Dear Emergency Personnel,

The Dream Factory of Rochester, Inc. is a not for profit, volunteer organization that fulfills the dreams of critically and chronically ill children ages 3-18. We have been fulfilling dreams in the Rochester community since May 1999. Currently, we are working to fulfill 4 dreams. In the next few months, one child will be visiting Disney World, one will travel to NYC, Nick will be receiving a laptop computer, and Brooke is hoping to meet Country Music singer, Trace Adkins.

Buzz The Fuzz, began in Melbourne, Australia when a Police Officer in New South Wales visited children fighting cancer at a local hospital. Officer Carl David, was struck by the children’s concerns about their appearance since most of them had lost their hair from chemotherapy. From that experience, Officer David “and a few of his mates” from all over Australia and from around the world now gather together each year for a group head shave. The message it sends to the children is “We respect your courage and we’ve come to help.” Every officer that participates contributes not only his hair, but funds he/she has raised for the cause.

The Dream Factory of Rochester is looking for some volunteers who will participate in a local event-  “Buzz the Red, White and Blue…Make a Dream Come True” will take place on Sunday June 3rd 2007. We are asking for law enforcement officers, fire fighters and ambulance personnel to try to reach the goal of collecting $1000 in donations from friends, relatives, co-workers and local businesses and then, on June 3rd participate in a group head-shaving event. 

When a child looses her hair from chemotherapy it takes a long time to grow back, often times the waiting is difficult, the looks from strangers, the comments from school mates, these can all have a devastating effect on a child who is already dealing with the unexplainable concept of cancer. If just three volunteers participate in Buzz The Red, White and Blue, we can send a child and her family to Disney World for one week. Imagine what we can do if three fire fighters, three ambulance personnel and three police officers participate! Your hair will grow back quickly, life will go back to the way it was. Unfortunately we cannot make the same promise to those children living with critical and chronic illnesses. Will the lives of these children and their families ever go back to the way it was before the diagnosis of a serious illness? Together we cannot cure these children, but we can show them an incredible amount of love and support. 

Please participate in this event and allow us to Buzz the Red, White and Blue and Make Some Dreams Come True. Contact us at 585-234-0740 or Rochester@dreamfactoryinc.com for pledge sheets and further details.

Thank you,

Laura Walitsky

Dream Factory of Rochester