Join us in a historic, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build the nation’s FIRST CANCER RESPITE CENTER and positively impact families facing cancer.
Join us in a historic, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build the nation’s FIRST cancer respite center and positively impact families facing cancer.
Pete’s Story.
Cancer.
When I heard this word with Pete, I didn’t envision a thirteen-month struggle battling this disease and life without him. But this was my reality. And during our journey, we had the unique opportunity to experience a respite from cancer thanks to the generosity of our loving community. Before his death, Pete communicated his vision for a respite center so that other young families could reconnect, rejuvenate and refresh in a safe environment, an environment that allowed for communication, reflection, joy and pain to be shared within a family unit and together with other families in the same journey. For twenty-two years, FPS has impacted over 10,000 people with this gift of respite. Today, we embark on an endeavor that will bring respite to thousands more!
We announce our Respite Transformed Campaign: Pete’s Vision Realized at Woodloch.
Depicted above is Pete Bossow in July 1999, two months before he died. It was during this time when he outlined his original vision of the respite center; the drawing above was done immediately following his passing.
Our Past: Meet our Founders
RESPITE Transformed
RESPITE
Transformed
Transformed
Our $25 million Respite Transformed Campaign will culminate in the construction of the For Pete’s Sake Respite Center at Woodloch; this center will transform cancer care in the Northeast region and offer transformational respite experiences in the most scalable, sustainable, effective, and efficient way possible.
Project Vision.
Designed using 18 years of qualitative and quantitative outcome data from thousands of Respite Recipients and with input from oncology professionals, our Program Outcome Measures collected since the start of community respites at Woodloch statistically demonstrate the impact of respite on the patient, caregiver and their loved ones.
Every space lends for transformative experiences that will change the continuum of care for cancer patients.
Focusing on health outcomes for the family unit, the facility includes a dedicated dining room serving 60,000 meals annually, an art room with stress reducing activities, a chapel for quiet meditation, yoga space for the entire family, a swimming pool for water therapy and outside nature trails on its 32 acre campus.
Click the icons on the rendering below to learn more about our Respite Center.
Pond & Babbling Brook
Our families will find this area a place to calm down the body and mind with the sound of a gentle stream flowing down a rocky landscape.
Native Butterfly Meadow
The Native Butterfly Meadow is designed for beautification, habitat creation and to attract pollinators, like the Monarch butterfly. Butterfly Meadows encourages healthy pollination in the area and creates communities within the ecosystem.
Rain Garden
Our rain garden will collect and soak up rainwater runoff from paved areas, roofs and the surrounding landscapes to reduce flooding and create a habitat for butterflies, song birds and other wildlife.
Community Courtyard
This outdoor gathering area will host relaxing activities, al fresco dining and allow our families to gather as a community around the firepits to enjoy calming unity, laughter and of course, smores.
Flagpole Plaza
Our flag raising ceremonies, will not only honor our country and those that have made the ultimate sacrifice. It will also display our commitment to honor and support our families through their cancer journey.
Nature Trail
Our trails will be constructed using asphalt pavement to create a continuous, smooth trail that will provide an ease to ambulate around the campus and take in the surrounding beauty of the Pocono Mountains. Our nature trail will also connect with existing hiking trails for those who wish to be immerse in nature and all its beauty.
Amphitheater
This will be one of our most treasured outdoor spaces, built into the beautiful, wooded landscape wrapping our families in the calming beauty of nature. Our amphitheater will be a great place to gather, catch a performance, hold outdoor programming and endless opportunities of entertainment and spiritual connection for our families. Located adjacent to our chapel, providing our families the ability to join sunrise services, meditation, and renewal of vows. Thoughtful planning ensures healing of the mind, body and soul while being fully accessible for all levels of mobility.
Cornhole, Shuffleboard & Bocce Area
This area of the Family Fun Zone provides leisure activities for our families to reconnect and relax.
Pavilion in the Family Fun Zone
This structure will provide full coverage from the sun, allowing our families to enjoy breaks from the various play activities. Additionally, it will provide a gathering space for various therapeutic activities and entertainment.
Nature Playground
Our nature playground is a play environment featuring natural elements that feel integrated with the outdoor landscape. It will enable children to move freely and creatively around the environment allowing them to explore, run, jump, climb and swing.
