New Jersey First Lady and NJ Heroes founder Mary Pat Christie paid a visit to another foundation head on Thursday, Make Some Noise: Cure Kids Cancer Founder, 13 year-old Malcolm Sutherland-Foggio at his headquarters in Parsippany.

In addition to meeting with Sutherland-Foggio and viewing the National Angel Quilt that was recently displayed at the Livingston Mall, Christie also met other members of his Junior Board, helped them wrap care baskets, and presented her own basket of mementos to Sutherland-Foggio as well as a check for $5,000 to his charity.

"I am so proud of you. I told my four children about you, and they are amazed and blown away," Christie told Sutherland-Foggio, adding after her 18-year old received his early acceptance to college, he thought he could "coast", but Sutherland-Foggio's work has "put him to shame."

"You might see Andy Christie volunteering here," Christie remarked.

Established in 2010, NJ Heroes' mission is to "recognize, celebrate and promote the Heroes of New Jersey who inspire fellow New Jerseyans to give back to their community."

In selecting Sutherland-Foggio as the first NJ Hero in 2012, Christie said, "I want to promote and expose all the good things about New Jersey." She also  quipped,  "I am tired of the state being the butt of late-night talk show hosts."

Malcolm Sutherland-Foggio and Make Some Noise 

Sutherland-Foggio, a resident of Florham Park and an eighth grader at the Peck School in Morristown, was selected for helping to raise both awareness and funds for pediatric cancer. Make Some Noise was established in 2009, the same year Sutherland-Foggio was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma.

As he explains on Malcolmspage, he was just a regular 10-year-old kid, with interests in sports and music. While receiving treatment at Philadelphia's Children's Hospital, he and his mother listened to another mother sob after her son died.

"Someone has to do something," Malcolm's Mother Julie Sutherland recalled Malcolm saying, adding "We have to make some noise."

While still in a body cast, Malcolm began selling bracelets on his website to raise funds.

With the help of Sutherland, they compiled a Scientific Advisory Board consisting of the Heads of Pediatric cancer at Sloan Kettering, Dana Farber, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and other top cancer hospitals around the country.

Foundation's Goal

With over a dozen different forms of pediatric cancer, Make Some Noise raises funds for all of them and distributes them to research facilities across the country. To date, the foundation has raised over $600,000 to support pediatric cancer research.

As there simply is not enough funding to go around, the foundation attempts to maximize its gifts by supporting the most promising research.

Recommendations are made with the help of their Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) and the Research Committee, comprised of parents who have/had children with cancer, and watchdog their child's specific cancer research trends.

Livingston resident Jeff Becker is a member of the foundation's board while his daughter Sydney, a pediatric cancer survivor, sits on the junior board. 

While Make Some Noise relies on grassroots fundraising efforts such as the Carpini Cup in Livingston, some of its major fundraising and awareness events include the following:

• The National Angel Quilt, which features images, names and ages of children who were stolen by cancer. The quilt is on a year-long national tour, and unfortunately will add panels of the children around the country who have become angels too soon.  
• "Noise Night",  annual gala to be held this year on Saturday, Jan. 21
• "Pedaling for Pediatric Cancer", an annual cycling event
• "Rockin' the Boardwalk" a rock n' roll dinner auction at the Jersey Shore
• "Swimmers Go Gold" a national campaign to promote awareness and fund raising through swim teams. This campaign has been promoted by Olympic Gold Medalist swimmer Rowdy Gaines and the Monmouth Barracudas swim team.
• Coin Drives at schools

Facts About Children's Cancer

• About 20,000 kids are fighting cancer in the U.S. at any given moment
• About two classrooms full of kids are diagnosed with cancer each day
• 150,000 kids in school right now have already fought cancer
• Researchers spend more time applying for grants than actually working on the cure itself
• Each pediatric cancer needs to be researched separately
• Some kids' cancers are more curable than others
• Less than 3% of the federal cancer research funding goes to kids cancer

To find out more about Make Some Noise or to make a donation, contact them at their website, makenoise4kids.org.  Tickets are still available for their Noise Night to be held on Saturday, Jan. 21 from 7-11 p.m. at the Park Avenue Club in Florham Park.

To learn more about New Jersey Heroes, recommend a hero, volunteer or make a donation, visit their website at http://www.NewJerseyHeroes.org.