CL7 4th Annual Newsletter — A Year of Impact, Community & Hope
Dear CL7 Community,
As I sat down to write this newsletter, I found myself starting then stumbling to put words on paper. I was fixated on the calendar, trying to get this out before the end of 2025. I was grappling with time. It will be 4 years in March since Charlie's passing. Time doesn't stop but our world felt like it did then and it continues to elude us at times now. How have we all been able to carry on while missing him so terribly? I've often had this conversation with other families, namely with parents of children who have passed and the answer is always the same. We continue because our profound love for them won't allow us not to. In our case, 4 years ago, Charlie made us promise to help other kids going through what he did. "When I get better, he insisted, we're going to start a Foundation, we're going to make it better for other people facing Ewing's sarcoma, We're going to find ways to make them smile." While his life was forever interrupted, his legacy lives on, all the while teaching us an invaluable life lesson- we can do hard things. We can go on. We must move forward. Charlie would accept nothing less.
Sitting here today, this conversation floods back as it often does as does the sunlight which pours onto my desk as I write this. Like the sunshine, the lightness and the love and the warmth of Charlie are ever present even throughout this cold winter season. The radiant joy that was Charlie continues and lives on through his deeply personal and meaningful work that is his Foundation: CL7. And that love and that light shines on through all of you who support his wishes and his fervent mission, you, who continue to rally around his efforts and his resolve. Love is truly all around. This is a community like no other.
As we dive into 2026, we couldn't let 2025 slip away without acknowledging the many ways in which you all continued (in baseball terms because Charlie would like that) to knock it out of the park this past year through your donations, participation in our events and unyielding support. How you have rallied around us like a team in the truest sense and how you own the mound with us to strike out Ewing's sarcoma is a continued blessing and something we don't take lightly. Thank you for walking with us and honoring Charlie and all of those who face Ewing's Sarcoma. If 2025 has taught us anything it's that love, determination, focus and working collectively is truly the secret sauce - the real catalyst for change in working towards better outcomes for patients. We're making impact and progress in the fight against this disease, together.
As we enter into this new year, it's with a smile in our hearts and great love that we honor Charlie, our honorary CEO, through all of our initiatives and honor all of those facing Ewing's Sarcoma. We walk in step with everyone who battles this disease and we hope to make further impactful strides this year to strike out Ewing's once and for all.
Win the Day!
Lisa Landers, President CL7 & Charlie's Mom
The Highlight Reel
2025 was a banner year for CL7. Raising over 1.1 million our total raise to date is $3.6 million giving us the ability to allocate over $678,000 in 2025 as part of our third round of funding towards high impact grants in the ongoing search for a cure.
We congratulate the following Doctors and look forward to their top line research summaries/progress in the coming months:
Dr. John H. Bushweller - University of Virginia
"Small molecule inhibitors of EWS::FLI1(ERG) DNA binding, a novel approach to Ewing's sarcoma therapy" — $150,000
Dr. Marc Ladanyi - Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) Ladanyi Laboratory
"Diverse secondary genetic alterations converge functionally to induce a more repressive profile of regulatory marks on Histone H3 in a clinically aggressive subset of Ewing Sarcoma: Opportunities for discovery and drug testing" — $119,895
Jason Price, PhD - Seattle Children's Research Institute
"Targeting the Ewing Sarcoma extracellular matrix to eliminate minimal residual disease and prevent metastatic progression" — $150,000
Additionally, we were thrilled to collaborate with the newly established Ewing's Sarcoma Institute "ESI" and have Dr. Patrick Grohar, Co-Director of ESI and Carol Basso, Head of Patient Advocacy of ESI deliver the live appeal at our Annual CL7 Oktoberfest Event last fall along with CL7 Board Member Lou D'Avanzo which raised $208,000 including a match provided by Charles Nearburg, Founder of ESI. Monies raised will go towards ESI's Data Hub Initiative with the goal of accelerating important global Ewing's Sarcoma research, enable more effective treatments and improve patient outcomes. We are excited to watch The Ewing's Sarcoma Institute take flight and how their work will profoundly impact the trajectory of this disease.
