Monthly Newsletter
August 2010
Greetings from the Cristian Rivera Foundation.
The Cristian Rivera Foundation is coming off a great anniversary month. Not one, but two events helped raise awareness about our cause.
The first was Mega Jam 2010, which took place on July 17 at The Country Fair Entertainment Park in Medford, NY. Party 105.3 FM put on the event, and station owner and Cristian Rivera Foundation Committee Member Vic Latino made sure to put our logo on marketing materials and more to help raise awareness about the Foundation. We were there giving out t-shirts and wristbands, and John “Gungie” Rivera even took a picture with
iCarly star Miranda Cosgrove, who wore the Foundation’s signature blue wristband in front of our step and repeat. Cosgrove and Kiowa Gordon from
Twilight hosted the star-studded concert, which featured performances from Lucas Prata, Natasha Bedingfield, Shaggy, Kelis, Jay Sean and more. Both Vic Latino and Party 105.3 on-air talent DJ Serg not only wore the Foundation wristband at the event, but Foundation t-shirts too.
July also ended on a high note with a successful mini-fundraiser at The Bronx’s Latin Kitchen. The restaurant, located at 3841 East Tremont Avenue, becomes a lounge every Thursday night and Latin Kitchen’s DJ Lucho Concepcion and Robert Vasquez organized an event where everyone who came after 10pm paid a $10 donation and received one of the Cristian Rivera Foundation’s signature blue wristbands. The event featured music from resident DJ Victor Vargas, as well as Cristian Rivera Foundation Committee Members DJ Tedsmooth and Ralph Mercado, aka DJ Wreck. Lots of John “Gungie” Rivera’s friends, as well as friends of the Cristian Rivera Foundation came out to support the cause, including Committee Members Kenya Bradix, Solange Osorio and Steve Cox.
Lucho Concepcion and Robert Vasquez are two of the Foundation's newest Committee Members, along with Aurora Flores, President and Creative Director of Aurora Communications.
- Lucho Concepcion started producing music at 19 and has become one of the most talented disk jockeys and producers in the industry. He has worked with artists like Diddy's group The Dream, No Mercy, DLG, Son by 4, Angel Canales and George Lamond. When not producing, Lucho is still DJing around NYC and all over the world. He's currently doing the midnight show live from LQ on X96.3 FM.
- Robert Vasquez is a sports marketer, philanthropist and restaurateur. Vazquez signed deals and created product lines for the likes of Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, James Gandolfini, Hideki Matsui, Brett Gardner, Hank Aaron, Tony Hawk, Muhammad Ali, Joe Namath, David Ortiz, and Jay-Z as part of a large sports marketing and memorabilia firm.Vazquez also serves on the boards for Bronx YMCA, Moving Mountains, and the Erika Roman Memorial Foundation.
- Aurora Flores is the recipient of numerous awards and is included in Who’s Who in Hispanic America. Currently the President of Aurora Communications, Inc., she was the first Latina editor of Latin New York Magazine and the first female music correspondent for Billboard Magazine. She lectures on Latin music, has composed bilingual songs for Nickelodeon’s “Dora the Explorer,” and recently edited and wrote the foreword for ¡Salsa Talks! A Musical Heritage Uncovered.
By becoming Committee Members, Lucho, Robert and Aurora are making our Committee stronger and helping us get closer to our goal of curing Pontine Glioma. You can also aid us in our quest for a cure. Donate to the Cristian Rivera Foundation, or buy one of our signature wristbands or t-shirts, by visiting
www.cristianriverafoundation.org. Organize your own fundraiser or awareness campaign. Or contact your Congressperson and Senators to let them know that you want to see the National Childhood Brain Tumor Prevention Act made into law.
Our friends at Mira's Movement let us know about the National Childhood Brain Tumor Prevention Act, which would allocate $25 million a year for five years for the first comprehensive research into the causes of brain tumors in children, including genetics, nutrition, the environment, and more. It will give us answers about better treatments and even prevention.
But in order for this bill to pass, people like you, who care about curing pediatric brain tumors like Pontine Glioma, need to write a letter or e-mail, or make a phone call to your federal representatives and urge them to pass the National Childhood Brain Tumor Prevention Act. For more information and quick outlines to write a letter or e-mail, or make a call, visit
www.mirasmovement.org/CBTPNA.html.
Promising legislation like this can help make it possible that no one else will have to mourn a child the way everyone at the Cristian Rivera Foundation mourns Cristian Rivera. Committee member Melissa Chung shared some of her memories of Cristian:
I had the pleasure and honor of meeting and spending time with an angel without wings, Cristian Rivera. Besides the obvious of how special and amazing this little boy was, the one thing that stood out to me was the unique bond that he had with his amazing father! Cristian wanted to be by his side at all times. They needed each other and it was their relationship that kept them strong! It was a love I have never seen before and I was so happy that I had the chance to see it live! I can honestly say true love exists!
Another memory of Cristian was his ability to escape from reality and just be free in a world of make-believe. We would play with all his toys and trains and we were in a world of his imagination that I didn't want to leave! He made this world full of peace, happiness and love. We even had our own song that he and I wrote called "RED." We had some amazing moments together. However sometimes, no matter how much faith we have, we lose the ones we love... But I will never forget Cristian...and sometimes, it's those memories that give me the faith to go on!
I LOVE YOU CRISTIAN! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
Committee Member Tedsmooth also fondly remembers the time he spent with Cristian:
My memory of Cristian was going to Gungie's office and seeing Cristian all over the place with his toys! He ran that place lol. One day, his mom didn't pack his favorite Thomas train and he lost it. He didn't want to play with anything else or be "Mr. All Smiles." I had no choice but to find that train online and have it shipped overnight to the office. It was a $7 train and the shipping was 10 times that! Lmao! But when Gungie opened that box for him, he was back to "Mr. All Smiles" and that was Cristian. Love you dude, Ted & Ty.
Show how much you care by buying a signature Foundation wristband or t-shirt on the “Shop” page at
www.cristianriverafoundation.org. Together we can cure Pontine Glioma. Full steam ahead!
Sincerely,
John “Gungie” Rivera, “Forever Cristian’s Daddy,” and all of the members of the Cristian Rivera Committee: Alex Garcia, Andy Epstein, Anthony Mason, Aurora Flores, Boy Wonder, David Maldonado, Denise Miranda, DJ Camilo, DJ Funkmaster Flex, DJ Tedsmooth, Dr. Ben Velazquez, Dr. Mary Saleeby, Edward Caban, Elis Pacheco, Fernando Ferrer, Hamlet Peralta, James Cruz, James R. Cotto, Jay Hernandez, Jeff & Valerie Lavino, Jim Jones, Jimmy Rodriguez, J.I. Starr, John “Jellybean” Benitez, Johnny Nuñez, Jose Alberto “El Canario,” Joseph Mbeh, Kamar De Los Reyes, Kenya Bradix, Khaliah Ali, Little Louie Vega, Lucho Concepcion, Luis Guzman, Mark Rosner, Mathew “Mateo” Rajkumar, Melissa Chung, Miriam Colon, Murray Richman, Pablo Diaz, Ralph Mercado III, Ray Wong, Ricardo Cardona, Robert Vasquez, Solange Osorio, Steve Cox, Vic Latino, Victor Martinez and William Pla.
