Miranda Family Fund Supports Diversity in the Theater

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By DouglasPosted In: Charity Activity

Lin Manuel Miranda, creator of the Broadway hit, “Hamilton” is on a mission to increase diversity in theaters across the United States.

The Miranda Family Fund has donated money to build the R.I.S.E. Theater Network. R.I.S.E stands for Representation, Inclusion and Support for Employment, and its goal is to help theater professionals from diverse backgrounds find jobs as producers, managers, and stagehands.

 

According to Miranda, “R.I.S.E. is really about making sure that the beautiful mosaic of people you see — if you see a production of ‘Hamilton’ or you see a production of ‘MJ (The Musical)’ or ‘Fat Ham’ on Broadway — is also reflected backstage, that it’s not just the folks in front of the footlights, because there are incredibly talented practitioners and carpenters and makeup designers and wardrobe folks who also deserve that shot.”

A study by the Asian American Performers Action Coalition revealed that in 2018-2019, 100% of general managers and 94% of the producers on Broadway were white, as were 90% of the lead roles in plays, and 80% of the lead roles in musicals.

R.I.S.E. is set to publish a directory of 1,000 diverse theater professionals, helping them to gain visibility by those doing the hiring. The directory will be available for free to the theater community.

Set and production designer Wilson Chin, is hopeful that R.I.S.E. will succeed. “People keep saying, ‘We can’t find anyone,’ but we’re out there, we just have to be found. Having us all in one place is great for us to be seen.”

Damar Hamlin to Donate $10 Million to Foundation

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By M. MarksPosted In: Charity Activity, Charity in Sports

In January of 2023, Buffalo Bills safety, Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field during a Monday Night Football game. Viewers watched as he was rushed to the hospital, and concerned football players, fans, and well-wishers immediately began donating money online to assist Hamlin and his family. Fortunately, Hamlin was released from the hospital 9 days later, and his recovery continues to progress. Nearly 5 months after the incident, Hamlin has announced that he will use the $10 million he received in donations to fund his own non-profit, the Chasing M’s Foundation.

Hamlin created the Chasing M’s Foundation in 2020 when he was playing college football at the University of Pittsburgh. According to the Chasing M’s website, the “Charitable fund is dedicated to the development, health, & safety of youth sports, engagement activities, & programming.” The Foundation’s articles of incorporation have recently been updated to include sports education, including CPR and AED training.

Hamlin told the press, ““We have been very deliberate and intentional about taking our time to set my charity up properly, … I’m excited to begin sharing news about programs we are creating to impact a generation of youth and give back to others.”

Solarpunk Simulator – Playing Video Games for Charity

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By DouglasPosted In: Charity Activity, Family, Poverty

In March 2023, Roblox unveiled its latest idea to help promote giving in the youth community. This online, social gaming platform has partnered with ComicRelief US to create the “Kids Relief Presents: Solarpunk Simulator” in an effort to help kids have fun while fighting poverty.

Solarpunk Simulator takes place in a peaceful future world. It features Jack Black as well as a host of Roblox influencers who encourage players to work towards the common goal of building a spaceship. When participants buy virtual items in the Solarpunk Simulator virtual store, money from their purchases goes to charity.

Kids Relief was built by Wonder Works Studio. CEO Zach Letter explained that the concept for the simulator is similar to that of the popular school fundraiser “Penny Wars”, which awards prizes to the classes that bring in the most pennies for charity. Solarpunk has teams of kids competing to collect parts of a spaceship, and the winners are awarded prizes, such as tickets to a virtual concert by singer BoyWithUke.

Letter explains that the game itself is fun and exciting, “It’s really satisfying to play and you always feel this sense of power over collecting the materials. You don’t want to be shoving charity in someone’s face and make it feel overwhelming and that it’s all about the donations. We really want kids to have a great time here and educate themselves.”

The Kids Relief campaign aims to raise $10 million over the next three years directed towards ending intergenerational poverty.

Creating Hope – Make-A-Wish Foundation Launches New Campaign

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By DouglasPosted In: Charity Activity, Charity in Business, Childrens Charities, HealthTagged: ,

The Make-A-Wish Foundation is launching a new fundraising campaign in advance of World Wish Day. Occurring every year on April 29th, World Wish Day commemorates the wish of Chris Grecious, a 7-year-old with leukemia, who dreamed of being a police officer. Chris’ wish in 1980 inspired the creation of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which has gone on to grant more than 500,000 wishes to children with critical illnesses all over the world.