CL7 is absolutely delighted to join "The ESI International Task Force on Clinical Trials for Relapsed Ewing Sarcoma" with plans to meet in June at The American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago.
For more on The Ewing Sarcoma Institute and the groundbreaking impact they're making, please visit: ewingsarcoma.org
Jordan Spieth Family Foundation Partnership
Our 2025 Community Partnership with The Jordan Spieth Family Foundation also proved to be an exciting collaboration, one deeply rooted in meaning and purpose giving us the ability to award the inaugural JSFF/CL7 Young Investigator Award to Dr. Aakanksha Jha, Invent Scholar from Seattle Children's Hospital.
This research grant award of $50,000 was allocated towards Dr. Jha's innovative Research Grant Proposal Titled: "ECM-mimicking 3D hydrogels promote macrophage-mediated killing of Ewing sarcoma cells"
We are profoundly grateful to young research investigators like Dr. Jha who are laser focused on eradicating Ewing's Sarcoma as well as our amazing friends at The Jordan Spieth Family Foundation for their community partnership in supporting and believing in our mission and in these young research investigators. We couldn't do this without you.
"I am so honored to receive the inaugural Jordan Spieth/CL7 Young Investigator Grant. I accept the terms of the grant and cannot wait to make an impact." — Dr. Aakanksha Jha
2025 Judy Coughlin Be the Light Honoree
The Charlie Landers Foundation CL7 was thrilled to announce that Lisa Landers was named the 2025 Judy Coughlin Be the Light honoree. This award is given to an individual who goes above and beyond to help children facing cancer offering light and support during challenging circumstances. This recognition means the world to Lisa, her family and the entire CL7 Foundation as it honors the unflagging commitment to Charlie's wish to help others through his legacy of light, optimism and giving.
It's also a poignant reminder of Judy Coughlin's gift of warmth and caring that continues to be a source of tremendous comfort for pediatric cancer patients and their families who benefit from The Jay Fund's remarkable knack for "being there" when it's needed most. Thanks also to Good Day NY for shining a spotlight on this award and to Tom Coughlin and family for carrying on Judy's beautiful legacy. This meaningful award also included $10,000 towards CL7 patient comfort kit initiatives which go a long way in fulfilling many hospital comfort kit orders.
CL7 Patient Comfort Kits
Our CL7 Patient Comfort Kits continued to ramp up in 2025 in a big way. To date, we've fulfilled over 1,000 comfort kits to now 60 hospitals nationwide. We've added numerous pediatric and young adult hospitals from coast to coast to this list and continue to serve as an on-going resource to them and are delighted to include special Peanuts Licensed merchandise made especially for these individuals.
The patient comfort kits continue to be a labor of love and deep intention as we know first-hand how important it is to smile and bring light and levity during challenging hospital stays — something Charlie acknowledged and wanted to make easier for others as he battled himself.
CL7 patient comfort kits can be found in the following hospitals:
Memorial Sloan Kettering, Hackensack University Medical Center, Seattle Children's Hospital, MD Anderson Houston TX, Dallas Children's Hospital, Holtz Children's Hospital Miami, Hasbro Children's Hospital Providence Rhode Island, Cohen Children's Medical Center NY at Northwell Health, Dana Farber Boston, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia CHOP, Yale New Haven, UCLA, Cincinnati Children's, Cleveland Clinic, LA Children's Hospital, Children's Hospital of Atlanta, UMass Memorial Health Children's Medical Center, University Health San Antonio Texas, Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus Ohio, Children's Hospital Colorado Aurora Colorado, UPMC Children's Hospital Pittsburgh, University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital, MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital Charleston SC, Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital St. Petersburg FL, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, Vanderbilt University Medical Center Nashville, Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas Austin, University of North Carolina Hospitals Chapel Hill, OHSU