Stories To Inspire





Visions and Pathways Holds "Giving Thanks" Benefit Concert to Help At-Risk Youth in NJ on June 24th, Dr. Liz Black to Host

Read Here.


NY/NJ Area Event: CASA of Bergen County Celebrates Its 20th Anniversary with a Gala Casino Night March 2023: Learn about How CASA Helps Children in Foster Care
Read Here. 






Little Steven's Sixth Annual Policeman's Ball To Be Held in NYC 12-22, Benefits Two Charities with Gary U.S. Bonds and Max Weinberg Orchestra Set to Perform


Daytime Cares: A LIVE EVENT - Stars of Daytime Come Out to Support Covid-19 Non-Profits - Laura Wright, Ariane Zucker, Shawn Christian and Many More to Appear  https://www.suzeebehindthescenes.com/2020/05/daytime-cares-live-event-stars-of.html



Night of Solidarity on Youtube Supports Victims of Domestic Violence May 13th: See Gloria Steinem, Alysia Reiner, Gabrielle Union, Melissa Benoist and More as they Raise Awareness During this Pandemic 
https://www.suzeebehindthescenes.com/2020/05/night-of-solidarity-on-youtube-supports.html





CareCardsforCorona
Caregivers: $1500 Matched by Local Dairy Queen for Gift Cards for Workers at Holy Name Medical Center in New Jersey 
https://www.suzeebehindthescenes.com/2020/05/carecardsforcoronacaregivers-1500.html




View: The Pandemic Pregnancy - It's about Change

https://www.suzeebehindthescenes.com/2020/04/view-pandemic-pregnancy.html




Females in Entertainment: NYC's Director Isabella Olaguera Talks about the Pandemic's Affect on Production and how She's Helping her Friends with Feed The Freelancers 

https://www.suzeebehindthescenes.com/2020/05/females-in-entertainment-nycs-director.html



Are You a College Student Stuck at Home with Your Parents? Here's a Top Ten List of How to Make Your COVID-19 Isolation Happy, Productive and with less FOMO - Suggestions on Binge-Watching and More 
By Julia Colucci
https://www.suzeebehindthescenes.com/2020/03/are-you-college-student-stuck-at-home.html




NY/NJ Event: Help Kids in Foster at Bergen CASA's Casino Night entitled "Play Like a Champion" With Help from Iconic Sports Figures Carl Banks, Ottis Anderson, Sam Garnes, Eddie Cotton 
https://www.suzeebehindthescenes.com/2020/02/nynj-event-help-kids-in-foster-at.html




Cady McClain of All My Children Fame Helps Kids in Foster Care Learn Showbiz.... with Help from another ABC Star Ty Burrell of Modern Family: Read about Kids in the Spotlight 

https://www.suzeebehindthescenes.com/2019/07/cady-mcclain-of-all-my-children-fame.html


NJ Event: The Voice Singer Wé McDonald to Headline Benefit Concert for TEEEM.org, Local Bands, Games, Food Trucks Make it A Great Day for the Family  



Event: Bergen CASA for Children Holds Casino Night: WNBC Co-Anchor Pat Battle to Emcee









 Actor Paul Rudd Speaks Louder than Words as He Hosts Celebrity Bowling Fundraiser for SAY.Org, Which Supports Children Who Stutter- Includes Hamilton Rap by Rudd 
There were no gutterballs to be had for the  kids of the Say Organization as the year started off with a very successful fundraiser, Paul Rudd's Annual All-Star Bowling Event at Lucky Strike Lanes in the heart of Manhattan. In it's sixth year now, the night was an evening of fun, laughter, food, music, bowling and cheer.  http://www.suzeebehindthescenes.com/2018/01/stories-to-inspire-actor-paul-rudd.html



The For Ian Foundation Created to Find a Cure for Rare Childhood and Other Cancers


It's every parent's nightmare. One day your child is in high school, you're looking forward to graduation and doing all the college applications and trips and then your child gets sick and you hear a diagnosis you never thought you'd have to deal with.

There are so many diseases that can be treated, and there are some that can't. Ian Rahimi, a kid who was just  living a normal teenage life in a small suburban town outside of New York City, had one of those that there was not much hope for. Read:  http://www.suzeebehindthescenes.com/2017/11/stories-to-inspire-for-ian-foundation.html


Without Being Able to Move: Young Man Goes for College Degree at Rutgers University

It's graduation season. One of the benefits on technology is that it allows people who would not have access to school and its courses to actively participate as a real student. This is the story of Thomas Roy,  a determined young man from NJ who despite being able to move most of his body, having been born with Duchenne muscular dystrophy is successfully working towards a degree from Rutgers University. As his disability is severe, his grandmother Barbara provides some needed assistance.To read the full story click here: http://news.rutgers.edu/feature/undaunted-disability-rutgers-student-excels/20161012#.WTG6YmjyuUl
To make a donation to help find a cure for muscular dystrophy or to find out more about it click here: https://www.mda.org/


CASA for Children of Bergen County Holds St. Patty's Day Casino Night: Online Silent Auction Now Available So You Can Bid to Help Kids in Foster Care


Have some fun and benefit children in foster care at the same timeCASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) for Children of Bergen County is holding its 11th Annual Casino Night

 http://www.suzeebehindthescenes.com/2016/03/casa-for-children-of-bergen-county.html





Rosie O’Donnell Proves Laughter is Good for the Heart with  "A Heartfelt Stand Up"  Airing on on HBO Valentine's Day: View Trailer

When personalities use their fame to further a cause, that is gold. Because not everyone does. Many times it is because the disease or situation personally touched them, other time it is just because it is any interest of theirs, other times it is because someone simply asked them. It doesn't matter what the reason what matters is the cause.

