kids and to see a big smile on Yasmin's face it really meant a lot to us. Once again thank you!
~Nuzly

Just wanted to thank you so much for taking us to Universal Studios.  We had a great time!!  Our feet were pretty sore but we really enjoyed ourselves! The weather turned out perfect. It really was nice to get away and have fun for a change. Tyler and Kayla needed the distraction from school work-they had so much fun.   You are wonderful for doing nice things and being there for all of us!

~ Tanya

                                                                                    
We all had a wonderful day and lunch at Bubba Gump [yummy] Thank you so much, all you do is much appreciated, especially the love.
~Chris

Thank you so much for the beautiful day at Islands of Adventure.  The kids had a great time and it was nice just to get away from it all.  The Candlelighters are a huge blessing.
~ Jennifer

Thank you for the wonderful family day at Islands of Adventure!  It was truly rejuvinating and we were able to spend time together having fun.  Jeremy loved riding the "Hulk", he looked forward to it for a long time.
~ Roxanne, Jeff, Josh, Jason, Justin, Jeremy, & Jessica





Space Coast Stadium
Date/Time: March 28, 2010, 1:00 pm-4:00 pm
Description: 

Candlelighters at the Space Coast Stadium!

We all enjoyed the afternoon at the ball field.
Thank you Space Coast Stadium and the
Washington Nationals for providing the great
tickets and meal vouchers!



Andretti Thrill Park
Date/Time: October 15, 2009, 6:00 pm-8:00 pm
Description:  


 
Despite the rain, the families enjoyed their time together eating pizza, playing in the arcade, bowling, laser tag, rock climbing, and miniature golf. 











Sea World
Date/Time: May 3, 2009, 9:00 am-7:00 pm
Description: 
 
The day at Sea World couldn’t have been more wonderful. The weather was beautiful, the company amazing and lunch was delicious. The kids didn’t stop smiling from the moment we got there until they fell asleep in the car on the way home. This was by far the most fun we’ve had in many months. The kids enjoyed playing in the water area, riding the rides, climbing the nets and watching Shamu.
I loved seeing them so happy and just being kids. Kody and Dylan are still talking about it and telling anyone that will listen how great it was. They are also very excited about being able to go back thanks to the inexpensive upgrade for the rest of the year. This wasn’t just a trip to Sea World it was a recharge for our hearts and minds. I can’t say Thank You enough to Adis, Carrie and all the Candlelighter supporters, without you this day of fun would not have been possible for us.
All Our Love,

  The Ortner Family







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Copyright © 2012 Candlelighters® of Brevard, Inc.

Candlelighters® of Brevard is a 501(c)3 tax exempt, non-profit organization. All donations are tax deductible as allowed by law. ID# 59-3068501 A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Division of Consumer Services by calling 800-435-7352 within the State. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval or recommendation by the State.

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