Charity Yard Sale

If you're local, be sure to visit the 

Charity Yard Sale

with the CIA.

No. We're not talking covert ops people.

Different CIA.

Citizens in Action.

Citizens in Action is an agency that serves people with disabilities -- namely mental disabilities.

They also try to help show the community what people with disabilities can contribute.

You can help.

They are having a 

Charity Yard Sale

this Saturday, July 17th

from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

in the parking lot of TURN Community Services at

1837 S. East Bay Boulevard

in Provo.

The funds from the yard sale are going directly to a local 4 year old boy with multiple disabilities. 

They are trying to help him get the medical supplies that he needs.

They are going to have A LOT of stuff!

And there will be a cash jar if you would like to directly donate to the cause.

They do not have a website, but are working on getting one up and running soon.

I'll keep you posted.

This is a fairly young agency and they are trying to get their name out there.

This is a great time to get to know them AND find a treasure.

Cooper's Run

Here is a chance to do some good and do something good for you.

It's called Cooper's Run.

It is in honor of this little boy.

Cooper.

He unexpectedly died July 31, 2009 at just 4 years old.

This run was started by his loving family for three reasons.

First, to honor Cooper by turning the anniversary of his death into a yearly tradition where they are surrounded by friends, family and community engaged in a good cause.

Second, they want to bring attention toward and say "thank you" to all of the City of Orem and EMS workers everywhere who act with so much reverence, respect, and compassion during these difficult situations.

Third, they would like to raise money a scholarship for other 3 and 4 year olds who could not otherwise afford it, be able to attend "Learning Dynamics" -- the preschool Cooper attended and loved.

Cooper's Run

will be July 31, 2010.

There will be a 5K as well as a family/kid's fun run.

The 5K will begin at 9:00 a.m.

and the Fun Run will begin at 10:00 a.m.

There will be otter pops at the end of the run, as well as an outdoor band and up-close look at some of Orem's police fire and rescue vehicles.

And, if all goes well....a visit from the AirMed helicopter. 

Go here for all of the race details and registration information.

Come help a family honor this sweet boy and create something good.

Hometown Heroes Contest

The Hometown Heroes Contest

sponsored by the Hyundai Sonata

This Old House is looking for people who go above and beyond their own "honey-do" lists to make their neighborhoods and communities better places to live.

If you, or someone you know is such a person, they want to hear about it.

Nominate yourself or someone you admire for...

a chance to be featured in an upcoming issue of

This Old House (love that magazine!)

AND

a $2500 donation to the charity of your choice.

Five runners-up will also receive $500 for their designated charities.

Hurry and go here for the nomination form

because this ends July 18th.

This is a double whammy!

First you have a chance to highlight someone already doing some good.

Second, you get to earn money for a good cause.

Doesn't get better than that.

Welcome Back!

I hope you had a tremendous weekend.

I love long weekends.

Pringles has a new way that you can help give back with their

"U Taste. We Donate" Campaign.

Until July 31st, every time you buy Pringles Multi-grain, 

you can help give Share Our Strength $1.

It's easy.

 Here's how it works.

Buy a  can of Pringles Multi-grain chips.

Find the 12-digit UPC code.

Go here.

Enter in the code.

Done.

A $1 donation will be made to Share Our Strength, 
with a maximum donation of $100,000 and a minimum donation of $75,000.

Go here to learn more about Share Our Strength and help end childhood hunger.


Now wasn't that easy?

Happy 4th of July!!!

I hope you all have great plans!

I for one am so grateful to be celebrating independence. 

Freedom.

I'm so grateful for those who make my freedom possible and continue to protect it.

Thank you!

Here are a few ideas of things to do this weekend in honor of Independence Day.

As seen on Do One Nice Thing:

Postcards for Wounded Service Members

Waiting for a flight, or relaxing on a trip? Send a postcard to a wounded service member in the hospital. Children can write messages of thanks or even just draw a heart and picture on picture postcards, too.

Hundreds of ill or wounded service members arrive from Iraq and Afghanistan each month at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. When they arrive they are handed a “welcome backpack” with hygiene products, an international calling card, a sweatshirt and a blanket. With your help, they can also receive a card with a sweet message from your nice family.

Mail to:

MTD
Attn: Soldiers' Angels
CMR 402
APO AE 09180

(It costs the same as mailing inside or to the U.S.)

OR

Participate in "Let's Say Thanks"

In case you missed this info in the Memorial Day post-- here it is again.

*You can go here and send an e-card very quickly that will be sent to our troops.

 "Let's Say Thanks" is a free service provided by XEROX. It is quick and simple. 

First you scroll through the designs (I believe all of the designs were created/drawn by children.) 

Then you personalize it with a message, your name, and hometown. 

Then you hit "send." 

Really simple. Really good.

OR

*You can contribute to USO Operation Phone Home. 

USO Operation Phone Home delivers prepaid international phone cards to deployed service members free of charge. 

100 percent of the money raised for the USO Operation Phone Home program goes to the purchase of phone cards.

I imagine a call home is just what some of these soldiers need.

There are a few ways to donate:

Online choose the "donate to a specific program" option.

By Phone: 1-800-876-7469

By Mail:

(with O.P.H. written in the memo)
USO Headquarters
PO Box 96860
Washington, DC 20090-6860

OR...

*You can join Soldiers' Angels, The Chrylser Group LLC, and Zac Brown Band and participate in their Letters for Lyrics campaign. (Come on people, I'm droppin' names here -- real names, famous names! This is good stuff!)

