Page 6 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • September 14, 2011 Area A month-long fundraising effort in support of childhood cancer research will be capped off on Oct. 2 with the Second Annual iWalk for Arya. This walkathon, which is being held in memory of Arya Majumder of Upper Saddle River, will take place from 9 to 11 a.m. at Lions Park in Upper Saddle River. The community is invited to join this child friendly event at which participants walk in the park, listen to music, and take part in a host of activities. This Community invited to participate in iWalk for Arya year’s fundraising goal is $75,000. The iWalk event is the Arya’s Kids Foundation to Fight Childhood Cancer’s primary fundraising event and is designed to bring together those in the community who were positively influenced by Arya and his indomitable joy for living. Those who are unable to participate are welcome to make a donation to support the foundation’s 2011 initiatives. The Arya’s Kids Foundation was created last year by Arya’s parents, Kumud and Swati Majumder, as a tribute to their son, who lost his battle with cancer in April 2010. Through this philanthropic effort, Arya’s family, friends, and local residents are working together to find a cure for childhood cancer and to support initiatives that make the lives of children living with cancer easier, such as advanced treatments that have relatively mild side effects. Since the foundation was established, over $100,000 has been dedicated to these initiatives. The upcoming walkathon will help fund clinical trials consistent with the foundation’s mission. Visit http://www.aryaskids.org/events/ to register for the walk or to make a donation that will help fund the Arya’s Kids 2011 projects. Proceeds raised in connection with the foundation’s initial fundraising activities and the first iWalk for Arya have been donated to fund the clinical trial program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Donations have also been made for purchase of gaming consoles, pool table supplies, gifts, toys, and candy for children who are undergoing treatment at MSKCC. Proceeds from this year’s walkathon will fund an immunotherapy project for the treatment of relapsed leukemia and two new initiatives identified by the Arya’s Kids Board of Trustees following consultation with doctors from MSKCC. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is the most common cancer that occurs in children. While the majority of children with ALL can be cured, the outcome for children with cancer that recurs following treatment with chemotherapy and/or radiation is poor. Bone marrow transplants cure some children with recurrent leukemia, but, unfortunately for many children, their leukemia will nevertheless return. Immunotherapy, which uses the immune system to target and eliminate cancer cells, may provide a new treatment option for these children. Research conducted at MSKCC attempts to “re-educate” the immune system using gene (continued on page 9)