College Student and Childhood Cancer Survivor Advocates for Children’s Cancer Research

Up until she was 11-years-old, Samantha Sowa was like most girls her age –she loved spending time with her family, traveling to new cities and playing with friends. That all changed when she was diagnosed with papillary thyroid carcinoma. Doctors were baffled to see this particular type of cancer in someone so young and her family was completely devastated. Samantha took a vow to stay positive and keep the family composed and together throughout her entire cancer journey.

“Throughout my entire journey, which lasted more than a year, I had two surgeries, two doses of radioactive iodine, some biopsies, countless neck ultrasounds, full-body scans and  bloodwork,” said Sowa. “The first surgery was to remove my entire thyroid, a parathyroid, and a lymph nodeand the second surgery almost a year later was to remove the surrounding lymph nodes that looked cancerous. My family and I were, of course, very nervous withevery treatment, but remained hopefuland never lost our faith.

”Sowa beat childhood cancer and she’s currently in remission. Today Samantha is an actuarial science student at North Central College, but her cancer journey sparked a deep passion for childhood cancer research fundraising. She even spent her senior year of high school working on research project to help uncover the factors that influence a donor to give for childhood cancer research and recently did a TedX talkat her university highlighting the importance of childhood cancer research.

Her passion doesn’t end there. Samantha became involved with CureSearch in 2012, and currently sits on a Superheroes Unite! volunteer committee. Sheis fundraising for the 2018 CureSearch Superheroes Unite! event in Chicago to help raise awareness of the urgency of CureSearch’s mission to end children’s cancer.

“Become aware of the facts and statistics of childhood cancer and realize that cancer notonly impacts adults, but harms children as well. I encourage everyone to get to know a childhood cancer patient or survivor, because their scar also has a story, and that story might bring us onestep closer to finding a cure,” said Sowa. “Childhood cancer research is vastly underfunded, and we currently have minimal government support, so childhood cancer research organizations rely on private donors to help.”

Learn more about CureSarch and Childhood Cancer Awareness Month at www.curesearch.org/togethercuringcancer.

CHILDHOOD CANCER SURVIVOR TO SPEND 12TH BIRTHDAY VOLUNTEERING AT 28 MILE CHARITY HIKE

Eleven-year-old Will Busby first heard of CureSearch’s Ultimate Hike seven years ago, when his father, Jeff, starting raising funds and training for a 28.3-mile trek to be completed in one day. The family was well aware of the need for funding for children’s cancer research, as four-year-old Will had been diagnosed with high risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia on in 2011. 

“More funding for research is critical. One in eight children diagnosed with cancer won’t survive, and of those who do, 60% will develop lifelong side effects,” said Brecka Putnam, senior manager of campaign development.  “Only four treatments have been developed specifically for children in the past twenty years. We need more treatments for children to improve patient outcomes.”

The Busbys have been actively involved in research since his diagnosis. Will participated in a CureSearch funded clinical to help further research, and Jeff laced up his boots and raised funds through the Ultimate Hike program. Jeff continued hiking and coaching new hikers, and Will continued fighting cancer for years finally the family celebrated his “no more chemo day” on May 6, 2014.

Although Will is officially done fighting cancer, he’s chosen to spend his 12th birthday volunteering on the hike to show his support for all the kids who are in treatment now. “He now seems to be dealing with the experience in a way that makes it a positive part of his story,” said Jeff Busby.

Volunteering for an Ultimate Hike is no small feat. Jeff will spend the day on the trail, coaching other hikers and setting them up for success. Meanwhile, Will’s day will be spent loading and unloading vans, filling up hikers’ water packs, cleaning, and cheering on hikers. The first volunteers will report for duty before 2:00 a.m., and the last volunteers on the trail could load up as late as 9:00 p.m.

“We’re so excited to have Will spend the day with us. It can be exhausting, and many kids would prefer to spend their birthday hanging out with friends, rather than making sandwiches for 70 people in the middle of the woods. We’re so thankful,” said Putnam. “Having someone that young who beat cancer out there on the trail will give our hikers the motivation they need when the going gets tough.”

In addition to volunteering with CureSearch, Jeff is a chaplain and leader for Will’s trail life troop, he also backpacks with the group once a month, all year round. He is looking forward to introducing Will to a new group of hikers in a few weeks.

