COVID AND CANCER
COVID AND CANCER – A CALL TO ACTION
Supporting The Joe Andruzzi Foundation
BY : ELIZABETH CASCIO , EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT & EVENT COORDINATOR , A . I . M . MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANIES
WHAT IS THE JOE ANDRUZZI FOUNDATION ?
The Joe Andruzzi Foundation ( JAF ) is a nonprofit organization that provides help , hope , and a reason to smile to cancer patients in the New England area . JAF also provides financial support to families when it is needed so they can focus on recovery .
Its namesake , Joe Andruzzi , is a former American football offensive guard who played with the New England Patriots for five seasons from 2000 to 2004 . In May of 2007 , Joe was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin ’ s Burkitt ’ s lymphoma . He went through an aggressive treatment of chemotherapy for over three months and received his last treatment in August of 2007 . The Andruzzi Foundation was founded the following year .
WHY DID A . I . M . MUTUAL GET INVOLVED ?
In 2019 , A . I . M . Mutual became the exclusive workers ’ compensation carrier for The Kraft Group . In conjunction with that relationship , we became suite holders at Gillette Stadium ( home of the Patriots ), and I was responsible for coordinating those on-site events . During one of the first Patriots games we attended as suite holders , Joe and his son made a guest appearance . Joe is one of the most personable people I have ever met . You got the feeling that you knew him for years . He was very open about his battle with cancer and why he and his wife Jennifer started the Foundation . It is heartbreaking when you hear that a family is fighting the battle of their lives and cannot afford to pay bills or put food on their table . Getting involved and giving back the way that the Foundation does is
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