“you that have borne the world
this far in us all walk on
light on your feet as
the days walk through the days”
                         W. S. Merwin

November 15, 2004

This year marks the end of the Foundation’s third full year, and we are more certain than ever of our direction and the importance of the work we support. We are pleased to share with you the enclosed summary of our accomplishments since the Foundation’s inception, as well as the following highlights of our work in the last year:

State of the Foundation

At our annual meeting in May, we reviewed the programs, financial outlook and operating principles of the CHLF. Grateful for the support of our donors and encouraged by our rapid progress, we sought to ensure that the Foundation’s ongoing work has the maximum potential to achieve our mission. To this end, we articulated a Ten-Year Vision: “To further our mission by funding innovative programs that can become models and through collaboration could be catalysts for broader impact.”

Program Support  

• CarePoints continued to provide resources to medically complex children and their families in eastern Massachusetts. In its first two years, this innovative, powerful program has built a solid foundation and has begun to share its model with hospitals nationally, primarily at its annual parent/practitioner conference. Year three will see the export of the model to important new constituents: MDs and medical students, in partnership with a number of national medical organizations. Progress toward the goal of helping parents and practitioners work better together to develop and achieve care goals for their children earned CarePoints a renewal of its $50,000 grant for the third year.

• Dr. Fannie Chen of Mt. Sinai submitted her first annual report to the CHLF, noting progress toward the goal of identifying protein-based cures for one of Tay-Sach’s allied diseases. Mt. Sinai is a national center of excellence for research in human genetics, where the Foundation’s support is in good company with NIH and other grantors. Based on Dr. Chen’s progress, we have renewed her $50,000 grant. Moving into the next medical research funding cycle, the CHLF will participate in a research initiative recently developed by National Tay-Sachs & Allied Diseases, giving our investment broader reach and greater impact by partnering with other funders.

Fundraising & Operations  

Last year’s appeal generated over $125,000. Combined with our founder’s pledges paid in 2003, this puts the total amount raised in our three years at over $800,000. Accounting for pledges due, we feel that $1,000,000 is within reach by the year 2005.

We continue our commitment to low overhead, expending less than 2% of total funds raised to support our operation. Fortunately, we are able to rely on the good will of friends, colleagues and family with expertise in non profit development, graphic design, financial management and marketing. This means that virtually all donations we receive will go to support our programs.

Our Appeal to You  

As we “walk on through the days” of this journey to honor Cameron and Hayden, we know that we are bringing significant benefits to the children and families we reach now and to those whose lives will be changed by the research we support. We hope that you will read the enclosed summary of our accomplishments – as we share the credit with those that have given so generously over the years. We are committed to carrying on the work we have started, but this will only be possible if we maintain our momentum. We deeply appreciate your continued support and are grateful for your trust and confidence.