Charity Events for New Movie about Heroism

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By JohnPosted In: Charity Activity

A new, beautiful film is hitting the market and is well worth the time  – as is the charity event happening in its honor. Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero is coming to theaters on April 13th and is based on the true story of a soldier and a stray dog that form a bond. The computer-animated feature offers a charming look at what it means to be a hero.

There are a number of great charity events happening around the film including a fundraising event to benefit Variety the Children’s Charity of Southern California and the Boys and Girls Club of Boyle Heights. It will take place on Tuesday, March 27 at the Regal L.A. LIVE in downtown Los Angeles. On March 28, Fun Academy and Variety the Children’s Charity will co-host screenings in another 14 cities across the United States and Canada.

As Richard Lanni, director of Sgt. Stubby and founder of Fun Academy, said

“We are delighted to partner with Variety the Children’s Charity to host the world premiere screening and multi-city tour of Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero. We are excited to host 500 children and their families from organizations supported by Variety SoCal, including the Variety Boys and Girls Club of Boyle Heights, at our world premiere to enjoy this dog’s eye view of American history that kids will love, parents and educators will appreciate, and all ages can enjoy together.”

 

Remembering Philando Castile & Helping Children

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By JohnPosted In: Charity Activity

Here is a beautiful way to remember someone. Philando Castile was an African-American school nutrition supervisor who was killed by a police officer in 2016. A charity that was set up in his honor recently announced that they have paid off the lunch debt for all students in the school district where Castile worked. That’s 37,000 kids in the Minnesota St. Paul Public Schools who had their lunches paid for.

 

CNN has reported on the $35,000 donation, this covers families who have debt as high as $1000. The campaign has raised $110,000 so far and they hope at some point to help children all across Minnesota.

Castile was known for using his own money to help students to cover the cost of their lunches when they couldn’t afford to do so; this move is a touching way to honor his memory.

 

Basketball Charity with Torrey Smith

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By JohnPosted In: Charity Activity

It’s always heart-warming to see stars who are using their fame and their money in the right way. Torrey Smith is getting ready for his 7th annual celebrity charity basketball game happening on March 17th at Royal Farms Arena. The event will benefit the Torrey Smith Family Fund, a non-profit that helps kids with mentoring and after-school programs in Baltimore and other cities around the country.

He is also going to give out college scholarships at halftime of the game. As Smith said, “We’re all there for a great cause. It’s the biggest fundraiser for our charity. If you can’t make it, obviously a lot of people can’t due to timing, you have the opportunity to donate a ticket so a kid from the city can come.” Tickets cost $15 dollars and can be found at Torrey Smith’s website.

Hall of Famer from KISS Doing His Part

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By JohnPosted In: Charity Activity

Rock & Brews co-founder and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Paul Stanley of KISS is doing some lovely things. He is hosting a veteran luncheon at one of his locations in Vacaville, California on February 20th with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The luncheon will include more than 100 veterans in partnership with the local charity, Operation Care and Comfort

 

 

As Stanley said in a press release, “We are excited to become a member of the community of Vacaville and look forward to contributing to the vibrant restaurant scene with our unique dining and entertainment experience. With all openings, we look forward to paying respect to local veterans, active military and first responders who dedicate their lives to protecting their community and our country.”

 

This Rock & Brews location just opened to the public at  200 Nut Tree Parkway.

 

How One Man is Making Kids Smile

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By JohnPosted In: Charity Activity

It’s always heartwarming, particularly at the holidays, to hear about people making a difference. Michael Miselis is one of these people. He started the Make a Kid Smile event 11 years ago with the goal of raising a few hundred dollars to deliver Christmas presents to kids who wouldn’t otherwise receive any.

Now, after his most recent event, he has raised more than $80,000, all of which has gone to pay for local children’s gifts.

As Michael said,

“I never thought it would turn into anything like this, but it’s been growing and growing every year. It’s something I feel I have to do; it’s in my blood… I look forward to it.”

This year, his Make a Smile event allowed 87 Bayonne kids to select gifts at the Modell’s in Jersey City worth $100 each. Most of the $8700 that was raised this year came from small donations, with Modell’s giving $1000 and the local police union offering $500.

