John has much experience working in the philanthropic world, and takes great interest in charitable goings on today.

Elton John & Tennis Joining Together to Fight AIDS

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Smash Hit from 2010

If you enjoy tennis, Elton John or assisting foundations that combat AIDS, then you may just be in luck. On October 16th, the 20th annual night of Smash Hits tennis to benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation and the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force at the Peterson Events Center in Pittsburgh.

In addition to the concert by Sir Elton John, there will be 43 Grand Slam singles championship player in attendance including Billie Jean King, Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf and Andy Roddick. As Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said when announcing the event this week at City Hall, “We’re really excited about this and we look forward to welcoming fans from all over the country and the world this October. It’s another opportunity for us to showcase our great city, specifically around a sports event. This is clearly a sports town.”

As World Team Tennis commissioner Ilana Kloss joked, “The most interesting thing you’ll see is Elton John playing tennis. He does play in a pro-celebrity set to kick off the evening. … He has a huge forehand, but I always joke with him, saying it’s a good thing he’s got a music career as a backup.”
After Elton John shows the audience his tennis moves, the event will include five sets of tennis: men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles.

Watch out for ticket sales starting July 16th. And seats are limited with a capacity of about 7000.

Firefly Gala for the Good Shephard Rehabilitation Network

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Almost 450 guests attended a recent black-tie-with-a-twist (sneakers are welcome!) gala that was held for the Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network in Allentown, Pennsylvania on June 2. The gala raised $260, 000 for the Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital Pediatric Unit. This unit is the only one in Lehigh Valley for pediatric rehab, allowing children across the country to get specialized care when they need it, regardless of their ability to pay.

The garden party included a firefly theme, arranged by co-chairs Jim Miller (former CEO of PPL) and his wife, Gail. When guests arrived, they were able to purchase keys for two lock-box prizes of Susan Bella Jewelry. The group was entertained by InFusion while enjoying Sodexo-prepared hors d’oeuvres.

In the beautiful dining tent, those in attendance heard a moving speech from Megan Brislin, whose two children received card at the Pediatric Unit. Dinner included beef and salmon and there was dancing and dessert afterwards.

New Platform Newsflash Helping Charities

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Now, there is another, creative way to donate to charities. Dreamkind has just announced that is it launching a new platform that is designed to offer current events in a fun and engaging way.  Every weekday, players will be competing against each other to answer timely questions. The questions will appear at noon EST from Monday through Friday.

Every day, players will pick a charity and they will be playing for this place; Dreamkind will also make donations to the charities designated by the top performing players.  As Dreamkind President Jay Schiffman explained in a press release, “In addition to being a fun trivia game, Newsflash also provides players with a fast and fresh new way to stay on top of the news. If it’s a trending topic, it will be in Newsflash. Each day we feature questions on the latest stories from the worlds of politics, entertainment, sports, business, technology, and national and world news.”

While playing the game each day, players will also develop their knowledge level and skills. Every question in the game will be accompanied by a brief news story, allowing players to stay informed while they have fun and raise money for charities.

Take a look at Newsflash today. http://dreamkind.com/newsflash.

Bernadette Peters Announces Michael Wittenberg Center for Imagination

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bernadetteThe Michael Wittenberg Center for Imagination at the Center for Discovery was just announced by Bernadette Peters, The Center for Discovery and The Monderer Foundation. With CEO Patrick Dollard, Center for Discovery provides individuals with varying disabilities with educational, clinical, residential and social outlets and experiences.

As Bernadette Peters said,“The Center for Discovery has created a remarkable program–unique in the area–that supports the most severely disabled children and adults. Michael was deeply connected to the environment, good health, and the protection of all living creatures. With its focus on promoting wellness and health to expand life’s possibilities for a very vulnerable group of people, The Center for Discovery is the embodiment of Michael’s life passions.”

Carol Turchin Monderer, the CEO of The Monderer Foundation, said, “The Center for Discovery has one of the most current and innovative educational approaches distinguished by a philosophy that celebrates each individual’s abilities rather than his or her disabilities. The Monderer Foundation’s mission is to support multiply challenged children and adults. We are delighted to be involved in supporting The Center for Discovery.”