For full article click here: 
http://www.suzeebehindthescenes.com/2015/02/rosie-odonnell-proves-laughter-is-good.html




What is CASA? Find out how you can change a foster child's life. SheKnows.com writer Sherri Kuhn sheds light on the organization bringing light and love to the life of a child.


Ever want to help a child in foster care, but don't know how? CASA, which stands for Court-Appointed Special Advocate, is a national organization which provides a one-on-one volunteer, an advocate, for each child in foster care. That advocate acts as the voice of the child to help insure that the child receives the best care and placement while in the hands of the foster system. Most states have a chapter as do most counties. There are many ways to help out. You can train to become an advocate, help out in fundraising, become a member of their board, give a little bit of your time where and when needed, or help out financially with a monetary donation or goods and services as needed by each chapter. Most chapters do not have the resources to help each
and every child, so help is always needed. As President of the Board of  Directors for Bergen County CASA for Children in NJ, this organization is special to me and I have seen firsthand the tremendous difference this organization and its people make in the lives of a child without a stable family. Read more here:

http://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/1040143/who-is-looking-out-for-foster-kids                                                        - 






Stories To Inspire: The Today Show's Hoda Kotb Shining Light on Pediatric Cancer - New Video with Cyndi Lauper and Sara Bareilles To Raise Funds


Talk Show Host, NY Times Best-
Selling Author bringing joy
and awareness to children with cancer
Photo Courtesy Facebook
"They were singing along!" Hoda Kotb said, They were all looking for themselves in the video as they sat on the couch, but then they were "singing along."

This is what Hoda Kotb told Access Hollywood today about the debut of her video earlier that morning on the fourth hour of the Today Show with Kathy Lee Gifford.

The Today show studio was filled with the beautiful children from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia that were the stars of the video. This video is Hoda's contribution to the TODAY's Shine A Light Series, a campaign to support worthy causes. Hoda herself battled cancer 7 years ago.
To see full article click here: 
http://www.suzeebehindthescenes.com/2014/09/stories-to-inspire-today-shows-hoda.html



Michael Strahan Presented With Pat Summerall Award at St. Jude's Legends for Charity Dinner: 400K Raised


Amidst the flurry of Super Bowl XLVIII events the week leading up up to the NY/NJ Bowl was the annual Legends for Charity Dinner benefiting St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital at the Grand Hyatt/NFL Headquarters in New York City.

It certainly was worth the Battle of the Boulevard to get to Park Avenue for this event, which this year presented Former NYGiant, NFL on Fox Sunday Analyst and Live with Kelly and Michael co-host Michael Strahan with the Pat Summerall Award. Over 600 people attended with over 400K raised.

For the rest of this article click here: 
http://www.suzeebehindthescenes.com/2014/02/michael-strahan-presented-with-pat.html


Laughter Really is the Best Medicine:
A Little Girl's Pen Hopes to Help Others

There is a commercial on TV now about children going through cancer treatments, and is shows the tiny victims playing in their bedrooms. In the background is the melodic Beach Boys Song "In my Room". It is very hard to watch.


Indeed, alone in one's room is where the fear of cancer or what is going with their bodies and their lives rears its ugly head. But to remedy this, in steps the beautiful face of a caring parent.

Ava Rasmussen is a little girl from northern NJ who is going through treatment for leukemia. In order to help her cope and answer her questions, her mom would sit with her in her room at home and in the hospital and together they would compose poems about what she was going through at that point in time. For instance, there is a poem entitled "My Pop with No Top" likens her lack of hair to her beloved grandpa's.  Writing poems  was a way to pass the time, get their creative juices running, and make each other think and laugh. 

After some thought and some words of inspiration from some caring friends and family, the family decided to turn those poems into a book so that other children going through a similar experience could find some words of encouragement- and some giggles- from the silly and thoughtful prose.

The book, written by Ava and Samantha Rasmussen is entitled Laughter is the Best Medicine: A Silly Book of Poems to Help Kids With Cancer Understand and Deal with their Diagnosis" It is $22.

On the Amazon listing they state "Fifty percent of the proceeds of the book will be donated to pediatric cancer research - which currently only receives 4% of the National Cancer Institute's $4.6 billion dollar budget".

Whether you have a child with a disease, would like to help your children who may know someone who is ill, or would just like to put a smile on Ava's face because you bought her book, consider a purchase of this book. 

You can order the book through Ava's website angels4ava.com or on Amazon.