 

 

 

A Great New Way to See Black Friday

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By JohnPosted In: Charity Activity

Black Friday is a bit of a crazy experience, with everyone forgetting about how thankful they are on Thanksgiving, and killing each other for the best deal instead. Here, however, is an interesting perspective on Black Friday and on ways to bring much more meaning to the experience. A few of their suggestions include the following.

  1. Only buy things from companies that are giving back to help those in need.
  2. Go Green instead of black by thinking about sustainability.
  3. Look into Giving Tuesday. It’s actually a thing – and an important one at that.

Read the full article and see how you can retain that sense of wonder and appreciation over Thanksgiving and give instead of take.

 

Why Do People Give Money?

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By JohnPosted In: Charity Activity

This is a fascinating article which examines why people select to give money, and what it does for their own sense of self. Certainly, charities don’t typically care why people are giving – they are just happy to have the money. But focusing on research of this sort might help charities that have fundraising campaigns to consider reaching their givers in a more thought-out way. It’s worth the read.

How a Small Idea Can Revolutionize an Industry

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By JohnPosted In: Charity Activity

If you haven’t heard of DonorsChoose.org, you’ll probably enjoy learning about it. Charles Best was a teacher in the New York area and a graduate of Yale who, in the year 2000, created a website where teachers could post needs that they had in the classroom and encourage donors to help them put the project together. He paid a developer a few thousand dollars and DonorsChoose.org was born. Donors can find projects that inspire them and put in as little as $1 towards the cause. When the project has its funding, the site buys the needed supplies and ships them directly to the school. Every donor also gets a thank you note from the teacher, photos from the classroom and an accounting of how the money was spent.

Today, a staggering 76% of public schools in the U.S. have a project posted on the site. Learn more about their site, and think about how one person with an out-of-the-box idea can change an industry.

Chuck’s Big Ride Redux 2017

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By JohnPosted In: Charity Activity

If you have followed Chuck Robinson at all (and he’s worth following!) then you’ll be happy to know that he’s back on the road. Chuck is an independent bookseller and cross-country bike-rider who rides for philanthropies. Robinson is a 69 year old former owner of Village Books and Paper Dreams in Bellingham, Washington who started his latest ride on September 1 in North Dakota. His last journey two years ago was cut short when two far dogs knocked him off of his bike and damaged five of his ribs. This time around, he started near the accident site and now plans to travel 2000 miles to Bar Harbor, Maine. He’s raising money during his journey for three nonprofits which include:

  1. Book Industry Charitable Foundation
  2. The Whatcom Community Foundation
  3. Whatcom Community College

Each location will get $1 per mile that he rides. During his first ride, he generated almost $30,000 for Binc, the Whatcom Community Foundation, and Robinson’s high school. As a fun addition this time, Garth Stein, the author of The Art of Racing in the Rain (Harper) will be matching Robinson’s donations to Binc.

 

 

 

A Company with an Amazing Commitment to Giving: Jersey Mike’s

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By JohnPosted In: Charity Activity

If you happen to be in Hawaii between August 30 and September 8, you may want to check out the grand opening of Jersey Mike’s Subs in Wailuku. Located at 52 Maui Lani Parkway, they are having a free sub fundraiser with all proceeds going to support the American Cancer Society. The franchise owner Alvaro Garcia is sending out 7500 coupons and offering a free sub for a minimum $2 contribution to the American Cancer Society.

As Garcia said,

 

“We are very excited to be opening our second Hawaii store in Maui. At Jersey Mike’s our fundraising partnerships create a layer of sustainability for schools, youth sports leagues, and other nonprofits in and around our city. These partnerships allow us to truly become members of our community by allowing us to contribute to the success of our youth and our city. Our crew, city officials, and residents have a high level of respect for us for that reason. We honestly feel that we are changing the world one sub at a time.”

Jersey Mike’s has done an amazing job of giving back. Since 2010, their locations throughout the country have raised almost$25 million for charities and they have given away more than 1.5 million free subs to help many causes. This year alone, their 7th Annual Jersey Mike’s Month of Giving in March raised more than $5.5 million for close to 150 charities throughout the country.