Portland Oregon, The Children's Hospital of Montefiore, St. Louis Children's Hospital, Arkansas Children's Hospital, Riley Hospital for Children Indianapolis IN, Nicklaus Children's Hospital Miami, Rush Children's Hospital Chicago, Brenner Children's Hospital Winston-Salem NC, Ann & Robert Lurie Children's Hospital Chicago, Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital New York NY, UVA Children's Hospital Charlottesville VA, Children's of Alabama Birmingham, BC Children's Hospital Vancouver British Columbia, Rady Children's Hospital San Diego CA, Nebraska Children's Omaha NE, Children's Mercy Hospital Kansas City MO, Children's National Medical Center DC, Children's Wisconsin Milwaukee Wisconsin, Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters Virginia, Cottage Children's Medical Center Santa Barbara CA, Boston Children's Hospital Mass General, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford CA, Phoenix Children's Phoenix AZ, Duke Children's Hospital NC, RWJ Barnabas Health New Brunswick NJ, Renown Children's Hospital Reno NV, Akron Children's Hospital Ohio, Children's Cancer Fund of New Mexico, C.S. Mott Children's Hospital of Michigan, Nemours Children's Wilmington DE, Moffitt Center Tampa FL, All Children's Johns Hopkins Tampa FL, MaineHealth Barbara Bush Children's Hospital
"Grand Slams" — CL7 2025 Events
To Lucy with Love: Lucy's Boardwalk Beach Bash
Radburn Fairlawn community members and beyond comprised of friends, family, teachers and volunteers came together on Feb. 13th to celebrate the life and spirit of Lucy Macaluso, a young Ewing's angel warrior who lost her battle in 2022 to Metastatic Ewing's.
Attendees stepped into a boardwalk paradise filled with games, crafts, a DJ Dance party and plenty of ice cream "Lucy's favorites" to honor her life and courageous spirit while raising critical funds for Ewing's Research and patient comfort kits for The Valerie Center in Morristown NJ Ewing's population, her home hospital. Together we honored her love of life, her legacy and contagious laughter. We love Lucy, always and forever.
CL7 Pickle Paddle Palooza
Our 3rd annual Pickle Paddle Palooza last Spring was a blast. Some called it cozy, others homey. It just had all the feels. The event was a huge success once again raising lots of money towards taking aim at Ewing's Sarcoma research and preparing CL7 comfort kits for warriors.
Thank you to our compassionate friends and staff at The Indian Trail Club in Franklin Lakes for continuing to raise the bar every year — always to Bevinn, to Tom, Cheyenne, Nikki, Michelle and her amazing husband Mike Holliday.. to Anthony, Jason, Tiger, Chris, Gigi and always Laurent and Ana in spirit — we missed you and it would never feel right without you.
To our committee — Andrea, Ray, Mike and Alison, always grateful for the time, love, energy and passion you bring to getting it "just right" and to our family, our generous donors and sponsors, enthusiastic attendees and our talented friends from Whiskey Helps for setting the vibe and bringing sunshine on a windy day.
Own The Mound Tourney
Hats off to Ramapo High School Varsity Baseball Coach Garrison Ward, Coach Esposito, Ramapo Athletic Director Glenn Stokes, The Ramapo Baseball Boosters, Ramapo Grounds Crew, Ramapo players and teams from Columbia, Pascack Valley, DePaul, Midland Park and Harrington Park for competing in the annual Own The Mound Tourney in honor of Charlie last April.
Great day of baseball and camaraderie and a chance to share Charlie's story and raise awareness around Ewing's Sarcoma. Thanks to Kevin and Danny Poppe for throwing out the first pitch and to Big League Chew for supplying some provisions. Ever Grateful to this baseball community in the amazing ways they keep Charlie in their hearts and minds as they play for him in this tourney.
"Truly an honor to be able to represent the CL7 Foundation and Charlie's Legacy not just today but every day" — Coach Garrison Ward
4th Annual Golf Classic
Another amazing Charlie Landers Classic in the books at the majestic Upper Montclair Country Club. Thank you to all of our donors and participants and fabulous golf committee — Kevin Amerio, Carl Daniels, Lou D'Avanzo, Dave Lobosco, Kevin Poppe, and Mark Landers who work so hard in making this always a day to remember. We hope everyone enjoyed the day as much as we did! Whiskey Helps once again brought the music and the joy!