To learn more about CureSearch’s Ultimate Hike, visit www.ultimatehike.org/foothills. To make a donation in honor of Will’s birthday, text CURE to 56512.

About CureSearch for Children’s Cancer

CureSearch for Children’s Cancer, a national nonprofit organization based in Bethesda, Md., works to end childhood cancer by driving targeted and innovative research with measurable results in an accelerated time frame. CureSearch focuses on advancing the strongest research out the laboratory and into clinical trials and development, where better, less-toxic treatments can quickly help children.

For more information, visit curesearch.org or follow CureSearch on Twitter @curesearch or join the conversation on Facebook at www.facebook.com/curesearch.

SCE&G’s “The Peanut Gang” Celebrates 25 Years of Service at Camp Happy Days’ Annual Summer Camp

Earlier this month, “The Peanut Gang”, a group of South Carolina Electric & Gas (SCE&G) employees and retirees celebrated 25 years at Camp Happy Days’ annual summer camp in Summerton, South Carolina by serving over 275 children their signature peanuts.

From July 2 – July 8, South Carolina children battling cancer and their siblings attended Camp Happy Days’ summer camp at Camp Bob Cooper. The entire week was filled with new and exciting adventures that allowed campers to escape the trials of battling cancer for a week and simply be a kid.

On Wednesday, July 5, campers and counselors got a special visit from SCE&G’s very own "The Peanut Gang." The group served five bushels of boiled peanuts and cold soft drinks to more than 275 children.

“Camp wouldn’t be the same without a visit from The Peanut Gang," explains Cindy Johnson, Director of Camp Happy Days. "They add something a little extra special for the kids during the week, and we couldn't be more grateful for their continued support." The group has also raised over $31,000 for Camp Happy Days this year.

The group of SCE&G employees and retirees first brought their peanuts to Camp Happy Days’ summer camp in 1994. “Seeing how much good camp does for these kids and the smiles on their faces is what keeps us coming back,” explains Bill Ellis, member of The Peanut Gang. “They have an absolute blast, and it makes us all feel good to be able to do something for these kids and Camp Happy Days.”

For more information about Camp Happy Days, please visit CampHappyDays.com or find them on Facebook at Facebook.com/CampHappyDays.

Tips to Celebrate Martin Luther King Day

1) Organize your workplace, school or community group. Maximize your impact by organizing a group to serve the community with an activity done at your own location in honor of Martin Luther King Day. Choose a local charity and determine the best way for your group to show support. Ideas include packing snack bags for after school programs, collecting coats and hats for a homeless shelter, planting trees, creating a mentoring program, or writing letters of support to our military abroad.

2) Teach your children. The kids are home from school. Remember, as a Day of Service MLK day is supposed to be "a day on, not a day off." Plan an activity of service and involve your children. Show by your example that volunteerism is important to your family and help to cultivate a new generation of compassionate, community- minded citizens.

3) Raise needed goods. Support a local charity with a drive for the goods they need to serve the community. An online YouGiveGoods drive is the new way to raise food and supplies for charity. You can set up your drive in a matter of minutes and have it underway in time for MLK Day this year. Then invite your online community via email and social media to support your cause by purchasing items that will ship to your selected charity. A YouGiveGoods drive builds up your community as it offers tangible aid to local charity and it provides a welcome opportunity for your friends and family to be part of this year's MLK Day.

4) Spread the message. Use social media (use hashtag #MLKDay) to share MLK's ideals and inspiring words. You will find his words to be stunningly timely and relevant in today's world. Forward this page, talk about what you will do in honor of MLK Day, and encourage your circle of friends to take action to support the community.

5) Commit to service in 2017. Use Martin Luther King's example to plan a 2017 where you take action. If you are unable to volunteer on January 16, simply spend some time researching, choose your charity, make that phone call and find out how you can best serve them in the future. Charities need help all year long!

