About the JADE Foundation
The JADE Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for young adult cancer patients by providing entertainment and comfort items as well as other activities that allow individuals the opportunity to escape the stress of lengthy hospitalizations and treatments.
The JADE Foundation honors the memory of Alex Dobay, a Burton, Ohio resident and Hawken School graduate, who, after bravely battling cancer for several years, succumbed to the illness at the age of 19. JADE stands for Jeffrey Alexander Dobay Entertainment.
The JADE Foundation serves approximately 400 patients per year at the Cleveland Clinic Bone Marrow Transplant and Leukemia Unit as well as the University Hospitals Angie Fowler Adolescent & Young Adult Cancer Institute at Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital Seidman Cancer Center. The comfort cart is a mobile stocked cart that provides entertainment and comfort items such as games, puzzles, art supplies, fleecy blankets and snacks to patients who are facing very difficult circumstances and lengthy hospitalizations.
In addition to the comfort cart, occasionally patients who are not currently hospitalized are given the opportunity to attend outings such as local sports or other events thanks to the generosity of our donors. Working closely with hospital staff to ensure coordination between recreational activities and medical needs of patients, The JADE Foundation partners with local individuals, corporations and organizations, who donate tickets to sporting contests, cultural events, and other special activities in an effort to boost patient morale and provide a welcome change from ongoing treatments. These opportunities can provide a once-in-a-lifetime experience for young cancer patients, whose lifetime is sometimes sadly measured by just months or even days.
The JADE Foundation relies on the generosity of its donors to purchase items for the comfort cart and supplement outings with items such as meals and transportation. Our fundraisers include the Annual Fund, Hawken Football Lift-A-Thon, Hawken House System events, Hawken Football Alumni Golf Outing and raffle tickets sales at Hawken athletic events.
The JADE Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit public charity, and all donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by the law.
About the JADE Foundation