Thank you to Jessie Hennessey, CL7 Medical Advisory Board Member for speaking before tee off. Your words always a sobering reminder that Research Funding is critical for change and better options for patients just like Charlie. Thanks also to the Todd and Tanya Newman, proud parents of Angel Warrior and fellow Baseball Enthusiast Dylan Newman for attending and always standing with us at this event and in life. It's a poignant reminder of our boys, their love of sports and their courageous and loving spirits when we are all together. #5 & #7 forever.
7K's — Charlie's Wellness Runs for Research
Thank you runners, walkers, supporters and friends of Charlie and Davi for coming out in droves for both our local CL7 Wellness Run in Franklin Lakes led by our inspiring captains Krisi Behrens and Tricia Poppe then later in the month with 150 participants strong for our CL7 Central Park run. Thanks also to our Morgan Stanley family and specifically our event committee, Audrey Flammang, Danielle Scarano, Sean Coughlin and Chris Busch for getting it just right and special thanks as always to Kathleen Morano and the friends and family of Davi Perez, the winner of our inaugural run, who we dedicate this run to each year.
The theme this year was about "living it for those who can't" a quote that to us represents the best way to honor the people we love; whether it be Charlie and the countless other patients who have lost their battle to Ewing's Sarcoma or other rare pediatric cancers and someone like Davi, whose life ended all too soon with so much to live for.
Thank you for supporting and for carrying them in your hearts and for remembering them as we approach each new day. It doesn't matter if you ran, walked or biked… it doesn't matter if you found the short cut through the park or even walked directly back to our rendezvous spot at the bar…just by being there, you lived it for those who can't. Thank you!! #wintheday #ewingsarcomaawareness #fordavi
CL7 Oktoberfest
Thanks to all who supported our 3rd Annual CL7 Oktoberfest and truly made it a homerun this past October! What an incredible community team filled with the best roster you could ever hope for. From Donors and Sponsors to 504 Attendees and over 50 Volunteers, we can't pull off this event without all of you!
Again, we are indebted to both Dr. Patrick Grohar, Co-Director of The Ewing Sarcoma Institute and Carol Basso, Head of Patient Advocacy of ESI (true trailblazers and amazing humans) for delivering the live appeal along with our CL7 Board Member and friend Lou D'Avanzo. Lou you crushed it!
Countless memories filled with amazing line dancing, beer-steining, wine pulling, bull riding and great tunes from The Long Road Home. Once again, thank you to our ever-growing community. Love changes things. Thank you for loving Charlie and supporting those battling what he did.
4th Annual Sporting Clay Classic
Our 2025 Event season ended with a bang and we love to end it at Hudson Farm. Close to 80 participants and other appreciated guests put a target on Ewing's Sarcoma at beautiful Hudson Farm. It was a day filled with meaning and purpose with lots of money raised to fuel our mission.
Special thanks to our donors, sponsors and to Dr. Michael Kinnaman and Jessie Hennessy for speaking about Charlie's journey and shedding light on the critical need for further research to strike out Ewing's sarcoma once and for all. Ongoing thanks to CL7 Board members Derek & Carrie Eglinton Manner for hosting this much loved event and thanks and appreciation always to the Griffen & Howe instructors for helping us shoot clays!
CL7 Grant 2026 Cycle — Open & Accepting Research Proposal Submissions
Our 2026 CL7 Grant cycle has been accepting research application submissions since October 2025 with final proposal due at the end of this month. The Charlie Landers Foundation is committed to funding research for Ewing's Sarcoma. We want eyes, focus and attention all over this disease resulting ultimately in breakthroughs and advancements for better therapies and outcomes for all Ewing's warriors.
Our unwavering mission is to fund research until this happens. Good luck to all applicants and THANK YOU for your brilliance and the critical work you do to strike out this disease. Let's play ball!
For all details, please visit our Grants page.
The Dugout — Mini Fundraisers & Awareness Events
Bella and Doughnate
Thanks are in order once again to Doughnate friend, founder and maker of delicious cookies Bella Levison @doughnatenow for spearheading another successful fundraiser for CL7. $570 raised and "doughnated" to our comfort kit and research initiatives. Bella, thank you for continuing to make life sweeter for Ewing's patients with your kindness and good deeds.
