Things to Do this Weekend

There is a lot going on.

Here is a reminder of some of the good you can do this weekend.

Remember Travis?

The big Bike MS event is this Saturday, June 26th.

You can volunteer to help.

Or donate to the cause.

Go here to read all of the information.

OR

You can participate in the CUCIL 5k on Saturday.

You can also help with registration, water, and clean-up.

Or donate directly to CUCIL.

Go here for the details.

OR

You can donate to Feeding America to help fight hunger.

and double your money until June 30th.

Go here for all of the information.

OR

You can go to the Bread Art Project

and design a virtual piece of bread to help donate $1 to

Share Our Strength.

Go here for the details.

OR

Submit a video by June 30th to Cover Girl 

telling them what  you do to give back and make the world a better place, and why this makes you beautiful inside and out.

Cover Girl will then donate one week's worth of water to a child in need.

Or donate directly to the Children's Safe Drinking Water Program.

Go here for all of the links and information.

OR

Tell Oscar Mayer what puts you in a good mood 

and they'll donate 

one pound of food to Feeding America.

Go here for all of the info.

OR

In honor of National Candy Month you can buy some HERSHEY'S chocolate 

and help give a great education for children in need and support the legacy of Milton Hershey.

Go here to read more about it.

June is a great month!

CUCIL 5K: Run, Walk, & Roll

Need something good to do this weekend?

Here's an option for locals.

The CUCIL 5K will be 

this Saturday, June 26th

8:00 a.m.

CUCIL is:

The Central Utah Center for Independent Living

The 5K is a fundraiser to help provide services to people with disabilities.

Go here for all of the information.

It is a fun race for families and also a marathon qualifier for serious racers.

They have race categories for all different age groups, as well as divisions for all types of abilities including: Runners, Walkers, Manual Wheelchairs, Motorized Wheelchairs, and Handcycles.

image via CUCIL

Not a runner, but you want to help?

Here's how.

You can be a virtual runner and make a donation to sponsor one of their clients to participate. 

Go here.

OR

You can go here to donate directly to CUCIL.

OR 

You can go here to find out how you can help with registration, water to the runners, and clean up.

There are plenty of ways to help.

Not local?

Find a charity race in your area to run or help out with.

Try going here to find one by location.

Feeding America -- Double Good today

You have another chance to help the hungry today.

Feeding America has a campaign to raise $100,000 before the fiscal year ends on June 30th.

They are asking for online donations.

Here's the really good part.

An generous donor has offered to match every donation given TODAY dollar for dollar,

up to $100,000.

They are asking that you donate $50 if you can. 

It will double to provide 700 meals for families in need.

If you can't give $50 -- give what you can. It will be doubled TODAY.

{I believe it will still be doubled as long as you give before June 30th.}

$1 = 14 meals.

So any amount is a good amount.

Go here to donate.

Go here to learn more about Feeding America.

While you're there go here to read about an 11 year-old making a difference.

So inspiring.

The Bread Art Project

I have a really fun way to give back and do some good today.

You will have fun.

I promise.

The Grain Foods Foundation is helping to fight childhood hunger and raise awareness of the hunger problem in this country with the

Bread Art Project.

For every piece of art created by you and me (and others), they will donate

$1 to Share Our Strength.

They are giving an outright donation of $50,000 to Share Our Strength, but will increase that donation up to another $50,000 for a total donation of $100,000.

But they need you.

Go here to the Bread Art Project.

Create a piece of virtual bread art.

Done. $1 goes to Share Our Strength.

Hurry. This only goes until June 30th.

At the time this post was created they were at $48,920.

They still need over one thousand people to design a piece of bread.

You should be one of them.

It takes just a few minutes.

You can stroll through the gallery and you won't believe what others were able to do!

Wo.


If you create a slice, download it and send it to me. I'd love to see it.


Maybe we'll even have our own gallery.

Here's mine.


{Okay, okay. I did two of them, but I can't find the other one.}


So clicky clicky clack and do some good today.




Toast anyone?
(Doesn't it sound so good now?!)

Paint Your Heart Out 2010 Results

Here are the results of this weekend's 

Paint Your Heart Out 

Provo 2010

I thought you'd like to see the homes.

Before

After

Before

After

(this one was still in progress)

Before

Before

Before

After

The homes look great!

Here's the man himself -- Kurt Peterson.

Great job to all of the volunteers and organizers.

It amazes me at what a little paint and a lot of hard work can do.

This is a really good way to help a community.

P.S. If you missed the information on what all of this is about,

you can go here to get up to speed.

Flag Day and the Boy Scouts of America

Today, June 14th is Flag Day.

