September 25, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES Upper Saddle River III • Page 9 Walkathon to boost funding for Arya’s Kids Arya’s Kids invites the community to fight pediatric cancer by taking part in the group’s month-long fundrais- ing effort, which will be capped with the Third Annual iWalk for Arya on Sunday, Oct. 13. The walk will take place from 9 a.m. until noon at Lions Park in Upper Saddle River. This event is a tribute to the memory of Arya Majum- der, a resident of Upper Saddle River and Cavallini Middle School student who lost his battle with cancer in 2010, and to all the kids who have fallen victim to child- hood cancer. Participants walk in the park, listen to the music, and take part in a host of activities. This year’s special attraction will be a Balloon Festival in honor of the departed souls. Balloons emblazoned with the names of loved ones will be sent heavenward. Anyone who cannot attend the walkathon is welcome to make a donation to Arya’s Kids online at www.aryas- kids.org. All of the funds raised are used toward fulfilling the missions of the charity. The iWalk event is Arya’s Kids primary fundraiser and is designed to bring together those in the community who were positively influenced by Arya and his indomitable joy for living. Arya’s Kids Foundation to Fight Childhood Cancer was created by his parents, Swati and Kumud, as a tribute to their son. Through this philanthropic effort, Arya’s friends and families are working together not only at finding a cure for childhood cancer but also at initia- tives that are designed to make the lives of children living with cancer easier. “We are hoping to find more advanced treatments with fewer and milder side effects,” said Arya’s father, Kumud Majumder. “Since its formation, the foundation raised and put to work over $200,000 toward these initiatives.” This year, Arya’s Kids set a fundraising goal of $50,000. This amount will fund clinical trials consistent Arya Majumder with the foundation’s mission. Project goals include help for children with leukemia who have failed chemother- apy and children with leukemia who have failed a bone marrow transplant. Arya’s Kids is committed to donate $1 million to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center by the end of 2015 to support immunotherapy based research for leu- kemia and brain tumors. The first clinical trial for immunotherapy-based treat- ments for kids with leukemia who have failed chemother- apy and bone marrow transplants was recently approved by FDA. Unlike traditional chemotherapy, immunother- apy is designed to attack only the cancer cells, leaving the normal cells intact. This therapy has already made a big impact for some adult patients with acute lympho- blastic leukemia. The pediatric trial opened May 19, and patient registration commenced in July 2013. Arya’s Kids is funding the pediatric trial. “In addition, one of our goals is to make the lives of our young patients as tolerable as possible during their difficult treatment period,” Majumder added. “To that end, we have donated money to Memorial Sloan Ket- tering Cancer Center, New York for purchase of gaming consoles (X-Box), pool table supplies, gifts, toys, and candy for kids undergoing treatment at MSKCC. Further grants and donations will be made as more funds become available.” The Arya’s Kids Board of Directors includes Swati Majumder, Ph.D., president and treasurer; Kumud Majumder, Ph.D., vice president; Louisa Quarto, MBA, secretary; and John B. Georges, Ph.D., director. To learn more, or to make a donation, visit www.aryaskids.org. “Like” Arya’s Kids on www.facebook.com/AryasKids.