Throughout April, the Make-A-Wish Foundation will run a fundraising campaign entitled “Don’t Wait for Hope. Create it.” This campaign acknowledges that the pandemic has been a devastating time for the families of children with critical illnesses, increasing their loneliness and isolation. Granting wishes to these children is more important than ever before, as it can restore their hope and joy at a particularly dark time.

President and CEO of Make-A-Wish America, Richard K. Davis explains, “With our new campaign, we are focused on conveying urgency and driving action because Make-A-Wish is uniquely qualified to deliver hope to children with critical illnesses and their families at a time when they need it most”.

Leading up to World Wish Day, national sponsors of Make-A-Wish such as Macy’s, Avis, and Keebler will demonstrate their support for the Foundation.

Dak Prescott is 2022’s Walter Payton Man of the Year

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By M. MarksPosted In: Charity Activity, Charity in Sports, HealthTagged: , ,

Every year, NFL teams are invited to nominate their players for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, which is given to a player who shows excellence on and off the field. 

This year’s winner is Dallas Cowboys Quarterback, Dak Prescott, who’s charity work for the Faith Fight Finish Foundation focuses on cancer research and suicide prevention. 

As reported in People Magazine, Prescott’s mother, Peggy, died of colon cancer in 2013. At the NFL Honors ceremony in early February, Prescott spoke lovingly of his mother,

“My mother was, and still is, my moral compass. And through my own charitable contributions, I seek to share her strength and courage with the world.”

Following his brother Jace’s suicide in 2020, Prescott expanded the work of the Faith Fight Finish Foundation to include suicide prevention. He made a promise to himself “that that would be one life taken to save millions.”

Winners of the Man of the Year award are granted $250,000 to donate to a charity of their choice. Nominees are granted up to $40,000 to donate to charity through the NFL Foundation and Nationwide.

Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes was also nominated for the award in 2022, as was Saquon Barley of the New York Giants. Last year’s winner was Los Angeles Rams tackle, Andrew Whitworth.

Local Teen Creates Philanthropic Organization

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By JohnPosted In: Charity Activity, Charity in BusinessTagged: , ,

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, 13-year-old Liem Kaplan recognized an immediate need to help the homeless population. Kaplan, who lives in Sammamish, Washington, initiated The GivingHope Project to collect donations for the underprivileged.

Kaplan reached out to various local organizations, including family members, schools, community members, and local youth movements and the response was overwhelming. Kaplan describes delivering his first donations: “The streets were quiet and abandoned. I was excited and anxious and didn’t know if people would want masks. But seeing how grateful everyone was and how excited they were to see us made me realize how important it was for me figure out how to get enough supplies to everyone.”

Since the fall of 2020, Kaplan and his team of volunteers have distributed thousands of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, hand sanitizer, bagged lunches, pairs of socks and more than 20,000 masks to the homeless population in his area. They receive donations from Florida, Pennsylvania, and the greater Washington area. The GivingHope Project also continues to donate kits containing necessary food and hygiene items for both the winter and summer. 

Kayaking to Commemorate WWII Operation

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By DouglasPosted In: Charity Activity, MilitaryTagged: , , ,

Eighty years ago, Operation Frankton was underway during World War Two. During the mission, ten British soldiers paddled their way to Bordeaux, France on kayaks. The goal was to plant mines on German ships while it was dark at night. Unfortunately, six of the soldiers were killed by the Germans and two others died of hypothermia.

In commemoration of the operation and the fallen heroes, ten Royal Marines recreated the mission. The undertaking, dubbed Cockleshell 22, is reminiscent of the limpet mines carried by the soldiers and the commemorative 1955 film, The Cockleshell Heroes. The marines set out on the French coast, continued up on the Gironde estuary, and reached Bordeaux after four days.

At Bordeaux, there was an anniversary event upon the arrival of the ten Royal Marines. Mike Heard, the grandson of Bill Sparks, one of the commandos who survived the mission, was honored to be present at the commemoration. He exclaimed: “It’s tremendous that the legacy of the original Cockleshell raid lives on. It’s a great opportunity to showcase the original mission and raise money at the same time.”

The funds raised through the event will go to Help for Heroes, an organization that supports veterans and their families. The Royal Marines have already collected over £25,000 toward causes benefiting veterans’ mental health.

