Summer of Service

If you're local, this is for you.....

Once again the local chapter of the United Way is sponsoring the Summer of Service. This is a volunteer program for youth that gives them weekly opportunities to do service projects and improve the community in which they live.

If you are interested in learning more or would like to get involved, go here. They already had their kickoff but it is not too late to join.

If you are not local or you do not have a youth, still check it out. I think this is a great idea/model that could be adapted and organized anywhere.

Local 5K for a good cause

and a good family.

for this lovely family...the Teemants.

It will take place this Saturday, November 13th
9:30 a.m. at Kiwanis Park here in Provo

Just one week after graduating from BYU, Leo was diagnosed with Stage IV Melanoma. Leo is a husband, a father of three small children (including a four-month-old baby), a giving community member, and a friend to many. 



All proceeds from this race benefit the Teemant family.


Go here for more info


or here to register.


If you can't be at the race, you can still donate to the family by going here or you can donate directly t the Teemant family at any Wells Fargo bank.


Our love and prayers to this sweet family.

Service Project Idea: Making Fleece Blankets

Need a service project idea?

Here is one from the ladies in my local church.

They made no-sew fleece blankets to donate to the children at the 

Utah County Children's Justice Center.

About the Utah County Children's Justice Center:

The Children's Justice Center is a homelike facility that helps children and families of abuse.

A child stays in this facility when there is an allegation of child abuse or when a child witnesses a crime.

The program is designed to help deal with the trauma associated with such events and help the child feel safe.

Those affected by the alleged abuse are given a place to stay during the investigation as well as counseling services.

The Children's Justice Center is a public/private partnership, meaning they receive some state funding, but also rely on private donations to run the program.

You can learn more about the Utah County Children's Justice Center here.

About the project:

 The service project was a simple one and one that would be easy for any size group to do.

They purchased fleece and cut to an appropriate size for a child.

{Go here for sizing and measurements.}

The fringed edges were cut in advance and then as a group, the ladies tied the fringe into knots to finish off the blankets. 

You can do either a single layer of fleece or a double.

In order to keep costs down and maximize the money they had budgeted for this project, they purchased the fleece when it was on sale and even used one of those famous coupons.

It was a fairly quick evening, (although I'm sure it took some time for the prep work of snipping the edges, but I think that could be done during the project if you needed.)

This would even be a doable project for youth -- all you have to do is tie a single knot. Quite simple.

For tutorial/instructions and measurements, try here or here.

One thing to think about when donating anything to a facility or organization is to ask ahead of time if they need a minimum donation.

The Children's Justice Center did not need a minimum donation, so anything you would like to give would be appreciated. That makes this a good project for a small group (maybe for a family to do at Christmas time.)

They also rotate the children who are in and out of the program, so there is always a need and the children are frequently different.

This is Hannah, one of the lovelies that arranged this activity.

Here is the other lovely, Stephanie.

The Children's Justice Center heavily depends on private donations to keep things running well.

They also depend on volunteers and child mentors. 

To learn more about the ways you can help as a child mentor or volunteer go here for the information.

If you would like to donate money to them directly you can go here.

If you would like to contact them to provide a donation similar to these blankets, you can go here for the contact info.

You can also go here to the FRIENDS of the Utah County Children's Justice Center, a private, non-profit corporation providing support and fundraising for the CJC, You can donate to them here in their efforts to support the CJC or find other ways to help and support.

Not local?

Go here to the National Children's Alliance to find a program in your area and find out more about Children's Advocacy.

(Click on the locator in the orange bar near the top of the page.)

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.