Bon Jovi Being Honored for Humanitarian Efforts

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By JohnPosted In: Charity Activity

It’s always nice to see the rich and famous doing well by others. And that’s why it’s heart-warming to see that Bon Jovi is being honored in New York on September 19th at the 10th Annual Clinton Global Citizen Awards. He’ll perform and enjoy being honored for the 10th anniversary of his Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation. The Foundation offers aid for housing and hunger issues in the US. He’ll be honored along with Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos, Dr. Haw Abdi and social activist Adi Godrej.

Bon Jovi is joining a long list of truly worthy people in receiving the Clinton award. Past recipients include Sting and Trudie Styler, Quincy Jones and Leonardo DiCaprio. And, if you’re lucky enough to be in attendance, you’ll also see a performance by opera tenor Andrea Bocelli.

Would You Rather Vote or Give Money? You’d Be Surprised by the Answers

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This is certainly a fascinating find. American are more interested in giving charity than they are in voting. During the last presidential election, 53.6% of American voted according to the Pew Research Center. During the same year, 59.7% gave to a charity of their choice, according to the Philanthropy Panel Study.

Last year saw Americans giving more than they ever have before, with a total donation of $373.25 billion. Voting rates have remained tightly within a 9% point range since the 1980s, however.

The US is actually quite low when compared to its peers in voter turnout. We came in at 31st out of 34 countries. Interestingly however, we outpace most countries when it comes to giving. In the private giving category, American give twice as much as do those in England and Canada. And America is as much as 20 times more charitable than are residents of other developed countries, according to numbers from the Philanthropy Roundtable.

Learn more details and see what makes American give.

“American Sniper” Inspired Guitar to be Auctioned Off

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Nashville country-rocker Tim Montana has partnered, for a second year, with Gibson Brands to raise money for the Chris Kyle Memorial Benefit and Auction. He is contributing a one-of-a-kind guitar that is inspired by the military service of Chris Kyle, the “American Sniper.” The guitar was handmade in the Gibson custom shop and has a shell casing from a round that Kyle fired during a firefight in Iraq. There is also a portrait on Chris on the guitar.

Last year, Montana and Gibson raise a whopping $121,000 with their first “American Sniper” – inspired guitar. The proceeds this year will benefit Spirit of a Hero, a nonprofit that is focused on veterans and vetted by the Kyle family.

The guitar will go up for auction at 3pm on Thursday at www.charitybuzz.com/chriskyleguitar. The annual Chris Kyle Benefit will then take place on Friday and Saturday in Texas.

As Henry Juszkiewicz, chairman and CEO of Gibson Brands, said “It is a pleasure to collaborate with Tim Montana again to support the men and women who have so admirably served our country. It is a truly special one-of-a-kind guitar that pays tribute to Chris Kyle while also supporting the amazing work of the Chris Kyle Memorial Benefit.”

Beyonce World Tour Helps Those in Detroit

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Beyonce is about to start a new world tour and is combining her efforts with her #BeyGOOD Charitable Foundation. #BeyGOOD is joining forces with the United Way to offer aid to people who have been adversely affected by the Flint Water Crisis. The funds that are raised will address the immediate needs of thousands of people who have been affected by lead-polluted water.

Beyonce’s initiative will also connect with the Community Foundation of Greater Flint and together they will establish a fund to address the long-term needs of children who were affected by this crisis as well.

People who love Beyonce can join the #BeyGOOD initiative by supporting their local United Way Charity.

And, if you’re lucky enough to catch a glimpse of Beyonce, she’ll be coming through Detroit with her World Tour on May 29.

 

ALEX and ANI Introduce New Bracelet for Charity

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bangleA new bangle by ALEX AND ANI is being rolled out benefiting the American Stroke Association. It will be available on April 20th. The new bangle will be called Wings of Change and every bracelet will donate 20% of the purchase price with a minimum donation of $25,000 to the American Stroke Association between April and December, 2016.

As Mary Ann Bauman, M.D. and chair of the American Stroke Association Advisory Committee said, “One in six of us will have a stroke in our lifetime. This generous gift will help us educate our communities and equip our healthcare professionals so fewer lives are negatively impacted by this disease.”

ALEX AND ANI is known for its amazing corporate responsibility as much as it is for its jewelry. This new charm bangle is the company’s first that directly supports the American Stroke Association. To date, however, ALEX AND ANI have raised almost $3 million for the American Heart Association since 2012.

As Nicki Maher, the senior vice president of ALEX AND ANI, CHARITY BY DESIGN said, “Having witnessed the effects of stroke first hand, we are honored to support the much needed awareness surrounding the doctors, patients, and family members who rely on funding to create life-saving changes in stroke and heart health. Through the Wings of Change bangle, ALEX AND ANI hopes to remind supporters of the resiliency that can be found in life’s beautiful transformations.”