GivingTuesday is Gifted $10 Million from the Gates Foundation

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By JohnPosted In: Charity Activity, Charity in BusinessTagged: ,

In 2012, a simple idea turned into a global movement.

#GivingTuesday began in the 92nd Street Y in New York City as a proposal for people to perform good deeds for others on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Eight years later, the concept transformed into an independent nonprofit and collaborative effort to encourage giving and celebrate kindness.

In honor of the upcoming tenth anniversary of the #GivingTuesday initiative, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has donated $10 million to the organization. This is in addition to previous support from the Gates Foundation, which has amounted to $10.5 million over the years. Co-founder Melinda French Gates noted the importance of philanthropy, explaining that it is “the right thing to do and that anybody can do it…Anyone can be a giver. Everyone has resources to share and make the world a better place – whether it’s through time, money, expertise, or your voice.”  She hopes that philanthropy, and giving back as a whole, becomes more of a societal norm.

Asha Curran, CEO of GivingTuesday, expressed her appreciation saying that “It’s a really wonderful thing to see the partnering of big philanthropy and grassroots generosity, that those things don’t have to live in separate worlds and be viewed as totally separate things.”

Just last year, the GivingTuesday organization reported that over $2.7 billion donations were made on the designated Tuesday.

With the new grant from the Gates Foundation, GivingTuesday hopes to facilitate more giving worldwide while expanding the movement to additional countries and establishing thousands of campaigns.

All-Star Basketball Charity Game

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By JohnPosted In: Charity ActivityTagged: , ,

There’s nothing like the excitement of attending a live basketball game with your favorite star athletes. What if you could attend a game while also supporting a great cause?

TJ Kidd, the son of Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd, hosted the first annual Classic Celebrity All-Star Game at Santa Monica College (SMC) on August 20. The event benefited the HelpCureHD foundation.

Growing up with an NBA legend father, TJ Kidd attended many all-star basketball games. He had always dreamed of organizing his own one day – but with proceeds going toward charity. His childhood dream was realized this month when he collaborated with his friends, sports reporter Allie LaForce and her husband, MLB pitcher Joe Smith, to raise money for their foundation, HelpCureHD. The foundation provides grants for preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) for those suffering from Huntington’s Disease. Joe Smith felt compelled to establish the charity after his mother was diagnosed with the hereditary brain disorder in 2012, along with over 30,000 others in the US alone who suffer from the disease.

The TJ Kidd Classic featured famed athletes, including WBC World Heavyweight Champion Deontay Wilder, four-time NBA Champion Jon Salley, three-time NBA Champion Bryon Scott, and many more celebrities. The game was thrilling, and both the players and spectators had loads of fun. After the game, TJ Kidd expressed his satisfaction with the turnout, and said he hoped to host the event again and to keep it at SMC.

A Walk to Remember

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By DouglasPosted In: Charity Activity, Family, HealthTagged: ,

Losing a loved one is never easy, no matter what the cause. Many find comfort and meaning by raising awareness or funds in memory of those who have passed. When family or friends pass tragically or after battling illness, the drive to take action to help others often kicks in even stronger.

Mary Hersch, a 61-year-old Wisconsin native, embarked last September on a 1,439-mile walking journey from central Wisconsin to the Texas coast. Her mission was to raise awareness about pulmonary fibrosis, the lung disease that took her mother’s life 25 years ago. When her mother passed away, Hersch’s father requested that half of his ashes would join with her mother’s ashes in the gulf at Port Arkansas, when the time would come.

Since walking has always been a passion of Hersch’s and her mother loved the beach, the chosen route seemed most fitting. She partnered with the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation who managed the fundraising and helped her map out her voyage.

Along the way, Hersch often had some company. A couple of her friends accompanied her, driving along slowly in their motor home, as she walked. Many drivers stopped along the road to check if all was OK, if she needed water, and learned about Hersch’s undertaking at the same time. The poster of her mother’s picture hung on her friends’ RV sparked curiosity from passerby, triggering conversation and bonding among people.

On the 89th day of her journey, Hersch received word that her father had died of a heart attack. While she took the news very hard and had considered delaying her projected end date, she gained strength knowing he was rooting for her and felt his presence along each step. She experienced a newfound push to pull through, and had planned to have family meet her half a mile before the coast with her father’s ashes.

Hersch arrived at Port Arkansas on December 30. She scattered her father’s ashes into the sea, and her parents were reunited. She walked for 107 days and raised over $34,000 for the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation.