Day 67 - Jumping Jax & Jack

All ages were jumping for joy at the open play gym time generously donated by Jumping Jax in Overland Park, KS.  For any donation, you could slide down a blowup superslide, zipline over a row of cushy mats, play air hockey, or jump in all the inflatables. Jack Novorr, the 10 year who masterminded the event, began his career in charitable giving at age 10 after seeing children displaced by Hurricane Katrina.  He chose the Pediatric Dental Clinic of Children's Mercy Hospital to be the recipient of the $11,000 that he - with the help of his brother, sister and friends - raised this year from the Jumping Jax event, a bake sale, and toy sale. He topped his previous successful fundraising effort and surpassed his $10,000 goal for the year.   I donated and jumped for joy but was too old to jump in the inflatables.





Scott, Jennifer and
Jack, the mastermind

 

                                               Julia makes a donation



                         

        





              

Day 66 - A Pint of Blood



American Red Cross mobile unit

A huge American Red Cross mobile unit was parked in the parking lot of the One Nineteen Shopping Center in Leawood, KS for a blood drive organized by Sullivan's Steakhouse.  Once inside the van, a medical history is taken.  If you're approved for a donation, several vials and a pint of blood are drawn, taking from 5 to 15 minutes.  The blood is then labeled and packed in an ice chest.  After resting with a drink and a snack, you're presented with an American Red Cross t-shirt and a Be Nice to Me, I Gave Blood Today! sticker.  From Kansas City, the vials go to Columbia, MO for testing and the bag of blood is transported to St. Louis.  If the blood proves safe and viable, it's transfused into someone about 72 hours after the donation.



                                


 

My blood

 

Amy, my phlebotomist

 



Snacks after the fact



A sticker



I gave the ultimate donation, blood.

Day 65 - Hot Lunch Served

Since 2002, St. Mary's Food Kitchen has been located at the Willa Gill Community Center.  It is the place to go for homeless, phoneless, jobless - but not hopeless - citizens of Wyandotte County, KS.  They come for hot lunches, a place to get their mail, community services, job assistance, and for a one stop shop to get household items, hygiene supplies, and gently used clothing.  I went to prepare and serve Christmas lunch with my husband Mark, daughter Rachel and a slew of other volunteers through the Congregation Beth Shalom Lechem Commitee.  Seven times a year for the past 27 years, the committee has served over 77,000 meals! Thanks to Sandi L, Marcia E, and Mike who are the consummate organizers.  The generosity of the community has been unbelievable in donating some of the food, especially when the number of people lining up for meals is increasing.



Mark



Rachel



Steve, a pro at this, brought his son
Jonathan, daughter Ashley
and his mother to help



Ashley



That's my cranberry sauce station



                                      

Day 64 - Deli on Mondays

If you ate anything on the menu on a Monday (as I did) this year at Jason's deli , 10% of your check was generously donated to benefit the Spina Bifida Department at Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics.  Jason's deli is everywhere and the menu has something for everyone.  And the best part?

            THE ALL YOU CAN DISPENSE YOURSELF LOW FAT ICE CREAM!



Chocolate, swirl and vanilla

 

This boy's first self-dispensed
ice cream



Day 63 - Children's Mercy Wash

 

Speedy Car Wash had a special button dedicated to charity on their wash services board at the paystations.  I pushed the Children's Mercy Supreme Wash button and Speedy donated $3 to Children's Mercy Hospital and Clinics.  At Speedy, you remain in your car for the environmentally correct car wash and then park outside and take advantage of the 5 minute free vacuum time.  Speedy is in the charitable driver's seat on this one.

You can see and experience Speedy's Children's Mercy Wash for yourself.

Day 62 - Warm an Infant

In India, 1,000,000 babies die every year from low birth rate and lack of warmth after birth.  Around the world, the figure is a staggering 4,000,000 deaths.  Four Stanford University graduate students now living in India, have invented the Embrace Infant Warmer.  It's a sleeping bag with a removable parafin wax and wtaer insert that keeps a baby's body temperature at a consistent 98 degrees for 4 hours.  Twenty minutes and some hot water reheats the wax, and boiling water cleans the bag.  The Embrace Infant Warmer is literally a life saver for families living in remote villages or urban slums who can't make it to a clinic that has a $20,000 incubator.  The cost of one of the bags - the electric version - is between $150-$200.  The hot water version, coming out at the end of this year will cost a little less.  Included in the price are distribution costs to get the product to rural areas.  I helped save a life today, thanks to ABC News and their Be the Change: Save a Life program.

       

                               

Day 61 - Candy Stripe or Silver

You got to choose, candy stripe or silver paper with a red or white ribbon for your holiday packages purchased at Macy's.  Each day for a month or so, different charities reaped the benefits by wrapping packages for shoppers.  I helped wrap for NCJW, the organization that fights for social justice and human and individual rights.  Macy's, the store that has more red and white ads, deals, and promotions than any other store I've seen in our newspaper, provided all the supplies for the wrappers.

2 of my gift wrapping partners

Day 60 - Cup with a Cause

Comedian, Will Ferrell, of Saturday Night Live is the fifth celebrity to design a cup for 7-Eleven Cup with a Cause. Will says he hates cancer but loves college so he chose the charity Cancer for College to receive donations from this promotion, thru January 3, 2011. For every specialty drink purchased at 7-Eleven, they will donate 20 cents to the Cancer for College Scholarship Fund for cancer survivors and amputees.



My English Toffee Cappuccino
bought for 96 cents



Cup designed by Will

                                 

Day 59 - Cupcakes for the Troops

A customer of Cupcake a la Mode whose husband is a soldier overseas, came up with the idea of sending cupcakes to our troops in Afghanistan.  Chocolate and vanilla cupcakes along with bags of rich buttercream frosting will be mailed to soldiers, along with trade secret pictures of Cupcake a la Mode's most popular flavors.  And who's going to decorate the cupcakes upon arrival in Afghanistan?  The soldiers themselves!  A personal note can accompany a donated cupcake. 



Stuffed French Toast, Peanut Butter Kiss, Love Doctor, Let it Snow,
Bella Nutella, Marshmallow Fondue. . . I love this donation!