Kristen Gillette of Oceanport presented Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) with a check for $115,000 on Dec. 14 in memory of her daughter, Kortney, who died from a brain tumor in 2005.
Kortney Rose Gillette was a vivacious 9-year-old girl with a winning smile and unparalleled zest for life. She loved playing with friends and animals (stuffed or real) and enjoyed school at Wolf Hill Elementary School in Oceanport. This didn’t change even after her diagnosis of a terminal brainstem glioma. On April 27, 2006, four months after her diagnosis, Kortney lost her battle with this pediatric brain cancer.
The Kortney Rose Foundation (KRF) was founded by Kortney’s mother, Kristen Gillette, to honor Kortney’s memory and celebrate her life. It was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) in 2007, to raise money for pediatric brain cancer research and awareness. This year’s amount brings the four-year total donated to the pediatric brain tumor research program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to $375,000, donated specifically
for its large-scale new world-class tissue bank.
This year’s first annual “Great Food … Great Cause” event at all five Turning Point restaurant locations raised more than $15,000. Additional fundraising events in 2010 included a family luau at Shaka Restaurant in Pier Village, the fifth annual Kortney’s Challenge twomile Fun Run/Walk and Day at the Races at Monmouth Park, and Team Kortney participation in both the New Jersey and ING New York City marathons.
Pediatric brain tumors are the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in children 20 and under. Children are now being diagnosed with brain tumor as often as leukemia.
For details about The Kortney Rose Foundation, call 732-222-1491, email kortneyroseorg@ aol.com or visit www.TheKortneyRoseFoundation. org.