Tips to Fight Back During Hunger Action Month

1. Advocate. Use your voice to spread the word about hunger in your community. Social media has made this quite easy to do. Alert your online community that we are in the midst of Hunger Action Month and about the plight of the hungry in their own backyards. Share quotes and statistics about hunger and ask them to support their local hunger relief organization.
2. Volunteer. Most food banks, pantries and soup kitchens rely on volunteers to make their operations work. Volunteers can sort donations, stock shelves and help with distribution. Volunteers can also frequently help from home in the form of virtual volunteering. Contact your local hunger relief organization to see if you can utilize your specific skills to help them with business operations like accounting, marketing, website and administration.
3. Run a food drive. You can really increase your impact by organizing your own food drive. Food drives run in conjunction with your company, school, church or group tend to have the best results. And, always add an online component to your traditional drive (or run your online drive alone). Use YouGiveGoods.com to run an online drive for your local food pantry. The online drive service is free to use, easy to share on social media, and simple for supporters to shop online for brand-new most-needed food items which are shipped directly to the pantry at the close of the drive.
4. Donate money. Hunger relief organizations need monetary donations to operate. Any size donation will be welcomed.
5. Donate food. Don't just walk by the donation bin at your school, store or company. Make a point to donate food whenever the opportunity arises.

The Fresh Market supports No Kid Hungry this September to fight childhood hunger in U.S.

This September, The Fresh Market will continue its national partnership with No Kid Hungry® during the fourth annual Cupcakes for a Cause campaign. The event will raise funds and awareness for No Kid Hungry, the campaign from the nonprofit Share Our Strength dedicated to ending childhood hunger in America by connecting children to healthy food where they live, learn and play.

September is National Hunger Awareness Month, and No Kid Hungry is rallying its community of supporters and partners, including The Fresh Market, to take action for the one in five kids who struggles with hunger.

In support of making no kid hungry a reality, The Fresh Market will host its Cupcakes for a Cause campaign from August 31 through September 20. The Fresh Market guests can support the fight against childhood hunger by purchasing paper cupcakes at store checkout counters for as little as $1, which connects a child to 10 healthy meals through No Kid Hungry’s programs and partnerships. One hundred percent of the paper cupcake dollar donations will benefit the cause.

Beginning Wednesday, September 14 through Tuesday, September 20, The Fresh Market stores will also host an in-store Cupcake Bakery Sale to benefit No Kid Hungry. Guests may purchase a single gourmet cupcake or a four-pack of cupcakes found in the store’s bakery. The Fresh Market will donate $1 from each gourmet cupcake purchase and $2 from each four-pack cupcake purchase to No Kid Hungry.

With the support of our customers, The Fresh Market has committed to contribute a minimum of $150,000 to No Kid Hungry during its Cupcakes for a Cause campaign this year. To date, the company has raised over $1 million to support the campaign’s effort to connect children in need with nutritious food, while teaching their families how to cook healthy, affordable meals.

About No Kid Hungry

No child should go hungry in America, but 1 in 5 kids will face hunger this year. Using proven, practical solutions, No Kid Hungry is ending childhood hunger today by ensuring that kids start the day with a nutritious breakfast and families learn the skills they need to shop and cook on a budget. When we all work together, we can make sure kids get the healthy food they need. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of national anti-hunger organization Share Our Strength. Join us at NoKidHungry.org.

Regain Your Freedom with Depend and Get #Underwareness (FREE Sample & $15 PayPal Giveaway)

There are many subjects that are really uncomfortable to discuss and one of them that tops the list is bladder leakage. You are feeling uncomfortable now, aren't you? Well, it is something that doesn't only happen to senior citizens. Believe it or not, there are more people with bladder leakage in their 20’s than their 80’s and over 65 million people have experienced this issue. I have known people younger than me complain about this problem when trying to exercise, cough, sneeze or even laugh. It's very common and you should not be ashamed of it!

Depend is entering year two of Underwareness, a social movement and charitable cause to break down the bladder leakage stigma. As part of Underwareness, the Depend brand is encouraging people to show their support for women with bladder leakage. For every photo and video shared using #Underwareness and featuring Depend products, the Depend brand will donate $1, up to $3 million, through 2016 to fund charities that advance the research and education of bladder leakage.

Depend Silhouette Active Fit briefs have a lower rise+ for an underwear-like look, fit and feel. 

• As a category first, Depend SAF is available in black and beige colors 
• More people with bladder leakage are in their 20’s than their 80’s
• The average age of someone with bladder leakage is only 52! 
• More people with bladder leakage are 50 or younger than 60 or older! 

