From fundraising kick-off parties at Dunkin' Donuts to selecting healthy -- yet tasty -- recipes for a new cookbook, USA TODAY's Kindness Challenge participants were busy during their first week of the challenge.
[Kindness Challenge coverage can be found online at www.kindnesschallenge.usatoday.com
So what were they exactly up to? Read on to find out. And if you have any advice or even a shout-out for our participants, as they work to reach their goals over the next six weeks, leave a comment for them below!
Kindness Challenge goal: To raise $17,250.00 to supply *Chemo Ducks to the Pediatrics/Oncology units in Florida. [* Kindness note: Chemo Ducks are provided by Gabe's Chemo Duck Program, a program of the Nashville-based nonprofit organization, Gabe's My Heart, which provides education and comfort to children living with cancer through medical play using therapeutic tools. To learn more, visit . ]
Week 1 update:
Dunkin' Donuts of Northeastern Pennsylvania held a "kick off" celebration of the Kindness Challenge. As part of the "kick off", they donated $500 to Kelsey's Dream to go towards reaching my goal. At this event there were several local news stations and newspapers to help get the word out about the Kindness Challenge. After the celebration, Kelsey's Dream and Dunkin' Donuts officials held a planning meeting to discuss fundraising ideas, and brainstormed additional plans. I had a few planning meetings with a group of teachers to organize a few fundraisers and events. One of my teachers and I met with an owner of a local restaurant, in which we will be holding an event. We are also working on a plan to get the students involved. Several surrounding school districts are planning staff dress down days and student fundraisers, as well. This week I also met with my local radio station (94KX) to record a commercial to make everyone aware of an upcoming event, next week. After recording, I met with the Program Director of the station, to plan more events to benefit Kelsey's Dream. I am happy to report that for Week #1 of the Kindness Challenge, Kelsey's Dream raised over $1,900, just in donations. We continue to seek the support of businesses. I have been calling and asking them to do "casual for a cause" days, employer/employee matching contributions and more. Please consider donating to Kelsey's Dream, today, so we can provide more Chemo Ducks to children diagnosed with cancer.
Kindness Challenge goal:
My goal for the Kindness Challenge is to finish my cookbook -- "Tasty Tidbits: Educating Today for a Healthier Tomorrow" -- in the six-week deadline.
Week 1 update:
I had a busy week selecting recipes to feature in my cookbook. On Friday, I filmed in Griffin, GA with a great group of people to show you how to shop healthy by using local resources. This information will be featured in a chapter of my cookbook. So watch out for this video in the next couple of weeks. On February 5th in Atlanta, I will be doing a cooking demonstration at a really fun event with American Heart Association. I'll keep you posted on details. Living healthy is not just about eating healthy, it is also about exercising frequently. Be sure to watch my Kindness Challenge video #1 for some tips on how to exercise without spending a lot of money. Visit www.LizzieMarieCuisine.com frequently for more tips on living a healthy lifestyle.
Kindness Challenge goal:
Woofin & Hoofin hopes to produce our first annual Puppy Palooza, a fun musical competition featuring major high school bands.
Week 1 update:
Last week, we worked to establish the foundation of our event, Puppy Palooza. We met with two of our school administrators to confirm the date and location of Puppy Palooza and to discuss major issues, such as financial transactions, a blueprint of the event, and legal obligations, especially insurance. The board has also met several times, for weekly meetings and extra meetings about the video and other projects. As our primary objective this week was to structure the concert, we have confirmed the bands at our event, which include Flipside, The Flats, Ten and Counting, and A Cappella Underground along with two other local bands. Another major accomplishment this week was the complete renovation of our website, including a page dedicated entirely to Puppy Palooza. In the following weeks, we will continue to develop our concert along with visiting the shelter and coordinating minor fundraisers, including a puppy chow sale.
Kindness Challenge goal:
Because many of the children in shelters have fallen on hard times, I would like to improve our birthday party experience to make the celebrations more memorable and fun. To do so, we need to increase our volunteer pool, donations, and funding.
Week 1 update:
Here's an update from Iced Capades Cakery (ICC). Since there was no birthday party this week, we focused on donations, fundraising, and volunteers. As a result of ICC's appearance on the Rachael Ray Show and USA Today, we have received so many lovely emails from many generous people around the country and even Canada! We have received over $500 through our PayPal account alone, and we received a generous package of items purchased from our wish list. It's so exciting that so many people have been inspired by Iced Capades Cakery! We are currently in the process of setting up a New York branch, and I will continue to work with others hoping to do the same over this next week. For fundraising, we are hoping to hold a bake sale at an upcoming spring fashion show. We'll keep you posted! Over the week, I have also been posting up flyers around the neighborhood and on local stores' bulletin boards. And in an effort to reach out to more volunteers, I have contact local schools and the PTA. I have contacted a seventh shelter to offer our service, so we need to increase our volunteer pool.
Kindness Challenge goal:
With the big picture idea of helping as many students as possible, INeedAPencil.com is aiming to build out its network of partners by adding 50 new organizations during the Kindness Challenge to an existing network of 150 known partners.
Week 1 update:
The first week after the show has definitely kicked off a wave of interest in INeedAPencil.com from throughout the US. Emails have tumbled in from parents, teachers, non-profit directors, and school principals all starting with, "Jason! I saw you on the Rachael Ray Show and in USA Today..." For now we're just kicking off communications with about 6 solid new partners and will be doing virtual presentations to walk them through the site in the coming weeks. These partners alone will likely drive more than 1,000 new students to the site in the next month alone. Just wait until next week!
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