The Joe Andruzzi Foundation (JAF) believes in not only providing patients and their families with help and hope through financial assistance but also a reason to smile. JAF’s (Up)Beat Opportunities allow patients and their families to spend time away from treatment and enjoy special occasions, experiences, and outings.
Past experiences patients have enjoyed include spending a day at Patriots training camp and going for a ride on the Boston Harbor Cruises’ Codzilla, the high-speed boat in Boston Harbor. (Up)Beat Opportunities even continued during the COVID-19 pandemic, as JAF hosted a virtual gingerbread house-building event for patients and their families.
Through the acquisition of Boston Cancer Support (BCS) in January 2022, JAF is now pleased to also offer new support services for patients through the Randi Friedman Fund, including yoga, Pilates, meditation apps and more.
The JAF Chief Engagement Officer and Co-Founder, Joe Andruzzi, often spends time with patients and families on these outings because of his own experience battling cancer. Joe believes in “paying it forward” to patients, and he loves lifting their spirits with humor and sharing his experience with cancer. Joe would attest that one of his favorite things is visiting pediatric cancer patients and sharing stories and smiles.