Are you unsure if Depend Silhouette Active Fit briefs are right for you? Get a FREE sample to try out for yourself (or someone you love). Regain your freedom with Depend!

GIVEAWAY: Want to win $15 via PayPal? Simply go here and tell me what you learned about the #Underwareness Movement. Leave me a comment below and I will randomly pick one winner. You can also Tweet this giveaway (just leave a link to your Tweet in the comments section). Giveaway open until June 5, 2015. Good luck! 

How teens are giving our community a little H.O.P.E. this holiday season

My high school daughter, Briahnna is one very busy student. She is involved in two magnet programs at school and takes all honors/IB courses. She is the sport's editor of her yearbook and is also involved in the Youth Action Council as well as H.O.P.E.. HOPE stands for Helping Other People Everywhere. The HOPE organization at her school collects coats, unwrapped toys and non-perishable food items for needy families in the community. Each year the HOPE chair sets a goal on how many food items they want to collect. The goal this year is over 20,000. Being involved in HOPE means that you have to sacrifice time on the weekends as well as after school. That is very hard with Briahnna's demanding courses, but she manages to get the job done! They have students volunteer for a time slot to collect food donations in front of grocery stores that have given them permission to do so. It's a win-win since the store will sell the items that end up being donated and the teens are able to have a secure place for collections.

As a family, we all pitch in and help where we can. I have volunteered to help purchase food items with any money they collect, since I know how to stretch a buck! Briahnna and a couple of her team members set up in front of Sam's Club last weekend and just in their 2-hour shift, they FILLED my very large car trunk and part of the back seat with so many donations! We helped her to get the items to the storage unit on the school campus to be sorted when they got back to school that following week.

I am so proud of Briahnna and her fellow HOPE team members for all of the time they are putting in to help others. Brie has really been enjoying herself despite having to wake up early some Saturday mornings. She is very passionate about this worthy cause.

We have used this time to explain how important it is to help others to little William. He really enjoyed helping to bring items into the food storage unit. He was sad when he learned that there are so many families who don't have a lot of food in their home. He was devastated when he found out that some kids may not get any toys for Christmas. I love that he is understanding it as much as a five year old can.

HOPE will collect food donations until the second week of December. They are already off to such an amazing start and I anticipate they will make their goal. All of the coats, food and toys will be delivered to a local food bank to distribute to needy families in our community. I look forward to attending the unveiling of all their hard work at the HOPE Assembly next month. I will be sure to post an update.

Join Yoplait's fight against breast cancer by Saving Lids to Save Lives (Giveaway)

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Yoplait is doing their part to help in the fight. For the next couple months, you can save the pink lids from participating Yoplait yogurt.  you can redeem the codes on the Save Lids to Save Lives site and General Mills will give 10 cents per lid to Susan G. Komen. You can also mail them in if you choose. I always participate each year and it is amazing how quickly those little lids add up!

Right now you can find participating Yoplait products on sale at Publix:
$1 off any one Large Size, Light with Granola or GoGurt (coupon on select products) - Dates: October 2 - October 18
20 for $10 on Yoplait Core cup - Dates: October 3 - October 9
Light with Granola BOGO - Dates: October 5 - October 25
You can follow Publix on Facebook.

To help you stock up on some Yoplait yogurt, one Mom Files' reader will win a prize pack including a cute pink lunch bag, a pink ribbon brooch and a $10 Publix gift card. Enter below: a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is open to US Residents only and will end on October 25 2013. One winner will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email to claim prize.  Momfiles is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. Good luck!

The information and prize pack have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

Support Truvia® brand’s “Sharing a Sweet Future” charitable initiative #SweetFuture

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Truvia® Natural Sweetener  for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Do you ever take a moment to think about what you do when you want a snack? In my home, we run to the kitchen and take a peek into the pantry or refrigerator. Once we make up our mind, we enjoy our snack and feel satisfied. Sadly, this is not a reality for everyone.

Did you know that every day, over 40% of Bolivian families struggle to support their children’s most basic food needs? Two-thirds of the Bolivian population is below the poverty line. The majority of the country’s children does not receive the minimum daily caloric intake and are suffering from nutritional deficiencies. The widespread use of primitive cook stoves resulting in harmful smoke exposure has led to a number of other health issues for families in the community.