"Flag Day, is a day for all Americans to celebrate and show respect for our flag, its designers and makers. Our flag is representative of our independence and our unity as a nation.....one nation, under God, indivisible. Our flag has a proud and glorious history. It was at the lead of every battle fought by Americans."

info courtesy of Holiday Insights

It is a day to proudly display the flag.

For the basics of properly displaying the flag go here.


But, wait. There's more!
(Don't worry -- it's not a Ginsu knife.)


IHOP is serving up a "Scout Special" all day on Flag Day.


It includes pancakes topped with strawberries, blueberries, and whipped cream (red, white, and blue) with bacon, eggs, and hash browns.

image courtesy of IHOP

For every order of the "Scout Special" IHOP will donate directly to the

Boy Scouts of America.

The cost is $6.


If you're local, you should know...
$3 will be donated to the Great Salt Lake Council


I have not been able to find out if this promotion is only in my area or not, so call your local IHOP.




To celebrate Flag Day, eat some pancakes and give back to the Boy Scouts of America.


Just be sure to order the "Scout Special."

Come on Scouty McScouterson.

You know you want to.

Marathon and Summer Camp

If running is your thing...


then here is another chance to do something good this weekend.

Saturday, June 12th is the 

Bear Lake Marathon, Half Marathon, and 10K

Beautiful Bear Lake

All of the info is here...

except this.

They are working with Camp Kesem and 

some of the proceeds from the marathon will go to them.

Camp Kesem is a summer camp for children whose parents currently have or have had cancer.

It is run by college students who have an interest in serving and developing leadership skills.


They want to provide these children with a chance to just be kids and have fun.


Best of all, it is free. 


Camp Kesem has programs located all around the country. 
If you're local, the nearest one is at Brigham Young University 
and will be held Aug. 6 - 12th.


If you are not local, you can go here to see the camp nearest to you.

Here is a video from Camp Kesem BYU

If you'd like to donate directly to Camp Kesem you can go here.

If you'd like to get involved with Camp Kesem BYU you can go here.

If you are a college student and would like to get involved go here.

Here is the main Camp Kesem BYU site.

Here is the main Camp Kesem site.

This is such a good idea.

Team DeCoy and the Rowley Family

I want you to meet McCoy and Desmon Rowley, brother and sister.

They both suffer from Crohn's disease.

Desmon is also battling Leukemia at this time.

(Desmon is on the left, McCoy top right and their younger brother bottom right)

Team DeCoy (Desmon/McCoy) Foundation 

"Another Day Another Climb"  

has been created to help raise funds for Crohn's disease awareness and research. They are also committed to raise funds for Leukemia research and immune compromised services.

A portion of the charity's proceeds will also be given to help Crohn's and Leukemia patients pay medical bills.

Here is a little more of their story from the website.

 Desmon was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease 4 years ago.  She has had a long hard battle with Crohn’s and has recently been diagnosed with Leukemia. She has Crohn’s throughout her GI and has taken many medications, and has had many surgeries to help put her in remission. Unfortunately they have all failed, forcing her to battle both, Crohn’s and Leukemia at this time. 

    A couple of weeks after Desmon started Chemotherapy her brother McCoy was taken to the Emergency Room at the SLC Primary Children’s Hospital where Desmon was having Chemotherapy. There he was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. My sister, their mother, got the call from the ER just downstairs from where she had been staying with Desmon. This was another mountain the family has been asked to climb and they not only have done it with great courage, but also with grace.

If you don't have plans this weekend, you can now.

On Saturday, June 12th, 

Team DeCoy Foundation will be holding a few fundraising events.

The first is a 5k & 1 mile fun run 

sponsored by Mountain Aire Market

It will be at:

 Cedar Ridge Elementary

4501 W. Cedar Hills Dr.

Cedar Hills, UT

Race packet pickup and registration 7:30 a.m.

1 mile start time 8:30 a.m.

5k start time 9:00 a.m.

You can go here to print off a registration form or register online.

The cost is $15 pre-registration ($20 day of race)

T-shirts will be given on a first come first serve basis. 

Post race refreshments will be provided.

For more information contact Dave or Holly at (801) 796-6221 or go here.

Wait! There's more!

After the run, there will be a market with vendors and food.

There will also be a 

Silent Auction, Car Wash and Bake Sale

at Heritage Park

4450 West Cedar Hills Dr.

from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

Proceeds from these fundraising events will go toward medical bills for the Rowley family, Crohn's research, and helping the SLC Primary Children's Cancer Wing make a cancer patient's stay a little bit brighter.

If you can't attend any of the fundraising events, but would still like to donate to the Team DeCoy Foundation go here.

You can also sign their guestbook and leave them a message.

Or, you are welcome to leave them a message here and I will be sure to pass it on.

To the Rowleys,

We've never met, but I love you.

This is truly, one beautiful family.

all images via TeamDeCoy Foundation