Tip of the Cap Day
Thank you, Franklin Lakes Middle School and all Franklin Lakes Elementary Schools for once again hosting Tip of the Cap Day in honor of CL7 where students were encouraged to donate $7 and wear a cap opening day of MLB in support of Charlie's love of baseball and Ewing's Sarcoma awareness.
Several students and teachers around the community donned CL7 caps that day and the love was felt all around. Indebted to Principal Joe Keiser and the entire Franklin Lakes School system for remembering Charlie and shining a spotlight on rare cancer.
Young Hearts and Minds Spreading Awareness
Thank you to the 5th graders at Pine Springs Preparatory Academy in Holly Springs, NC for shining a spotlight and educating fellow classmates on Ewing's Sarcoma.
Cate, Petra, Reid, Jack, Evan and Madelyn set up a booth sharing information about Ewing's and CL7 at their sixth annual Health Fair Expo. Spreading awareness on rare pediatric cancers is what it's all about. Thank you!! Perhaps we have a young aspiring research investigator in this crowd.
Atara's Lemonade Stand
Thank you, Atara for choosing to honor your forever friend Lucy for your bat mitzvah project by having a lemonade stand with all the sweet treats! Your efforts were quite successful in raising not only additional awareness around Ewing's sarcoma but also in the monies raised towards CL7's ongoing patient comfort kits initiative at Lucy's home hospital of Morristown Medical's Valerie Center.
Thank you, Atara for sharing in Lucy's beautiful legacy of helping others going through what she did and bringing joy to kids undergoing challenging circumstances.
CL7 Storms Happy Valley
Thank you, Owen for participating and fundraising at Penn State's Thon! An event that raised 17 million dollars campus wide for pediatric cancer. Yeah…You read that right. AMAZING spotlight on pediatric cancer.
CL7 Love at U of Miami
It's incredibly special and deeply meaningful to see how Charlie's friends have become personally involved in the fight against pediatric cancer through their universities. Charlie's dear friend Luke at U of Miami shared that his fraternity was involved in raising over $100k towards eradicating the beast that is Pediatric cancer via The Huntsman Foundation. Can't think of a better example of friendship and support with these heartfelt contributions.
March Madness — Charlie's Team Activates at Boston College
CL7 March Madness brackets took hold last March at Boston College, thanks to Will and Oliver. Will explained how this came to fruition and how a good idea can spark and come to life — "I was wearing my CL7 sweatshirt at the dining hall one day, when Oliver mentioned that his sister Schuyler played soccer with Annie and that he's helped out with the foundation. I was very excited and told him how Charlie and I were close growing up, and we had the idea to do a fundraising event here at Boston College."
Acting fast, Will and Oliver created a March Madness bracket pool, where participants bought in for $10 a bracket. Half of the total money went to CL7 and the other half to the winner at the end of March Madness. Advertising everywhere around campus and through their friends at BC through social media, this fruitful fundraising campaign increased awareness and got more people engaged with the cause. Will and Oliver, we couldn't be more appreciative and proud of you. Thank you for honoring Charlie's wishes to help others battling Ewing's in such a cool way.
St. Baldricks — Brave the Shave
Always so grateful to our dear friend Pat Natale for his efforts to combat pediatric cancer and honoring our boy. Pat rallied the troops at Morgan Stanley to shave their heads as an act of solidarity to support childhood cancer research through the St. Baldrick's Foundation.
"This past year, our Morgan Stanley team dedicated their efforts in memory of Charlie who bravely battled Ewing sarcoma. We are always reminded that 'Charlie's legacy isn't cancer. It's Joy!'" — Pat Natale
Let's Play Ball — Opening Day for The Franklin Lakes War Eagles
Charlie was a proud member of the Franklin Lakes War Eagles Travel Baseball Community. Each year since his passing, our beloved War Eagles players keep Charlie's legacy strong by donning CL7 on their uniform sleeve. Thank you, War Eagles Travel Baseball for inviting us to be a part of your Opening Day Ceremony at Pulis Field last April. Special thanks to Greg Reid, head of Franklin Lakes Travel Baseball and the President of the Booster Club for having us. Thanks also to Amy Florio and Carla Reid for organizing such a wonderful day for the boys.