Knowing of the hardships faced by these families, the Truvia® brand has committed to working with the World Food Program USA to help provide Bolivian kids and families with a sweeter future. Thanks to the Truvia® brand’s “Sharing a Sweet Future” charitable initiative, over 34,705 Bolivian school children have already received more nutritionally-balanced school meals, and Bolivian locals have received 68 fuel efficient stoves, allowing another 3,574 students to eat cooked meals in a safer environment.

The Truvia® team created a video series showcasing the everyday hardships experienced by Bolivian family members. $1 dollar feeds 4 kids. Now, they are asking consumers to view and share these videos on Facebook or Twitter using #SweetFuture to support our initiative.

Here is how you can help: Follow Truvia on Twitter. Share the Truvia® brand’s video to support their Sharing a Sweet Future initiative. $1 feeds 4 kids.  You can also Share the Truvia® brand’s video on Facebook to support their Sharing a Sweet Future initiative. $1 feeds 4 kids. What do you have to lose? I will be doong my part to help other. Won't you join me? 

 Learn even more about the Truvia® brand’s initiative here and also help "Share a Sweet Future" through the Facebook app https://www.facebook.com/Truvia/app_633774663321139

 

Give the Gift of Happiness this Holiday Season with Kohl’s Cares Classic Peanuts Storybooks

Give the gift that will leave the whole family grinning from ear-to-ear this holiday season with delightful and affordable gifts from the Kohl’s Cares merchandise collection the beloved Peanuts storybooks by renowned author Charles M. Schulz . Now through the end of December, Kohl’s is offering exclusive hardcover editions of Peanuts classics, including A Charlie Brown Christmas, You Can Be Anything, Be Yourself!, Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown, a 2-pack of Happiness is a Warm Puppy and Christmas is Together, along with coordinating plush toys, for just $5 each through the Kohl’s Cares cause merchandise program.

Kids and parents alike will cherish the time spent snuggling up with these nostalgic story books, and everyone can feel good knowing that Kohl’s donates 100 percent of the net profit to children’s health and education initiatives nationwide. Since the program began in 2000, the Kohl’s Cares philanthropic program has raised more than $231 million for children’s health and education programs in local communities across the country.

In addition, Kohl’s has something to help everyone get in the holiday spirit and spread Christmas cheer this year:

Holiday Cheer: Make sure the halls are decked and everyone is jolly this holiday season with the perfect book for holiday recipes, decorating, entertaining and gift ideas. The go-to holiday handbook this season is filled with tips and tricks from Good Housekeeping, Redbook & Country Living, makes the perfect hostess gift for holiday parties and festivities.

Upon the Winter Solstice: Trans-Siberian Orchestra CD: Delight in the holiday spirit with the sounds of this year’s CD from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Grab one for the car, the home and the office to spread the holiday cheer!

Peanuts Jigsaw Puzzle: Wrap up in a blanket, pour a cup of cocoa and get to work assembling a jigsaw puzzle with artwork from the classic Peanuts storybooks. It is the perfect stocking stuffer this holiday season.

Benjamin Dash Miami | November 2013

Are you a runner looking for a fun and unique challenge? Benjamin Dash in Miami might be one worth checking out. 

Benjamin Dash is an innovative 5K course running event that gives Dashers the opportunity to grab flags worth monetary value.  They will have the choice to either donate to their favorite charity or keep it for themselves. Runners will have to maneuver through a numerous, uniquely designed obstacles that will test every specific attribute that can be thought of, especially to keep the large wave of runners moving. They will then finish the race where runners will be paid for the amount of flags they have captured.

Here’s the twist, all the flags on the obstacles will have different values so participants will ever know the amount they are running with on hand. If you think that was it, you’re wrong! Runners will need eyes like an eagle for there will be charity warriors whose sole purpose is to take your flags to promote their own charity. After completion of the race, runners will be accommodated with drinks and food, as well as entertainment from a live band. If you're up for a different kind of competition, check out Benjamin Dash online to find out more. There are early registration discounts as well. Use the promotional code: BUGS747 (in all caps) for a 10% off discount.

