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The honor of "Woman of the Year" was bestowed on Carol O'Neill as President of The Michelle O'Neill Foundation by Mary O'Dowd, President of the Frances Pope Memorial Foundation, at their annual Friendship Ball on February 8, 2008 at Chelsea Piers. Mary is quoted as saying that the award is given to "two outstanding members of the New York metropolitan community who have made a difference in their communities as well as supporting our endeavors." Joseph Kealy, an outstanding attorney and "go to" guy from Jersey City received "Man of the Year" at this stunning black event that was attended by approximately 400 people. The evening was a celebration of life and a meeting of old and new friends, and Carol is very proud to be numbered among their loving, generous and compassionate "circle of friends." The Frances Pope Memorial Foundation (www.francespopefoundation.org) is a not-for-profit organization named in memory of Franny Pope, who was born in 1980 and died of leukemia at the age of two. Following Franny's death, her parents, Mary O'Dowd and Tony Pope, dedicated themselves to helping families caring for a child with cancer by forming The Frances Pope Memorial Foundation. Over the past 26 years, countless families of children suffering from cancer have been helped by receiving assistance to pay some of the expenses not covered by insurance. Although Franny and Michelle's Foundations share the same mission, their charity events are quite different-elegant long gowns and tuxedos at the former, and shorts, smiley faced T-shirts and sunglasses at ours. Different paths….same destination - to reach those children with cancer and help relieve their families of the economic burdens associated with this catastrophic disease! |