By Felicia L. Niven
Before cancer became a cause embraced by communities and charities, before treatment centers dotted South Jersey and support groups gave families a voice, there was Ruth Newman Shapiro. A vibrant young mother of four, Ruth was diagnosed with cancer at a time when the word was spoken only in whispers. She and her mother, Rose, faced a painful reality: the care Ruth desperately needed wasn’t available close to home. Their days turned into long, wearying trips to Philadelphia for treatment — Ruth growing weaker and Rose feeling increasingly helpless beside her.
When Ruth died in 1960 at just 35, the loss left a void that no mother should have to bear. But Rose Newman, tiny in stature and mighty in spirit, refused to let her daughter’s struggle be in vain. Determined to turn her grief into purpose, she founded the Ruth Newman Shapiro Cancer Fund — today known as the RNS Cancer & Heart Fund — an organization that has significantly changed the course of cancer and cardiac care in southern New Jersey.
“Rose wanted to bring the finest cancer care and facilities to this area — and later heart disease care — and she did,” said Roe Magliocco, president of RNS. “She started RNS in 1961 in memory of her daughter, Ruth. But many people may not realize that Rose also lost a second daughter to cancer — Sheila Newman Levin.”
According to Press reports, Levin was a 50-year-old mother of two teenagers who died of lymphoma in the mid-1970s. Such a profound second loss could have stopped Rose in her tracks, but instead it strengthened her resolve.
In fact, many of the 600 or so volunteers that power the Ventnor-based organization have been touched by cancer. It’s what initially brings them to the cause. “It’s an awful, heartbreaking disease,” said Roe, who has her own losses to bear. “Getting involved in RNS is a tribute to your loved ones, something that you can do to give back and help others who are going through it.”
Clockwise from top left: Tree of Life; Christmas tree decoration at Shore Memorial with past and present board members (l-r) Marcia Mancini, Susan Magee, Roe Magliocco, Pat McLaughlin, Lu Thompson and Andrea Moss; RNS Rive of Life; Martha Moskowitz and Lynn Caterson; (l-r) Audrey Fischer, Andrea Moss, Liz Greenberg, Martha Moskowitz, Cookie Vilensky, Susan Magee, Roe Magliocco, Lori Herndon (former CEO AtlantiCare), Joanne Reilly, Joanne Kenny, Franca Dowe, and Diane Parlin
Roe got involved after moving to the shore from Philadelphia back in 2005. “I met some of the RNS ladies in exercise class,” she said. “Back then, RNS had a gift-wrapping station at the Hamilton Mall during the holiday season. They needed help scheduling the volunteers, and because I knew computers, I offered. After that, I was hooked. I worked every fundraiser.”
Their hard work and dedication have paid off. Over the last 60-plus years, RNS has raised over $18 million, funding much-needed facilities, equipment, and programs for cancer and cardiac care.
“We recently fulfilled our $100,000 pledge to Shore for a 3D mammography machine,” said Roe. “Theirs had broken, and they had a critical need. We’ve pledged support to AtlantiCare for their tubing machines, and to Cooper for what they call the Varian pitch. That’s the part of the table that helps position patients during the TrueBeam radiation treatments. Each time, we’ve stepped in because we believe in making sure our community has the equipment it needs when people are counting on it.”
Among their regular recipients are AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center Cancer Centers and Heart Institute, Cooper University Hospital at Cape Regional, Shore Medical Cancer & Heart Centers, and The Cancer Support Community (CSC) at Gilda’s Club. Few people may realize that RNS helped launch Gilda’s Club locally. A generous donation of $450,000 brought Gilda’s Club to the region in 2002, providing a nonclinical place for cancer patients and their families to gather and find support.
RNS raises money through events, membership dues, memorial gifts, and other donations. “Some of the past events have gone by the wayside, such as the Showhouse at the Shore,” acknowledged Roe. “That required more of an army from contractors to electricians, roofers, decorators, etc. There was a time when RNS did tennis fundraisers, fashion shows, and runs. They even had Tony Bennett in the day.”
Today, RNS focuses on a handful of signature fundraisers that continue to draw strong community support. The summer Bag Ladies Luncheon is always a crowd-pleaser, raising significant funds through its lively auction. There’s also the much-coveted wine tasting at Sofia’s in Margate. In October, the group leads the Pink Ribbon campaign for Breast Cancer Awareness, and in February, it shines a spotlight on heart disease through the Save a Heart campaign.
“We have a Tree of Life on a colorful glass wall at AtlantiCare’s City Division where people can purchase leaves in honor or memory of loved ones,” she said. “At Shore Medical, there’s a River of Life — beautiful blue glass that looks like a flowing stream — where plaques carry the names of those being remembered.”
As she looks ahead, Roe holds tight to the legacy that inspired it all. “I hope we can continue to provide, through the generosity of our community, the finest equipment to fight cancer and heart disease here at home,” she said. “Rose would have wanted it that way — and Ruth, too. Their story is the heart of RNS, and it still guides us.”
For more information about RNS, to donate, or to become a member, visit https://rnscancerandheartfund.org/
