Cancer Concern Center in Point Pleasant Beach to Hold Dinner Dance Fundraiser on May 21

The Cancer Concern Center,  Point Pleasant Beach, will hold a dinner dance  on May 21 to raise money for the center which helps Shore area residents with cancer.

The event, scheduled for 7 to 11 p.m. at the Barclay in Belmar, is the primary fundraiser for the organization which provides free services to cancer survivors in the Shore region.

Services, at their office on Route 35 South, include weekly support meetings, meditation and yoga classes, massage and Reiki therapy, nutritional workshops and new wigs to residents.

The center is encouraging residents from all over the Shore region to attend the dinner, have fun and help a great cause.

Tickets are $75 each ($5 less than last year) and include cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, dinner, dancing and live entertainment by the Sirius Orchestra.

Also, a few of those who have benefited from services provided by the Cancer Concern Center will tell their stories.

The center, struggling with a limited budget and small, volunteer staff, offers free services to cancer survivors from Ocean and Monmouth counties.

Lisa Montalbano, the center's volunteer office manager, said the dinner dance comes at a critical juncture for the Cancer Concern Center as it faces the most difficult fundraising challenge in its 14-year history.

"Other cancer organizations are much larger, offering more programs and benefiting from national affiliations," Montalbano explains. "The Cancer Concern Center has always been an independent, grassroots effort, with neighbors helping neighbors with cancer.

"We're dependent on local sponsorships, grants and donations to keep our doors open," she said.

"Far from an affluent organization, the Cancer Concern Center has no paid staff and minimal overhead, funneling donations into client programs instead of administration," according to a prepared statement.

The center was founded in 1998 and is run by Lori Jeffries of Point Pleasant and Jill McDonough of Lavallette.

"They envisioned a warm and welcoming setting that didn't feel like a hospital - a convenient place for women and men with cancer to discuss their condition, access resources, receive non-judgmental support and rejuvenate their spirits," the statement says.

Pat Spillane, of Lakewood, is a licensed social worker and breast cancer survivor who runs the center's support groups.

"My heart is with helping people who have cancer," Spillane said. "But the reality is cancer affects the entire family.

"At our support groups, we offer a safe, confidential, home-like environment, for women and men with cancer, to talk about things they wouldn't necessarily say to a spouse," Spillane said. "They exchange views about different modalities of treatment and they have an outlet for sharing their fears.

"It's not easy to talk to strangers about cancer," Spillane continues, "but I've seen women who come to the Cancer Concern Center really become like sisters. So many people still think of 'the big C' as a death sentence. But more people are living with cancer today than they did 10 years ago. Women may be afraid to move forward with breast exams and Pap smears, but early diagnosis saves lives."

Sponsorship opportunities are available at a variety of levels, from $120 table sponsors to $4,000 event sponsors. The center will also produce an ad journal with placements from $25 to $300.

To purchase tickets or discuss sponsorships, please contact Montalbano at the center (732) 701-0250 or email cancerctr@aol.com.