Our Giving Community

As the holiday season approaches, so does the heartwarming spirit of giving. Rochester’s generous community is shining brighter than ever with help from the Bivona and the Willie Bee Foundation. These two remarkable non-profits bring a sense of hope and unity as they raise awareness and funds for crucial causes. The true magic of Rochester’s holiday season is the way it combines the joy of celebration with the power of compassion, making it a season of giving that truly touches the lives of many.

Willie Bee Foundation: Love Without End

The Willie Bee Foundation, a heartwarming not-for-profit organization, came to life in 2017 with a beautiful purpose: to offer support to families in our local community facing the daunting challenge of a child’s life-threatening illness. The inspiration behind this incredible foundation is the memory of a young hero, Will Beeman, who touched our lives with his remarkable spirit. Will valiantly battled AT/ RT, an aggressive brain tumor, for nearly twenty months, showing immense courage. His journey involved numerous surgeries, six rounds of high dose chemotherapy with stem cell recovery, and thirty proton beam radiation treatments.

Will’s parents, Christine and Clay, were forever changed. Christine says, “I became aware of a world I didn’t know existed before, and I watched my child show resilience, strength, courage, and happiness in the face of a devastating diagnosis.” Clay adds that “As a father you want to provide for your family and keep your children safe. You are supposed to be the protector. To watch your child suffer and not be able to do anything to fix it forever changes you.”

The Beemans and their friends and family created the Willie Bee Foundation to help support local families going through what they experienced. They explain, “Our love for Will is a love without end, and we miss him more than words could ever say. Throughout Will’s illness we experienced the difference that caring, compassionate, and empathetic individuals can make in a family’s life when they are facing the unthinkable.”

The Foundation’s mission is to make a difference one family at a time. By helping families with monetary, medical, and social support services they may not otherwise have access to, “We can show them that WE care and that they are not alone.” Clay explains, “This foundation [allows] Will to not be forgotten and for something positive to come out of a heartbreaking and devastating situation.”

The Willie Bee Foundation lightens family burdens by providing tailored support such as creating iPad packages for kids during hospital stays, caregiver care packages, and end-of-life comfort items. For the family, they collaborate with Splatters Studio for family keepsakes, grant "mini-wishes," handle winter plowing and so much more – everything they can to ease family stress.

The Beemans and the Willie Bee Foundation say, “It is our sincere honor and privilege to provide what we do for families. Every single child, sibling, and family we meet holds a special place in our hearts. We consider everything we do to be gifts Will is giving us.”

Find events, show your support or bee in touch at thewilliebeefoundation.org

Deck the Halls for a Purpose: Bivona's 2023 Light Tour for Child Advocacy

Get into the holiday spirit and help raise money for a worthy cause this year by supporting the Bivona Holiday Lights Tour. Initially created in 2020, this tour is quickly becoming a well-known holiday tradition among Western New Yorkers. More importantly, funds raised help Bivona care for and treat abused and neglected children in our local community.

Bivona Child Advocacy Center is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization located in Rochester’s South Wedge neighborhood. As a resource for abused and neglected children, Bivona’s services are vital to our community and surrounding areas. You may not feel that this effects you, but according to Bivona, approximately 1 in 10 children have been impacted by sexual abuse before they reach 18, a sobering statistic to remind us that participation in events such as Bivona’s Holiday Lights Tour helps promote a healthy and caring future generation.

This year, Bivona teams up with Rochester Gas & Electric and Montage Wealth Management for the Holiday Lights Tour, and encourage residents across the area to participate. If you love to deck the halls and decorate your house with holiday lights and funky décor, be a part of the tour! The more festive, the better. Excessive and theatrical holiday displays are part of what make this tour enjoyable and uplifting for all who take part in the event. As COVID precautions may increase again for the colder months, the tour remains a safe, creative way to enjoy the holidays and get out of the house for a fun night on the town with your loved ones.

In lieu of tickets, participants can purchase a limited edition “sleigh box” including an easy-to-follow map guide, treats, goodies, and games to keep children occupied in the car during the tour. Bivona opens its Mt. Hope location to the public on December 9th from 5-8pm to pick-up sleigh box purchases and say hello to Mr. & Mrs. Claus! Or celebrate the season of giving by purchasing a sleigh box to donate to a family who has come to Bivona Child Advocacy Center in their time of critical need.

All throughout our area, light displays are such a beloved holiday tradition. Make sure to add the Bivona Holiday Lights Tour to your list – from December 9th through New Year’s Day, luminous wonders will await at every turn!

For more information on the tour and/or volunteer and fundraising opportunities, visit BivonaCAC.org.