Basically, here's how it works:

Their goal is to deliver 1,000,000 (that's one million -- in case you aren't used to seeing that many zeros), letters to servicemen and women around the world.

Go to any Dodge or Ram Truck dealer and write a card/letter.

In exchange you will receive a FREE CD (once again, I repeat, FREE CD) with three new songs from the Zac Brown Band and others from various artists also with the Southern Ground Label.

 {After hearing this I'm sure the hubs is thinking "You had me at CD. You had me at CD!"}

If you're interested in reading a little bit more about this, you can go to Chrysler's blog, here, or to Soldiers' Angels, or to Zac Brown Band's site.

This is a great campaign and you get something FREE from someone famous!

{By the way, I forgot to mention, there is also a brand new video you can watch for free.}

This campaign began May 10th and they are at 144,999 letters. They still need A LOT more to reach their goal.

There is also a free live track from Zac Brown Band available for download here. For every download they will make a donation to Soldier's Angels.

Actually, it's really great because it is an excellent way to spread some good to some of those that sacrifice the most for our freedom!

Show your gratitude for your freedom and give back to those who give so much.

Have a great weekend!

Charity Camp

Summer is here.

Camps are in full swing.

They actually provide a way to do a lot of good.

If you are local consider this one.

Travis Hansen Charity Basketball Camp

It will be July 7th -July 9th.
at the Flash Factory in Lehi.

The Little Heroes Foundation has partnered with 
Nature's Sunshine to make this camp possible.


Travis Hansen, a former BYU All-Star will direct the camp along with several other volunteer coaches.
Children learn basketball fundamentals, teamwork, and leadership, but....

more importantly....


they learn about doing good


and being good


and giving back.


Part of the time at camp will be spent participating in a service project that will benefit children in need throughout the world.
A few of the causes they support include Russian orphans, Malaria in Africa, and children with cancer.
So cool.

Go here to register for the camp.
Hurry! It's next week!



The Little Heroes Foundation wants to make the world a better place.

From their site:
Our mission is to create a better world by inspiring the hero within. We believe that each individual born on Earth has the capacity to make a positive difference in the world around them.
To learn more about the Little Heroes Foundation go here.
To donate directly to the foundation go here


Not local? Basketball not your thing?
Need another idea?
Consider sponsoring a child in your area to attend a camp.
Maybe they have a talent they want to develop, but come from difficult circumstances.
Maybe they need a good distraction from life.


Remember the post about Camp Kesem?
A special camp for children whose parents suffer from cancer.
Real more about it here.


Look around in your area -- there are so many good summer camps to choose from.
There are so many kids in need of something good.

National Bakery Week

This week, June 28th - July 4th is the

Great American Bake Sale's 

National Bakery Week!

That means, bakeries around the country will be hosting several in-store and on-line specials and deals in order to raise money to help end childhood hunger with

Share Our Strength.

Here's where you come in.

Go to a participating bakery.

Buy a treat.

Help a  hungry child.

Buy your own hungry kids a treat.

Help more hungry children.

If you don't have a participating bakery near you, go to your favorite bakery and suggest they participate.

This is a delicious and easy way to help those in need.

Go here for all of the information and 

a locator for the nearest participating bakery.

Would you rather donate directly to Share Our Strength?

Go here.

P.S. If you're local, the closest ones to me are the Whole Foods stores in Cottonwood Heights and in Salt Lake City. Man I love me some Whole Foods! I wish there was one closer to me!

team MAX

I want to introduce you to probably one of the cutest kids ever.

Max.

On March 4, 2010 Max was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

He is known to his family as Bubby.

He is currently undergoing chemo and fighting the big fight.

This family is an inspiration and remains positive despite their circumstances.

They continue to have faith and hope.

They have set up a foundation called Take it 2 the Max

to help raise cancer awareness and money to help kids and families just like theirs, who are battling leukemia.

Thereare several ways you can help.

This Saturday, July 3rd

they are having the first annual

Take it 2 the Max

10k, 5k, Kiddie K run and Chip/Putt Contest

at Thanksgiving Point.

It will be on the back 9 of the course and the runners will run the cart path.

(This is the first time they have allowed runners on the golf course! This is a great chance to see the #1 rated public course in Utah)

Registration is at 7:00 a.m.

Race starts at 8:00 a.m.

Go here for all of the details.

If you cannot attend, but would like to donate directly to the foundation, you can go here.

Family and friends of Max have also set up a few accounts to help support Max's treatment. If you would like to donate directly to the family you can go to any Wells Fargo Bank or Bank of American Fork. Accounts have been set up in Max's name.

You can also go here to donate directly through PayPal.

Max's Uncle Joe also just finished writing a book dedicated to Max called "Being Different." All profits from the book will be donated to helping Max recover. You can learn more about the book and the author here.

*Small update -- they found a printing company that will print the book for FREE! All of the proceeds will go to helping Max recover. They will print 200 copies and they will be sold at the event this Saturday at Thanksgiving Point for $9.95.

Support the great company, Press Media, that is doing this by going to their site here.

(Plus they started using wind energy to offset the use of electricity in their facilities. Cool.)

If you would like to read more about Max and his family you can go here to see photos, links for ways to help, as well as a link to their blog and their updates on Max.

I know they would appreciate any and all support you can send their way.

They are an incredible family.

And Max, is an incredible kid!

I for one can't even begin to imagine what it is like for a family to go through such a thing.

I hope and pray I never have to, but I hope this family receives all of the love and support they need and deserve!

We love you Max!