Dr. Jennifer A. Sidari, M.D.
Dr. Jen’s Hope
The Sidari family, the Sunday Dispatch 2020 Person of the Year, accepted the award in honor of their inspiration, the late Dr. Jennifer A. Sidari. Left to right: Victoria Sidari, Patty Sidari, Pete Sidari (holding Jennifer’s photo), Peter Sidari.
Tony Callaio file photo | For Sunday Dispatch
SCRANTON – Dr. Jen’s Hope Annual Memorial Block Party will be celebrating its 10th anniversary at Cooper’s Seafood, 701 N. Washington Ave., on Sunday, Aug. 13, starting at noon.
This year event, touted as “Celebrating 10 years of Giving Back!” is in the memory of Dr. Jennifer Sidari, born and raised in West Pittston, a 2005 Wyoming Area graduate and a graduate from the first class of The Commonwealth Medical College, now called Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, in 2013.
Dr. Sidari passed away unexpectedly on May 29, 2013, just about a week before starting her residency at Geisinger Danville at the age of 26.
Her loss was a shock to her family and community, but her parents, Patty and Pete, and siblings, Peter and Vicky, decided to create a foundation in honor of their beloved daughter and sister who loved life.
Jennifer loved giving back to her community often volunteering at the local clinic as well as her love for children found her traveling to South Africa and Oakland, California, to work with HIV-infected children.
“Jen had a passion for her family, friends and community,” Jen’s father, Pete, said. “Jen could have worked anywhere but she wanted to give back to her community, and she was going to come back home to practice when she was done with her residency. We honor her memory by continuing to do, in a little way, what she would have done in a grand way.”
There will be basket raffles, gift certificate lottery, live entertainment, an auction table and much more at the Block Party at Cooper’s.
Dr. Jen’s Hope has partnered with Cooper’s Seafood and TravelWorld and are offering big raffle gift items including a Bahaman cruise for two, $500 cash, 8 club level seats to the Railriders or two Bruce Springsteen tickets.
“Last year we had our best year, this year we hope to double what we did last year and every year we do that, we up the ante,” Sidari said. “Between the two organizations, this year we are giving twice as much as we did last year.”
The Jack of Hearts-PA and the Peyton Walker Foundation, this year’s recipients, will receive $10,000 each according to Sidari.
Jack of Hearts-PA is a local nonprofit organization created in 2018 after Lisa and Donny Scarfo’s newborn son was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect, tetralogy of fallot. The family noticed a lack of resources in NEPA for families of children with heart disease. They created the foundation to support and provide resources for these families every step of the way.
The Peyton Walker Foundation honors the life of Peyton Walker who tragically passed at 19 years old from sudden cardiac arrest. The foundation continues her legacy by providing screening for undiagnosed heart disease in young athletes and CPR and AED training for the community.
“Everyone has stepped up and Patty and I are scaling back and our children Peter and Vicky are doing more and more,” Sidari said. “Have to thank the Cooper family who have been great partners with us over the years.
