25 Years of Celebration!
September 1, 2024, marks 25 years since Pete Bossow Jr.’s passing and the birth of a mission to bring respite to young adult cancer patients and their families. From the first respite gifted to Pete and Marci by their loved ones to our inaugural community fundraiser and reaching the milestone of serving our 10,000th individual, every achievement has been made possible by the unwavering support of our FPS Community; for that, we say a heartfelt THANK YOU!
1999
Pete Bossow Jr. passes away from testicular cancer at age 30, launching the creation For Pete’s Sake Cancer Respite Foundation.
2000
The first fundraiser is held to benefit For Pete’s Sake Cancer Respite Foundation!
2000
The first patient travels on an FPS Respite to Sea Isle City, NJ.
2000
Trish Gambino, Pete’s nurse from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, joins the FPS Patient Advisory Committee on which she still serves. She is an active patient nominator to this day.
2003
FPS hires its very first staff member, which has now grown to a staff of 18!
2004
Pat Bello becomes our first board chairman and has continued to serve in a leadership roll since.
2005
FPS begins to record respite outcome data measurements of patients and their families.
2006
FPS becomes 1 of 143 nonprofits nationwide to hold PANO’s Standards of Excellence Accreditation, a measurement of ethics and accountability in non-profit governance and operations.
2010
FPS publishes the abstract Patient Respite Outcomes with the American Psychosocial Oncology Society (APOS) and presents at their annual conference.
2011
FPS begins a partnership with Woodloch Resort to send families on respite at their resort, which later becomes an exclusive destination.
2014
Our 1,000th family was sent on Travel Respite!
2015
FPS launches an endowment and begins our first Monthly Memory Makers program.
2019
The first model of community respite at Woodloch Resort is piloted.
2022
Jennifer is the 10,000th person served through FPS Respite! She and her caregiver travel to Woodloch Resort in October.
2022
The FPS White Paper is published, a study based on the outcomes of the respite model. It is later presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) conference by licensed clinical psychologist, Dr. Natalie Hamrick.
2023
FPS achieved a rare feat – a perfect score from Charity Navigator, a distinction held by less than 0.1% of charities!
2024
Cathy Hughes-Jasinski, her family and Gail Flaherty hosted the 18th annual Quaker City Dart Tournament- the longest running community event in FPS history! We served Cathy and her family in 2006!
2024
Record-setting participation at the Philadelphia Region For Pete’s Sake Walk!
