Will and OUR MISSION

 The Willie Bee Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charitable organization founded in August of 2017 to benefit local families who have a child facing a life-threatening illness. The Willie Bee Foundation was founded in memory of our sweet boy, Will, who lost his life after a courageous battle with AT/RT, an aggressive brain tumor.  Will was just a few weeks shy of his second birthday when he died.  He courageously fought for almost twenty months enduring numerous surgeries, six rounds of high dose chemotherapy with stem cell recovery, and thirty proton beam radiation treatments.  Will taught us what bravery, strength, and resilience truly look like. 

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.  We want Will’s legacy to be one of generosity and goodwill, and we hope this foundation brings support to local families experiencing the unimaginable.  With your support, we can make a difference, one family at a time.  We can help families with children battling a life threatening illness and provide monetary, medical, and social support services that they may not otherwise have access to. We can show them that WE care and that they are not alone. Thank you for helping us do good in Will’s name and for remembering our sweet boy with us.   

How We Help: Easing the Burden & Helping Families Make Memories

As we look to ease the burden that families who have a child with a life-threatening illness face, we have realized that how we ease that burden looks different for every family we have the honor and privilege of doing something for. We listen to our families and assist where they can benefit most. We also aim to help families make memories.

• Provide iPad packages (iPad, headphones, heavy duty case, iTunes gift card) to children (and siblings) who spend a lot of time in the hospital or at doctor’s visits

• Give grocery store, gas, restaurant, Visa, UberEats, and Grubhub gift cards to families

• Help pay for expenses associated with traveling for treatment in other cities or out-of-state

• Gift families with household appliances such as washers and dryers

• Take care of plowing contracts for the winter months and lawn mowing services for the summer months for families

• Provide house cleaning services to moms and dads who need an extra hand

• Sponsor families at Christmas time to fulfill their “Wish Lists” and grant “Experiences”

• Send families on all expense paid trips to Great Wolf Lodge and Jellystone Campground as well as provide summer cottage rentals

• Provide “Mini-Wishes” to sick children and their families

• Give families catered meals and dinners at holidays (Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas) as well as all throughout the year

• Provide personalized Easter baskets to children and siblings

• Gift families with back-to-school help (new backpacks, lunch bags, water bottles, Visa gift cards for each child in the family

• Provide wheelchair accessible van rentals

• Help with comfort care packages for moms, dads, and caregivers whose children have prolonged hospital stays (memory foam pillow, gel mattress pad, cozy blanket, etc.)

• Help with end-of-life comfort care items (gel mattress pads, support pillows, blankets, sheets, recliners, etc.)

• Partnership with Dan and Kate of Splatters Studio in Spencerport to provide families with handprint, footprint, and family plaque keepsakes

• Gift families with memberships to Seneca Park Zoo, Rochester Museum and Science Center, Strong National Museum of Play, Explore and More Children’s Museum

• Gift families with season passes to Sea Breeze and Darien Lake