Valerie Fund receives infusion of donations

MAPLEWOOD / WEST ORANGE, NJ — A West Orange boy is collecting toys for donation to the children of The Valerie Fund, a Maplewood-based nonprofit organization that benefits youth with cancer and blood diseases.

Tyler Levy has collected approximately 180 toys since launching his drive in February, nearly twice as much as his original goal of 100 items. The 12-year-old Liberty Middle School student now hopes to hit the 200 mark by accepting unused toys directly, as well as accumulating monetary donations to purchase them.

And while playthings may seem like an ineffective tool in the battle against cancer, Tyler knows that they can actually make a world of difference to the young people who receive them.

“If it keeps their spirits up, it might help them fight against cancer rather than wanting to give up,” Tyler told EssexNewsDaily in an April 13 phone interview. “No kid should have to be at the hospital for extended periods at a time. These toys just help them feel more like a normal kid and help them keep their spirits up so they can get out of the hospital and live a regular life.”

Tyler is no stranger to supporting The Valerie Fund. The boy and his father, Scott Levy, have participated in the Valerie Fund Walk and JAG Physical Therapy 5K Run ever since the charity helped Tyler’s cousin survive leukemia. But when it came time to launch a service project as part of his bar mitzvah, Tyler wanted to make an even bigger impact on the organization he has long admired. He thought a toy drive would be a perfect way to do just that.

So Tyler wrote a letter about his project that was subsequently passed on to family, friends and acquaintances with the help of his father and grandmother. And people responded in a big way, inundating the Levys with toys for boys and girls of all ages. Tyler said he has received everything from Lego sets to puzzles to arts and crafts materials since launching the drive.

One of the biggest donations came from Mark and Julie Orenstein of Mark and Julie’s Homemade Ice Cream in West Orange. Using their toy industry connections, the Orensteins arranged to contribute three cases of Transformers to the toy drive, a gesture Tyler greatly appreciated. But, according to Julie Orenstein, the pleasure was all theirs.

Julie Orenstein said she and her husband were eager to support Tyler’s project, as his family members have been longtime friends and patrons of their business. More than that, she said the cause is something everyone should get behind.

“I just think that (helping) other people in need — to make children who are sick happy, to put a little smile on their face and give them something to look forward to — is important,” Julie Orenstein told EssexNewsDaily in an April 14 phone interview. “If more people did something nice for others, this world would be a better place.”

The ice cream shop proprietor further lauded Tyler for his maturity in taking on such a noble cause, though she is not the only one impressed by his selflessness. Scott Levy told EssexNewsDaily he is very proud of his son for taking on the project. Levy also hopes his boy will benefit as much from giving as the Valerie Fund’s children will in receiving the toys.

“It’s a valuable lesson learned of what one can do on a small scale,” Levy said in an April 13 phone interview, adding that he would be glad if Tyler, “continued to get involved and try to help and just be a better person.”

This service project in particular has a special significance for the two of them, Levy said. Not only did Tyler’s cousin survive cancer, but his mother, Daryl, died of the disease when he was a young boy. To help children experiencing the same sickness has been meaningful, he said.

And while Tyler’s mother is no longer in their lives physically, Levy knows exactly how she would have felt about her son’s generosity.

“She was an extremely caring woman who helped everybody,” Levy said. “I think she would obviously be extremely proud of him knowing that he has a want and need to help people as she did.”

The Valerie Fund certainly appreciates Tyler’s efforts. Walk coordinator Tina Kaplan said the nonprofit is always happy to receive toys, which are distributed to the 6,000 boys and girls in seven centers the fund helps annually as well as the siblings of those sick children so no one feels left out. Kaplan said many are given out during holiday parties where Santa Claus provides children with gift bags as large as they are. Others are provided at a child’s birthday or after a particularly difficult cancer treatment.

Though The Valerie Fund receives thousands of donated toys each year — many of which come from children completing bar mitzvah projects like Tyler — Kaplan said more are perpetually needed so the organization can save its funds for essential services, such as child life specialists and clinical research. She wants donors to know that their support really makes a difference too, pointing out that there is nothing like seeing the boys and girls who receive these presents.

“To see those children’s faces is really unbelievable,” Kaplan told EssexNewsDaily in an April 14 phone interview. “It’s quite an impact to see so much joy.”

Kaplan hopes Tyler will continue supporting The Valerie Fund as he grows older, something the young philanthropist has not ruled out. And he definitely intends to participate in this year’s Valerie Fund Walk with his dad on June 10. Beyond that though, he does not know what the future holds. He said he would like to see more people supporting The Valerie Fund since it is truly a worthwhile cause.

To donate to Tyler’s toy drive, contact him at slevy212@aol.com. Scott Levy said the project has no deadline for donations, though the toys collected thus far will likely go to The Valerie Fund sometime in May, which is when Tyler will become a bar mitzvah.

Editor’s Note: This story was update to correct an error. Tyler Levy’s mother’s name was Daryl, not Caryl.

  FEATURED, Mark and Julie’s, Valerie Fund