You can find Benjamin Dash on Facebook and Twitter.

This is not a sponsored post. I just thought I would share this event with my readers that reside in Florida.

Hats Off to Helping Kids with Kohl’s Cares Books and Plush Toys for $5 Each

I have been a Kohl's shopper for several years now, ever since a store opened in my area. If you regularly shop at Kohl's Department stores, you might have noticed the Kohl's Cares stands over in the checkout areas featuring a series of children's books and plush toys for only $5 each. Kohl’s donates 100 percent of the net profit to children’s health and education initiatives nationwide. You can't go wrong with buying such good items for kids at a great price, and giving back to communities nationwide at the same time!

I have purchased both a book and plush toy in the past as birthday presents for younger children. The recipients always enjoyed the gift and the parents appreciated it a lot. In these days, $10 is a good deal for a birthday gift! It is also a great way to start a book collection for you own child. The books are really big and are a great value.

My son William is enjoying going through the pages of his new Dr. Seuss’s Sleep Book along with his new coordinating plush character. 

For Spring 2013, Kohl's Department Stores is bringing the charming stories from legendary author Dr. Seuss to children and families across the country with playful and affordable books and plush toys that will delight readers with their magical rhymes and quirky illustrations. This spring, Kohl’s offers exclusive hardcover editions of classic Dr. Seuss books including The Cat in The Hat, Horton Hears a Who!, Sleep Book, ABC’s and Happy Birthday to You! along with coordinating plush toys for just $5 each through the Kohl's Cares cause merchandise program. Since the program’s inception in 2000, the Kohl’s Cares philanthropic program has raised more than $208 million for children’s health and education programs in local communities across the country.

Kohl’s will once again feature Dr. Seuss story books in the Kohl’s Cares cause merchandise program. Children will be enchanted as they learn to read the whimsical tales from Dr. Seuss, and customers will be proud to support the program knowing Kohl’s donates 100 percent of the net profit to children’s health and education initiatives nationwide.

Kohl’s Cares Cause Merchandise for Kids

• The Cat in The Hat and Cat in the Hat plush: Join Dick and Sally as they embark on an unexpected adventure with a giant cat wearing a hat, transforming a rainy day into a fun-filled afternoon. 
• Horton Hears a Who! and Horton plush: Children adore the story of loveable Horton, an elephant who hears a cry for help from a tiny speck of dust and does his best to protect the tiny creatures who live on it from those who see them as insignificant.
• Dr. Seuss’s Sleep Book and Sleeps plush: The perfect bed time story that is sure to help everyone wind down from the hustle and bustle of the day – including the grown-ups!
• Dr. Seuss’s ABC book and Alligator plush: A quick and colorful way to learn the alphabet with Dr. Seuss and his colorful friends.
• ONLINE EXCLUSIVE - Happy Birthday to You!: Everyone loves their birthday and with Dr. Seuss’s joyous tale, readers will see firsthand the thrill of celebrating a birthday as it is done in Katroo.
• ONLINE EXCLUSIVE - Dr. Seuss’s ABC book’s Rhino plush: Fun to snuggle and huggle this adorable Rhino plush, kiddos will have a new friend to read with.

Kohl’s Cares Cause Merchandise for Grown-Ups

• Good Housekeeping Light & Healthy Cooking and Good Housekeeping Drop 5 Lbs: Spring into Healthy Eating with two great books! Following the treats and sweets from the holiday season, testing out new recipes from Good Housekeeping Light & Healthy Cooking and getting diet and healthy eating tips from Good Housekeeping Drop 5 Lbs is the perfect way to stay true to New Year resolutions.
• Dr. Seuss All Occasion Note Cards: As a thank you note or just to connect with a friend or loved one, these delightful all occasion note cards are sure to bring smiles to the faces of recipients with their colorful and quirky illustrations. 

In addition to the merchandise program, Kohl's Cares features a scholarship program, which recognizes more than 2,200 young volunteers each year with scholarships and prizes; the Associates in Action program, which encourages associate volunteerism and has donated more than $61 to youth-focused nonprofit organizations to date; and fundraising gift cards for schools and youth-serving nonprofit organizations. For more information, visit www.kohlscorporation.com. For a list of store locations and information, or for the added convenience of shopping online, visit Kohls.com ,  or join the discussion on Facebook  or Twitter

I received samples from the Kohl's Cares program in exchange for spreading the word on this great initiative. All opinions are completely my own. 

