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

Biking to Make a Difference: Brennan Besser

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By JohnPosted In: ChildFund International

Starting on May 16 and ending 3400 miles later across the United States, Brennan Besser will be biking his way towards raising money. He is biking from Seattle to New York and hopes to hold basketball clinics along the way to raise a total of $1 million for the Walk On America Foundation.

As he explains, “What we’re hoping to do is shine a light on a part of the American community that doesn’t have that strong of a voice.”

Where did he get this idea? Besser’s older sister, Jacqueline, is nonverbal and impaired in her motor skills and communication. He wants others to understand ways to deal with adversity and he’s doing so by traveling, typically 60 miles a day with a team of 3-5 people.

Rapper Using His Talent to Raise Money

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By JohnPosted In: ChildFund International

Here is a lovely idea. In Lexington, Kentucky, a local rapper and activist, Devine Carama, is combining his talent, his teaching and his love of giving in a beautiful way. In order to teach students to create change through music, he joined with professor Bryan Hains to teach student to write rap. For their final exam, 21 students created a hip-hop EP that highlighted challenges under-deserved communities face. The album will benefit Operation Making A Change.

See here for more details.

 

CrossFit Event in Memory of Travis Manion

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By JohnPosted In: Charity Activity

Just a few days ago, athletes around the country got together to remember Iraq War hero Travis Manion. Manion died 11 years ago and this week over 50 American CrossFit gyms hosted a Workout of the Day that was made in his honor. CrossFit actually has a number of workouts dedicated in memory of soldiers who have died in the line of duty. In order to qualify, the soldier has to have participated in CrossFit prior to their death.

As Manion’s sister explained to MensHealth.com, “This WOD was very deliberate in the way it was put together. “My brother was a wrester at the Naval Academy and had very strong legs, so this WOD is all dedicated to legs.”

Manion was on his second tour of Iraq when he was killed by enemy sniper fire while helping injured troops during a search of an insurgent house.

The fundraiser was put on by the Travis Manion Foundation and CrossFit. All proceeds from the $29 registration fee are supporting the Travis Manion Foundation.

The Flash Runs Across America to Raise Money

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By JohnPosted In: Charity Activity

If you haven’t heard about Jamie McDonald, you’ll find your day enhanced from knowing more about him. This 31 year old UK native was born with a rare spinal condition called syringomyelia. For his first nine years, he was in and out of the hospital and eventually managed to get to a better place with his health. As a result, he vowed to give back to the hospitals that had supported him.

His first task was to run 5000 miles from coast to coast across Canada…dressed as the superhero Flash. Now, he’s raising money for charities and hospitals in the States by running from the West Coast to the East. His charity is called Superhero Foundation and he has a book called Adventureman: Anyone Can Be a Superhero.

His goals are to raise money for those in need and to encourage people to find the superhero inside themselves. All of his donations will go to his Superhero Foundation and he has set his sights on raising $1 million. Join him in his adventure!

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.