Patrick Dollard, Center for Discovery CEO, said, “We commend Bernadette Peters for her passion, and we thank her for lending her voice to support The Center for Discovery. Adults and children come here to learn of our responsibility to respect and care for ourselves, our families, our neighbors, our animals, and nature in all its forms. It is for these reasons that we name the heart of The Center for Discovery the ‘Michael Wittenberg Center for Imagination.’ The entire center gratefully acknowledges Bernadette Peters and The Monderer Foundation for their support of The Center for Discovery.”

 

Take Some, Give Some at the ATM

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In a brilliant new move in the UK, people who are at the cash machine can now donate money to charities while they are withdrawing for their own purposes.  More than 8000 cash machines on the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) group network are now able to accept donations. These donations can be as small as £1 and as large as £150 for eight specific charities.

RBS has put the figures in context, explaining that if only 1% of the people who make withdrawals included a £1 donation, they would be able to raise £6.5m a year.

This is actually just the first phase of what will be a massive government drive in the UK to boost charitable giving. The UK cash machine network plans to enable a hundred million cards to eventually be able to make donations through ATMs.

As Steve Lamshire, RBS senior community affairs manager explained, “Over 2bn ATM transactions were made in the UK last year; and 25% of those are made through our network, so it’s pretty obvious it is a regular part of most people’s daily lives. We know that finances are tight for many people, but if our customers do want to make a donation, we want to make the process as easy as possible for them.”

Making a donation will not get in the way of those who simply want to get to an ATM machine for cash and get out. The donations will either be a separate menu item at the ATM, or they will be a post-transaction option.

Huge Success with Coney Island Coasterthon

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By JohnPosted In: ChildFund InternationalTagged: , , , ,

Now here’s an interesting idea for charity. Central Amusement International, Luna Park’s parent company, hosted its first “Coasterthon” that awarded $24,000 to the charity of the person who could ride the Cyclone the longest.

Celebrating the Cyclone’s 85th anniversary a bit early, they welcomed nine nonprofit organizations to bring contestants for a chance to raise money and to have fun. Each charity was given one row on the Cyclone, and for every cycle the team completed the sponsors would donate a set amount towards the charity.  And, of course, Central Amusement International announced the grand prize of $24,000 for the group that stayed on the longest.

Valerio Ferrari, president of CAI, stated “We are thrilled to commemorate the incredible 85 years of the Cyclone with all of these wonderful charities who give back to the community every day.  The park confirmed that the nine participating organizations include: You gotta believe, Alzheimer Association, Special Olympics NYC, New York Cares, Sean Casey Animal Rescue, American Cancer Society, Give Kids the World, Wildlife Conservation, and Youth Service Opportunities Project (YSOP).”

The Cyclone, which opened in 1927, has been mimicked throughout the world with six exact replicas. The Cyclone on Coney Island includes an 85th foot tall hill with a 45 degree incline and speeds of 60mph.

It turned out to be a hearty group riding the roller coaster on Saturday, June 9th, as eight teams rode the same number of laps – 134.  The eight will end up splitting the $24,000 prize.  The winning charities included Alzheimer’s Association, American Cancer Society Relay For Life, Give Kids The World Village, New York Cares, New York Aquarium, Sean Casey Animal Rescue, You Gotta Believe, and Youth Service Opportunities Project.

Fill the World with Books Says James Owens

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Business professor James Owens, founder of the non-profit organization The World is Just a Book Away, is changing lives.  Deciding to share his love of reading with those who are less fortunate, he is helping to build libraries and to encourage reading in Indonesia.

Since 2009, The World is just a Book Away has built dozens of libraries in Indonesia in Padang, Sidoarjo and Bali. As Owens explained his inspiration,

“They go to school, they learn and they are very smart.  They do not have access to books, history and fables and stories and science, that can really spark their imagination and let them dream.”