Seventh Annual All American Air Table Tennis Classic

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tennis-1141703_960_720The seventh annual All American Air Table Tennis Classic took place on Saturday at the River House in St. Augustine, Florida. It was hosted by the All American Air Charitable Foundation, the community out-reach arm of Steve Chapman’s All American Air business. They announced that they managed to raise $80,000 to benefit their charities. They had almost 400 guests, over 40 sponsors and 72 players.

As Christine Chapman, the foundation’s board president said, “We are grateful for the trust our community has placed in us by helping us raise over $300,000 during the past seven years, which we have donated to more than 70 charities in our area. After [Saturday’s] event, we are proud to say we have raised $80,000 more to distribute to worthy causes in St. Augustine this year. We love giving back and we want to do more!”

There were five tables with simultaneous table tennis play in three divisions. There was a silent auction, cocktails, dinner and a live band.

As Chapman said, “Seven years ago when Steve and I discussed having the first AAATTC with Derek [May], we assumed it would be a one-time event, but the community loves it, and we are continually committed to making it better, this year adding the Youth Championship as part of the weekend’s festivities.”

Helping Those in Poverty One Bowl at a Time

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potter-622708_960_720In Springfield, Ohio, one school is using its hands to help those in need. Matthew Johnson has taught his students in his Art II class how to use a pottery wheel and how to make bowls. Each student is keeping one bowl – and turning out hundreds more to be given away during their “Empty Bowls” fundraising dinners in Urbana and Bellefontaine.

The Empty Bowls project first started in 1990 when a high school art teacher in Michigan had this idea. Now, for the Empty Bowls evening, attendees will pay $15 for a meal of soup and bread and will have a hand-crafted bowl to take home. The money raised during the evenings will help the food banks, the Second Harvest Food Bank of Clark, Champaign and Logan Counties, to collect, store and distribute over 526,000 pounds of food each year.

Last year, Johnson’s students made 435 bowls for the events and this year they have already finished 85 and have another 100 they are working on now.

Springfield University is also going to host a dinner to benefit Second Harvest on March 31 from 4:30pm until 7pm at the Student Union Center. Art students from Wittenberg made the bowls for that event. The Champaign County event with the student bowls from Springfield will be on February 25th at Urbana University from 5-7pm at hte Student Union Center. The Logan County event, also featuring the student bowls, will be on April 28th from 5-7 at the Ohio Hi-Point Career Center.
 

Riding Around the Continental US for Charity

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bike-1080079_960_720Brian D’Apice is making a different one wheel at a time. An American army veteran, he’s decided to bike across the country to raise money for three charities. So far he’s traveled over 8200 miles and has passed through 26 states. As he explains on his website, he’s riding Around the Continental United States, not through it. He’s been on the road since May 4th, 2015.

He has had 10 flat tires and has eaten more than 33 pounds of peanut butter. He’s raised $34,000 for charity and he plans to continue until he gets all the way across the country.

Along the way, in the eight months that he has traveled so far, D’Apice has been speaking at schools and businesses to talk about the importance of education. As he said, “Most of the time it doesn’t seem to me like I’ve covered all those miles. But every time I give a talk, every time I see that blue line grow, it’s just like, wow.”

He’s in Louisiana now  and the charities he’s focusing on include Pencils of Promise, National Military Family Association and Connecting Families.

Find out more about Brian and follow his inspirational ride!

 

Which States Give Most?

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badge-686325_960_720The US is ranked second overall in the 2015 World Giving Index. 95.4% of American households donated to charities with an average contribution of $2, 974. Of course not all states give evenly, and WalletHub recently examined the different practices within the 50 states.

Which was the most giving state? Utah. Maryland and Idaho came in second and third. Rhode Island was the least giving state, with Louisiana and California following close behind. To come up with these numbers, WalletHub looked at eight factors and gave a value from 1-100 for each factor.

WalletHub found that the red states were more generous than the blue states. They also found that many of the state with the richest areas in the country held back on giving. These included New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and California.

American Sniper Charity Event Raises $500,000

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Chris Kyle would have been proud. His wife, Taya Kyle, defeated the reigning NRA champion Bruce Piatt at the “American Sniper Shootout” charity event that was named for him. Together, they raised $500,000 for her deceased husband’s charity and she ended the competition with a perfect score.

For the competition, the shooters used rifles which were developed with input from Kyle’s husband. This includes the “RapidLok Target Acqusition’ technology that tracks targets while the trigger is being pulled. Kyle used the computer-equipped M600 and M800 rifles to achieve her perfect 100% of her shots.

The company that makes the rifles was so sure that Kyle would defeat Piatt (who competed with the M4A1, M110 and M2010) that they offered to pay him $1 million if he won the contest!

As Taya said about the equipment, “Our first responders and military members regularly face situations most of us cannot imagine. They need every advantage for precision and efficiency to protect and serve while minimizing collateral damage and risk to themselves. [The technology] would have saved lives of friends we have lost and will save life and/or limb of those who put it all on the line for the 99% of us they choose to give their life for.”