PLEASE HELP: Watch a video and help a child! vitaminwater® ♥s Vitamin Angels

Hey guys! I wanted to share some very important information that was sent to me....

As a parent, you know how important it is that your little ones are properly nourished in order to thrive. It’s that reason exactly that vitaminwater® ♥s Vitamin Angels, a charity dedicated to providing essential nutrients to undernourished children around the world.  vitaminwater® is already helping Vitamin Angels reach more than 2 million children through a monetary donation, but would like your support to help  them  reach another one million children!

Earlier this summer and in an effort to help spread the word about Vitamin Angels, vitaminwater® asked the Tongal community (a social platform that delivers a fresh solution to sourcing video content) what their world would be without the letter ‘A’.  Why ‘A,’ you ask?  Vitamin Angels focuses on this vitamin because an estimated 190 million children under five suffer from vitamin A deficiency, a major underlying cause of child mortality and blindness around the world.

The response from the Tongal community was overwhelming (over 400 ideas submitted!) and resulted in the creation of three poignant videos in particular that vitaminwater® has decided to share.  For every view of one of the videos, vitaminwater® will donate $0.25, the equivalent of one year’s worth of vital Vitamin A for a child.

Here are the videos:

"Without the A" produced by Reggie Schickel from Urbana, IL (based on idea from Diana Tay from Los Angeles, CA)


"Candid Moments Without the A" produced by Marcus Thomas from Los Angeles, CA (based on an idea from Jacob Silva from Escondido, CA)

"Notes on the Letter A" produced by Jonathan Langager from Los Angeles, CA

PLEASE take a moment to view even one video to help a child in need! They are under 2 minutes in length and costs you NOTHING! Thanks so much!

Get to Know Olympic Hopeful David Oliver

Hey guys! I wanted to take a moment to introduce you to an athlete named David Oliver. Many of you might already know who he is or have at least heard of him. David Oliver is a USA Track & Field athlete (in hurdles) with many championships, awards and honors under his belt. Some of those athletic achievements include being a three-time USA Outdoor Champion, two-time NCAA All-American, 2008 Olympic Games bronze medalist and several other awards and honors. You can take a peek at his specific rankings and events here. It's quite impressive!

He will be leading a spectacular group of American hurdlers in the 2012 Olympic year. He is hoping to pull from the momentum he had in 2010 since he has been fighting through injuries in 2011. I am quite sure that through determination, hard work and a positive mindset, he will be amazing!

Besides being an incredible athlete, he also helps inner-city children through his organization called SUB 13. In October of 2011, David and his SUB 13 organization hosted their annual speed and agility camp in his hometown of Denver, Colorado. The kids went through a series of drills focused at helping them improve their performance. You can check out the full photo album of the event on the Facebook page. Imagine how cool that would be to get training from such a popular athlete? I know it had to be a big boost for those kids to learn from someone that took time out of his busy schedule to work with them. I have always respected athletes that give back to their community in such a big way.

You can check David Oliver out on Facebook and Twitter as well as his official site.

 

Psst.... stay tuned to find out how you can get a chance to meet David Oliver in person and help your child's school with Coca-Cola. I promise you that you won't want to miss out on that!

Office Depot Foundation to Donate 400,000 New Sackpacks This Year

Every day, millions of kids carry their stuff to school in plastic grocery bags because they can’t afford a backpack. One innovative way to tackle this problem is to put free backpacks or sackpacks into the hands of children who need them the most. Suddenly, they’re just like other kids. Suddenly, they have hope.

During the past 11 years, the Office Depot Foundation has provided more than 2.5 million backpacks to deserving children in local communities across North America and as far away as China through its National Backpack Program. The Foundation will mark the 12th anniversary of the program this year by giving away approximately 400,000 colorful new sackpacks containing essential school supplies – the most it has ever donated in a single year. But while these numbers are very large, the sackpacks make an impact on a singular level − one child at a time.

It is so wonderful when big corporations help out communities in need. You can learn more at the Office Depot Foundation website.