Play Lawn
Our recreational play lawn will provide endless opportunities to play while inspiring movement. Our families will be able to enjoy the lawn year-round with frisbee, soccer, lawn games, snow stomping footprint tag, snow angels, snowmen and so much more.
Labyrinth
Our labyrinth creates a walking meditation, to quiet the mind, calm anxieties, recover balance in life, enhance creativity and encourage meditation, insight, self-reflection and stress reduction.
Wishing Well
Our families will be able to come together and share encouragement, love, joy, healing and hope for their family members as well as the other families they met on respite.
Impact & Vision
Impact.
Respite Transformed will change the continuum of care. For Pete’s Sake will scale efficiently and effectively, bringing integrative oncology with 20,000 respite nights and 500,000 respite hours to over 4,400 people annually. Here’s how significant this change will be for cancer patients and their loved ones!
| Current | Future | |
|---|---|---|
| States served | 5 | 15 |
| Families served weekly | 2-4 | 16 |
| Individuals serviced by respite | 764 | 4,496 |
| Nominating cancer centers | 260 | 411 |
| Post-respite support & outreach | 17,778 | 69,688 |
| Volunteer engagement | 770 | 3,840 |
Our Present: Uniting Families Through Community
Respite makes a difference. Our respite data and outcomes have been recognized by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and published in an April 2020 FPS abstract, title Individual and community respite as supportive care for adult cancer patients, their caregivers and their families. FPS has presented twice at the American Psychosocial Oncology Society (APOS) national conference on the therapeutic impact of respite on patients, caregivers and their families relative to strengthened communication, relationships, resilience, quality of life and coping with cancer.
Our nominators continually report outcome data to For Pete’s Sake to measure impact. 100% of our nominators report improvement in patients’ and the families’ ability to cope with cancer. Furthermore, oncology professionals themselves report renewed strength and stamina in the clinical setting.
Scalable Respite Model
-
- Expands accommodation inventory by 700%
- Streamlines internal and external operations
- Provides a drivable location in 15 target states
- Drives operational efficiencies
- 38% direct cost reduction: $5,757 to $3,533 per respite
- 23% indirect cost reduction: $11,865 to $8,407 per family for respite and ongoing ancillary support
- Return on capital of $20M construction cost of 6.18 years
- Creates a replicable respite model for the nation
Sustainable Respite Model
- Leverages hospitality partner Woodloch in collaborative agreement
- Capitalizes on Woodloch partnership with access to resort amenities
- Allows for revenue creation when Center not occupied
- Uses robust Respite Volunteer Program to offset costs with 11,000 hours annually
- Extends Respite Volunteer Program to oncology professionals to offset career burnout
- Adds an additional $5 million to FPS endowment
Evidence-Based Therapeutic Outcomes
- 18 years of data demonstrates respite impact
- 100% of nominators report improvement with coping by average of 50%
- Benefits of Community respite recognized by American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in 2020
- Benefits of Family Respite recognized by American Psychosocial Oncology Society (APOS) in 2010 and 2022
- Oncology Nominator, Patient, Caregiver and Children Feedback Available Here
Investment.
Invest in the family facing cancer
When you support the Respite Transformed Campaign, you create a circle of love with arms outstretched for families traumatized by cancer. Your generosity seeps deep into the hearts of those in despair and brings hope in this crisis. You change lives, forever.
Pete set out to Change the Continuum of Care for Families Facing Cancer. We will finish his work!
To learn more, contact For Pete’s Sake founder, Marci Schankweiler, at marci@takeabreakfromcancer.org or Campaign Director, Cheryl Pompeo, at cheryl@takeabreakfromcancer.org or call our office at (267) 708-0510.
Check out our investment progress below!
Total Capital Investment Raised: $6.1M out of $20M
Total Endowment Investment Raised: $2.1M out of $5M
Total Campaign Investment:
$25M
$20M
Capital for Land & Building
$5M
Addition to Endowment
Milestones
We’re thrilled to keep you updated on our Respite Transformed Campaign as we achieve new milestones. Click here to discover all the latest exciting developments as we continue on our journey to build the nation’s first Cancer Respite Center!
Volunteers.
Volunteers are at the Heart of our Campaign
Join our Campaign Committee or one of four subcommittees (Leadership, Prospect, Event and Communication). We also have a Building Committee and Medical Advisory Committee. We are grateful for all our volunteers and their time, talent and treasure dedicated to this project.
YOUR family can be a part of the endeavor with our Respite Volunteer Program! Choose a week and minister to our FPS families through daily activities and assigned responsibilities critical to the center’s operation. Contact Cheryl Pompeo at 724-510-3835 or at cheryl@takeabreakfromcancer.org for information on volunteering on this Campaign and on a respite at Woodloch!
Campaign Committee
Chairwoman
Kate Shields*
Chairman
Tom McGinn
Chair Emeritus
Dale Moss
Founder & CEO
Marcella Schankweiler*
Board Chairman
R. Brad Minor*
Peter** & Shirley Ma
James Greenhalgh & Dana Linn-Greenhalgh
Missy McGinn
Michael and Lisa Minghenelli
Jeffrey Boyle
Craig & Taryn Jones
Skip Patton
Paul & Courtney Ferrero
Colleen** & Michael Koh
Susan Schultz* & Joseph Straton, MD
Charles* & Amy Greenberg
*Member, Board of Directors
**Chair, New York Council
*** Young Friend Board Member
Kate Shields*
Tom McGinn
Dale Moss
Marcella Schankweiler*
R. Brad Minor*
James Greenhalgh & Dana Linn-Greenhalgh
Missy McGinn
Michael and Lisa Minghenelli
Craig & Taryn Jones
Skip Patton
Paul & Courtney Ferrero
Colleen** & Michael Koh
Susan Schultz* & Joseph Straton, MD
Charles* & Amy Greenberg
**Chair, New York Council
*** Young Friend Board Member
Board of Directors
Vice Chairwoman
Meghan Patton
Secretary
Brian Havrilla
Treasurer
Joseph Manion
Peg Beavers
Amy Beilman
Susan Buehler
Colleen Lange
Christopher Selgrath
Charles Greenberg
Vanessa Mapson
Paul Mullen
Caroline Duffy***
Frank Fanto***
Meghan Patton
Brian Havrilla
Joseph Manion
Amy Beilman
Susan Buehler
Colleen Lange
Christopher Selgrath
Charles Greenberg
Vanessa Mapson
Paul Mullen
Caroline Duffy***
Frank Fanto***
Building Committee
Chairpersons
Christopher Condon
Craig Hamilton
Keith Ledwith
Glen Arthur
Patrick Bello
Anthony Gerardi
Helen Malloy Griffin
Craig Jones
Beth Kuttler
John Murabito
Dave Smith
Mary Beth Stefanowicz
Tricia Tysiak, BSN, OCN
Christopher Condon
Craig Hamilton
Keith Ledwith
Patrick Bello
Anthony Gerardi
Helen Malloy Griffin
Craig Jones
Beth Kuttler
John Murabito
Dave Smith
Mary Beth Stefanowicz
Tricia Tysiak, BSN, OCN
Woodloch Community
Bob Kiesendahl
Dave Smith
Dave Smith
Staff
Chief Philanthropy Officer
Cheryl Pompeo
Finance Officer
Danielle Coyne
Program Director
Carol Schwind, RN
Cheryl Pompeo
Danielle Coyne
Carol Schwind, RN
Medical Advisory Committee
Et-tsu Chen, MD
University of Pennsylvania Health System
Terri McHugh, DO
Main Line Health
Meg Garrett, BSN, RN, OCN* University of Pennsylvania
Health System
Melissa Kratz, RN, MSN, OCN Lehigh Valley Health Network
Luanne Chynoweth, LCSW
Mary Oleksiak, LCSW
University of Pennsylvania Health System
Main Line Health
Melissa Kratz, RN, MSN, OCN Lehigh Valley Health Network
If you would like more information or to discuss a possible naming opportunity, please contact
Cheryl Pompeo, Chief Philanthropy Officer, at cheryl@takeabreakfromcancer.org or call (724) 510-3835. Read more about For Pete’s Sake Cancer Respite Foundation on its website at www.takeabreakfromcancer.org.
Cheryl Pompeo, Chief Philanthropy Officer, at cheryl@takeabreakfromcancer.org or call (724) 510-3835. Read more about For Pete’s Sake Cancer Respite Foundation on its website at www.takeabreakfromcancer.org.