It's deeply meaningful for us to continue to be part of the baseball community where nothing made Charlie smile more than to be on the mound and compete with his teammates. We spoke to the boys U7-U14 teams about why they might hear about CL7 sometimes and why they wear Charlie's patch on their uniforms.
Charlie's legacy isn't cancer, it's joy and our hope is that when these kids think of CL7, they remember him for his legacy as a fierce competitor, someone who deeply cared for his friends, family and community and someone who rose to life's challenges admirably and took absolute pride in wearing the War Eagle jersey.
We hope their experience in travel baseball is as meaningful to them as it was to Charlie and that they take every opportunity in life to do their best both on and off the field, own the mound in the ups and downs in life, swing for the fences and enjoy their time as a War Eagle. Most importantly, we hope they have fun out there, just like Charlie did. Fly high War Eagles!
In Memoriam — Drue Eliot
As pediatric cancer awareness month drew to a close this past September, we were deeply saddened to hear the news of another Ewing's warrior receiving their Angel wings. To sweet Drue Eliot, it's just not fair. We use the expression "just no words" and here we are failing to appropriately convey the sadness over your loss.
During your fight you and your dear friend Riley decided to raise money for other Ewing's patients going through your unimaginable through a CL7 Fundraiser. You are a hero, Drue Eliot. You are inspiring and you are what's good in the world.
Advancements in curative treatments and therapies aren't coming fast enough for those like you. You and your family are deep in our hearts and on our minds and everything we do at CL7 is to honor your memory and legacy. For Drue, for Lucy, for Kyle, for Eli, for Bennett, for Dylan, for Steven, for Kylie, for Anna, for Sean and for Charlie. Pediatric cancer deserves more than 4 percent. No words.
How to Help CL7
Many people ask us, how can we get involved with CL7? While we are incredibly grateful for your generous monetary donations, there are so many additional ways you can support our cause and all the other nonprofits you feel connected to! Here are 4 simple yet impactful ways to make a difference. Together, we can make a bigger impact!
Attend our events & bring friends! Whether they're fundraisers, community outreach programs or awareness campaigns, by attending, you not only boost attendance, but you also encourage others to get involved by bringing family and friends with you. This increases CL7 reach and builds a broader community of support.
Volunteer your time and skills! Many nonprofits rely on volunteers to carry out their mission and we're no different! You can offer your time to help with various tasks from administrative work to event planning or hosting your own event. Your time and expertise can make a big difference!
Use social media platforms to help raise awareness about CL7. Tag us, like us and use our hashtags. Share our posts, talk about our cause and encourage others to follow and get involved.
DONATE BLOOD and PLATELETS. Donating blood and platelets at local blood drives and hospitals is an incredible help to those fighting cancer. A patient often requires infusions during treatments and this can be lifesaving. Visit redcross.org to find local blood drives near you.
Check our website in the coming months for our "CL7 Playbook" on ways to activate your own CL7 mini fundraisers!
Winning The Day Blog Series
Ewing's Sarcoma is primarily classified as a "pediatric cancer" but Ewing's can sometimes affect those in their 40's and 50's. So begins our series on "Winning the Day" stories and life lessons to motivate, inspire and celebrate, we will feature a story about individuals who are overcoming and beating this rare and challenging disease.
Meet Scott, age 51, and learn about his journey of strength and survival. Keep Winning Your Day, Scott!
Thank You to Our Team
Thank you to our CL7 Executive Team and Medical Advisory Board for your year round guidance, passion and enthusiasm. We were thrilled to have Rick Diamond and Evelyn Amerio join our team this year. Thank you for your friendship and invaluable contributions to our mission!
Up at Bat — 2026 Events
Please mark your calendars for our upcoming events slated for 2026 and check our social and events section on our website for sign-ups!
Need some new merch? Crew Socks, dorm flags, bracelets and more. Look no further. Own the Mound, Win the Day and Find the Joy with CL7.
