Meet Our Founders

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!

Our Past: Meet our Founders

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Historical Timeline

September 1, 1999

Pete Bossow, Jr. dies of testicular cancer at the young age of 30 and sets in motion FPS Respite.

May 2000

First Fundraising Event, the Fashion Show, organized by Alice Anne Bossow, Pete’s mom.

July 2000

Barbara Petroski has first Respite Experience in Sea Isle City, NJ.

2005

Begins respite outcome data measurements of patients and their families.

2007

Receives Standards of Excellence Accreditation and is 1 of 143 nonprofits nationwide to hold this accreditation.

2008

2000 people served with Respite Experiences.

2010

Presents health outcome data at APOS (American Psychosocial Oncological Society) Conference.

2012

FPS establishes travel partnership with Woodloch Resort

2014

5000 people served with Respite Experiences.

2015

Launches Endowment Campaign

2018

8000 people served with Respite Experiences

2019

Pilots the Community Respite Model with travel partner, Woodloch Resort demonstrating outcomes are stronger for community respite versus individual respite.

2020

Conversations begin on building the nation’s first dedicated Cancer Respite Center.

2020

ASCO (American Society of Clinical Oncology) published out abstract based on our community respite pilot titled: Individual and Community Respite as Supportive Care for Adult Cancer Patients, their Caregivers, and their Families.

2021

Board of Directors unanimously agree to the Cancer Respite Center construction at a cost of $20 million and expand the current endowment by $5M, initiating the Respite Transformed Campaign at $25M.

2022

Engages Kimmel Bogrette, a renowned architectural firm, to partner in this endeavor to build the nation’s first Cancer Respite Center for families.

October 2022

10,000th person served with a Respite Experience

2023

Receives Conditional Use permit from Lackawaxen Township for the Cancer Respite Center and Skanska, a world leading project and construction group, comes on board and donates 300 hours to estimate and design evaluation.

2024

Finalizes land purchase of 32 acres of commercial property that would serve as the future site of this Center.