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Home » News » Blankets of Love and Support Donated to Patients at RUMC’s Center for Cancer Care

Blankets of Love and Support Donated to Patients at RUMC’s Center for Cancer Care

June 28, 2023

Staff from RUMC’s Center for Cancer Care join RUMC President and CEO, Daniel J. Messina, PhD, FACHE, (3rd left) in accepting a donation of blankets and financial support from Island Auto Group, Subaru of America, and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Subaru of America, Island Auto Group, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society supply blankets and financial support to help RUMC’s Center for Cancer Care through Share the Love Program

Patients receiving care and treatment at Richmond University Medical Center’s Center for Cancer Care can thank Subaru of America, Island Auto Group, and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for making their cancer treatment more comfortable thanks to new blankets donated to the center along with financial support of over $27,000.

“Subaru of America, Island Auto Group, and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society have always been there for our cancer patients,” RUMC President and Chief Executive Officer Daniel J. Messina, PhD, FACHE, said. “For our patients undergoing treatment, the comfort of a blanket, whether to keep someone warm or just be a source of security, has a more profound impact than many realize. We are blessed to have community partners who continually step up to be part of the cancer care process and who want to reminder our patients and their families they are not alone in their fight.”

In addition to the donation of over 250 new blue and white blankets, Subaru of America and Island Auto Group also presented a check for $27,165 to the Richmond University Medical Center Foundation. The amount based off a percentage from auto sales last year, will support RUMC’s operations and service lines.

“Thank you to Subaru, Island Auto Group, and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for the lovely, comforting blankets and financial support for our cancer patients. It will certainly provide warmth and love during our patients’ brave journeys,” Dr. Victoria A. Forte, RUMC’s Cancer Service Line Director, Chief of Hematology-Oncology, and Program Director Hematology-Oncology Fellowship, said.

Often patients undergoing cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy, experience chills due to a heightened sensitivity to temperature and/or iron deficiency. For pediatric cancer patients, wrapping themselves in a blanket, like those donated to the Center for Cancer Care, also provide a sense of security. Since its opening five years ago, thousands of people from across the New York City Metropolitan Area have been treated at RUMC’s Center for Cancer Care for a variety of different forms of cancer and in various stages of the disease.

“Island Auto Group is proud to be partner with Subaru of America in the Share the Love Program,” Island Auto Group partner Marcello Sciarrino said. “Island Auto Group with Subaru has donated close to $273,000 since 2017. Island Auto Group shares Subaru’s commitment to the community and appreciates its true partnership.”

Celebrating five years of service to the community this year, RUMC’s Center for Cancer Care is a state of the art outpatient facility providing the latest medical and radiologic treatments and therapies. Located at 1000 South Avenue, the center has received national accreditations from the American College of Radiation Oncology (ACRO) and American College of Radiology (ACR) for consistently providing high quality patient care while also maintaining an exceptional environment of safety for patients and staff. RUMC’s oncology program has also been accredited by the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer for over 80 consecutive years, making it the longest consecutively accredited cancer program on Staten Island.


Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC), is a not-for-profit healthcare provider serving the ethnically diverse community of Staten Island and its neighbors. We provide premier-quality patient care through a full spectrum of emergent, acute, primary, behavioral health and educational services. We do this in an environment that promotes the highest satisfaction among patients, families, physicians and staff. For more information call 1-718-818-1234 or visit www.rumcsi.org. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.