South Nassau Supporters Donate $56K to Feil Cancer Center To Support Patients Undergoing Treatment

South Nassau supporters who participated in the hospital’s 5K Walk last month donated more than $56,000 to the Gertrude & Louis Feil Cancer Center in Valley Stream this week to help patients undergoing cancer treatments and to expand cancer education efforts.

More than 250 residents completed a 3.1-mile walk through Baldwin and Oceanside and used Internet-based Crowdrise to raise the funds, which along with event sponsorships, grossed more than $76,000.

The staff of the Gertrude & Louis Feil Cancer Center team lead the way, raising more than $6,356.00 on Crowdrise under their "#TheyCallUsAngels" banner.  Rajiv Datta, MD, chairman of the Department of Surgery at South Nassau and medical director of the Cancer Center; Joe Calderone, Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications and Development; and Geri Barish, President of 1 in 9: The Long Island Breast Cancer Action Coalition, congratulated the staff in a check presentation at the Feil Center.

More than 120 fundraising teams were formed on Crowdrise and South Nassau’s 5K Walk produced a four-fold increase in contributions over last year’s event.

“On behalf of our present and future patients as well as our team of physicians and patient care staff, I thank each walker for their generous support,” said Dr. Rajiv Datta, Chairman of South Nassau’s Department of Surgery. “The money raised by the event will make a difference in helping our patients’ fight against cancer.”

The funds will help cancer patients who are battling the disease and who often face financial issues, including with transportation expenses, housecleaning, child care, elder care, support for medication, therapy and if they need wigs/bras. The funds also will be used for cancer awareness, screenings and education.

The Naming sponsor of the 5K Walk and Health Fair was Park Avenue Extended Care Facility and the Entertainment sponsor was Lynbrook Restorative Therapy & Nursing.  The event was supported by many community organizations including Hewlett House, the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce, Oceanside Dept. of Community Activities and the Oceanside Fire Dept.

Held in bright sunshine and buoyed by a refreshing early fall temperature, the walk was complemented by a health fair with exhibits about the hospital’s services, personal health and offered free health screenings as well as a fall festival with a variety of fun activities, including carnival games and a pumpkin painting stand.  More than 400 residents attended the event, including those who completed the walk.  Each registered walker was asked to raise at least $100 via the Hospital’s Crowdrise page by finding sponsors.

A total of 134 people took advantage of the free health screenings for prostate cancer and cardiac risk factors including cholesterol, Body Mass Index (BMI) and blood pressure, as well as screenings for asthma, head & neck cancers and sleep assessment in the Wellness Tent sponsored by South Point Plaza Rehabilitation. Screening participants were automatically entered in a raffle for a variety of gift baskets filled with desired goods, tickets to entertainment shows and restaurant gift certificates.



South Nassau’s 5K walkers and sponsors raised more than $56,582 to benefit patient services at the Gertrude & Louis Feil Cancer Center in Valley Stream. The cancer center staff team (pictured above) raised more than $6,356.00 on Crowdrise under their "#TheyCallUsAngels" banner. Rajiv Datta, MD, chairman of the Department of Surgery at South Nassau and medical director of the cancer center; Joe Calderone, senior vice president of Corporate Communications and Development; and Geri Barish, president of 1 in 9: The Long Island Breast Cancer Action Coalition, congratulated the staff in a check presentation today at the Feil Center. More than 250 supporters participated in the walk.

The screenings identified abnormal results with cholesterol readings, head and neck exam, body mass index (BMI) blood pressure, balance sleep disorders which warranted referrals for more specific assessment and evaluation.

While residents received health screenings and gathered up information about South Nassau services and personal health, children tested their skills and creativity at the carnival games and pumpkin painting stand. South Nassau’s parking lot was also the host to live entertainment provided by burgeoning rock stars, dancers and masters of the martial arts.  Popular songs from all genres and eras were played by musicians of the School of Rock in Rockville Centre while dancers from the Maple Avenue School of Dance, Rockville Centre, danced to the tunes.  Compelling marital arts demonstrations were also performed by students of Shaolin Self-Defense Center in Oceanside.

Designated a Magnet® hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), South Nassau® Communities Hospital is one of the region’s largest hospitals, with 455 beds, more than 900 physicians and 3,500 employees.  Located in Oceanside, NY, the hospital is an acute-care, not-for-profit teaching hospital that provides state-of-the-art care in cardiac, oncologic, orthopedic, bariatric, pain management, mental health and emergency services.  In addition to its extensive outpatient specialty centers, South Nassau provides emergency and elective angioplasty, and offers Novalis Tx™ and Gamma Knife® radiosurgery technologies.  A Level II Trauma Center verified by the American College of Surgeons, South Nassau is a designated Stroke Center by the New York State Department of Health and Comprehensive Community Cancer Center by the American College of Surgeons, and is an accredited center of the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Association and Quality Improvement Program.  In addition, the hospital has been awarded the Joint Commission’s gold seal of approval as a Top Performer on Key Quality Measures, including heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and surgical care; and disease-specific care for hip and joint replacement, wound care and end-stage renal disease. For more information, visit www.southnassau.org.