Hello folks! Today I wanted to tell you about an organization that we belong to. It is called HopeKids. HopeKids is non profit charitable organization that is all about helping families of kids with terminal diseases and afflictions do “normal” things. They primarily were founded with cancer kids in mind and have since broadened out to include all sorts of diseases including, heart disease and Kidney disease.
They recognize that all of these diseases affect the whole family. They are permanent diseases that can be treated somewhat, but in most cases kids can’t do things that other kids can. Most of the kids in HopeKids here in Utah are immunocompromised, including my daughter.
Please visit http://www.firstgiving.com/ameliaskidney and sign up to be a sponsor for our team!
If you don’t know, immunocompromised means that they are in treatment for especially cancer, or they take drugs to suppress their immune system so that the cancer cells can be killed or, like my daughter, so she does not reject her kidney transplant. Most kids in this situation have to be very careful where they go because they can get sick very easily. Even a simple cold can turn into pneumonia because these kids can’t fight the bugs.
HopeKids gives families a place to go where everyone is special because everyone has some disease. It becomes very close knit and it is great when you go to a place where people understand what you are going through and all of the kids can be treated normally.
I can’t tell you how many people would turn away or walk away from us in the store when my daughter had a feeding tube in her nose. Or if they caught sight of her dialysis catheter that was in her upper chest wall. I saw people look in horror as we would give her medications. And she did not have many things to show. There are kids with breathing tubes, as well as feeding tubes, or wheelchairs or crutches. I have seen people avoid all of these type of kids.
HopeKids doesn’t. No one cares what these kids are hooked up to or what they have in them to keep them alive. No one cares that some are bald from chemotherapy or that they have to wear a mask to keep any germs out. I still make my daughter wear a mask about half of the time, and that is over a year out from her transplant. No one thinks twice about that at a HopeKids event.
What kids of things do they do? Movies, arcade visits, plays, we have seen the dress rehearsal of the nutcraker from a pro ballet troupe for the past couple of years. They do a birthday party each quarter for the kids who have birthdays in that quarter, and each kid gets a personalized present from HopeKids. We got to go to this event: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700031968/Hope-Kids-offers-a-modern-fairy-tale-for-children-with-illnesses.html.
All of these events are free to the HopeKid and the family! Which brings me to another point today. While HopeKids is always looking for donations, we are participating in their yearly fundraiser. It is a 5K run/walk or an adventure walk if you prefer. Here are details from the site itself:
Date: Saturday, September 11th, 2010
Time: Registration starts at 8 AM, Races start at 9 AM
Fundraising Goal: $40,000
Come and join us for the 2010 HopeKids Wasatch Adventure taking place at the beautiful This is the Place Heritage Park in Salt Lake City!
All proceeds to benefit HopeKids Utah.
HopeKids is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Get a fundraising team of up to five together and choose one of four activities to participate in:
- The Adventure Walk: Suitable for kids and families, walk the Park grounds visiting each of our Adventure Stations. You never know who you might meet!
- 5K Walk.
- 5K Run.
- Remote Participant: If you are unable to be at This is the Place on September 11th, feel free to get one or more teams together in your community and walk or run for Hope!
When you walk or run to support HopeKids, you are raising the spirits of hundreds of kids and their families in their greatest time of need. You are giving them the gift of HOPE!
It’s simple. Use this page to create your team fundraising page. From there, share the team page with family and friends, and spread the word about your WALK OR RUN FOR HOPE. You can walk the 5K or run the 5K.
You can collect “offline” gifts of cash and checks and list those on your fundraising page. Bring those donations with you to the Run/Walk in an envelope clearly marked with Team Name and total enclosed. You can also collect everything “offline” and not use a fundraising page. (All checks made payable to “HopeKids”)
We hope you will show your support of HopeKids with your time and energy and help raise money when you come and WALK OR RUN FOR HOPE!
IMPORTANT NOTES:
Like last year, there is no registration fee, but we are asking that all teams raise a minimum of $100 for participation in the Wasatch Adventure. Team sizes are limited to 5 participants. If you have more participants, consider starting a second team!
Encourage your family and friends to support you! This could be donations to your team, or they could join your team and create their own fundraising page. Or they could create their own team and compete against you!
So Here is the deal, our family is going to participate in the Adventure Walk. We are going to strap on the hiking boots and get the baby in the stroller. We are looking for sponsors for our walk! We are looking to raise $100 or more by the September 11th deadline. If you can possibly help with $1 or two, I would greatly appreciate it. All of the money goes directly to HopeKids and helps to fund the yearly activities that we can be a part of.
Please visit http://www.firstgiving.com/ameliaskidney and sign up to be a sponsor for our team! As a bonus if you do sponsor our team, aside from the gratitude of our family and the satisfaction you get from contributing to a worthy cause, I have some free bonuses for you.
All of these products are very interesting and helpful. They all come with Master Resale Rights as well. The products are:
- Starting your own online business: 96page ebook plus bonuses
- How to develop the guts to talk with anyone: 46 page ebook plus bonuses
- 404 Self improvement tips: 119 page ebook plus reseller icons and logos.
Please donate any amount to our cause at http://www.firstgiving.com/ameliaskidney and send me an email to justin@justinsbrainpan.com letting me know that you did. I will immediately send you all three packages! I will not even add you to any email list unless you want me to.
Thank you in advance for any and all help that you can give!
-Justin