Fundraising efforts include many approaches for the organization.  Executive Director Robert Lucas helps to connect donors with the various projects that the charity finances.  Some of the libraries have even been named for their donors, including Cher, Liam Neeson, Jane Goodall and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Owens, a professor at the University of Southern California, has created a five-kilometer charity run to raise money for the cause.

Each library costs between $5000 and $10,000, and one charity event can pave the way for a new library.

Headmaster at one school in Padang, Amril Lasmana, explains how important the library can be to students in Padang. Lasmana said, “The enthusiasm, interest, and motivation of our students in learning increased.  The library building has been renewed.  And now, it is in good and clean condition, so it motivates our students to study.”

So far, The World is Just a Book Away has built a total of 49 libraries for children in Indonesia and 26 for their parents.

The Damon Brooks Charity Game

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Damon Brooks Charity Game

Damon Brooks Charity Game

You never know where life will take you. In April, former Springbrook High basketball player Damon Brooks, was playing around with his friend. Lifting his friend off the ground, Brooks’ knees buckled and the two boys fell to the ground, where Brooks hit his head and broke his neck.

Two surgeries later, Brooks is at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore. Rather than asking, “Why Me?” he is trying to put his energies towards his rehabilitation and towards getting back to Goucher College.

Darnell Myers, the Springbrook assistant coach, decided to do something to lift Brooks’ spirits and to help pay for his medical expenses. He organized what he hopes will now be an annual Damon Brooks Charity Game between Goucher players and Springbrook alumni.  They had t-shirts and wrist bands printed for sale and they hosted two games. There was a bake sale and concessions and a large donation box.

Over 400 tickets were sold to the event, and Brooks’ and his mom were certainly touched. As he mom, Latre’ Zankli said, “I didn’t know how many people’s lives he touched until his tragedy. I knew he was a good person, but the outpouring has just been overwhelming.”

While Brooks wasn’t able to attend the charity game, he watched it on an iPad loaned to him.

As one observer, Anoko, wrote on a blog, “So ofcourse, the Springbrook All-Stars won the game and the rest is history! My family was so touched by the outpouring of support from everyone including the Coaches (Past and Present), Staff, Friends, and Family that came out to donate to Damone’s recovery expenses.”

A Night at the Park with Ryan Zimmerman

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For a special night on the baseball field, nothing beat’s Ryan Zimmerman’s “A Night at the Park” charity. His third annual “A Night at the Park” event is coming soon on June 14th.  The event includes music, entertainment, food, drink and auctions and all proceeds benefit the ziMS Foundation, founded by Zimmerman in 2006.

In 1995, Ryan’s mother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a chronic disease that affects the central nervous system and impacts nearly 400,000 Americans.  Understanding the impact of the disease in his own personal situation, Ryan founded the ziMS Foundation. Today, through public appearances and generous giving, he has worked tirelessly to “bring home a cure” for MS and to raise over $500,000 since 2006.

The “A Night at the Park” event includes a stage set-up behind home plate and a performance by Guster. Enjoy a great night for a great cause on June 14th from 6-10 pm at Nationals Park.

8th Annual Charity Dog Wash

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It’s a great idea. You get a clean dog, and needy people get the help they deserve.  For the eighth year in a row, the Lou Bachrodt Auto Mall will be hosting its charity dog wash on June 9th in Rockford, Illinois.

The way that it works is as follows. You bring your dog and enjoy a day of grooming for your four legged friend.  It costs $15 for small dogs, $17 for medium ones and $20 for the larger pooches.  They’ll be using warm water and they even offer nail trimmings for another $5.

In addition to the doggie baths, dog owners can enjoy a cookout, pet vendors who will be selling all sorts of wares, and rescue organizations.  The Kibble Korner Pet Food Pantry will also be on hand, taking in donations of dog and cat food and litter.

All money raised with the charity dog wash will be divided amongst three worthy causes. These include the Noah’s Ark Animal Sanctuary, the PAWS Humane Society and the vet tech program which is at Rockford Career College.

It’s a great idea, benefiting dog owners and those in need, while offering a fun afternoon of sun, food and animal products!  For more information, be in touch with junedogwash@gmail.com.