While everyone is making plans for how they are celebrating New Year's, consider this: We are creating more waste today than ever before. But little contributions in your life can help maintain the planet we all call home. Start living a greener lifestyle at your New Year’s Eve celebration this week! Living a greener lifestyle doesn’t mean you have to change everything in your life. A small change can literally make a world of difference.
At Wheels For Wishes, we take living a green lifestyle seriously. By taking your new, old or unwanted vehicles and recycling them, we not only help the planet, but also help the children of Make-A-Wish. A donation to Wheels For Wishes can help children in Austin, Spokane, Columbus and throughout the United States. The proceeds from every donated vehicle benefit Make-A-Wish and help wishes come true! Here are some tips for making your New Year’s Eve party green:
The 2015 Wish Ball is Make-A-Wish Central & Western North Carolina’s signature annual event, and you can be a partner in their mission to help children with critical illnesses. The 2015 Wish Ball is on Jan. 30 at The Westin Charlotte (601 S. College St.).
The event starts with registration from 6-7 p.m., dinner from 8-9 p.m. and a live auction and raffle from 8:30-9:30. The evening includes an incredible cocktail hour, an elegant dinner prepared by the Westin master culinary team, music and dancing to the sounds of Flashback the Party Band, and silent and live auctions. Most important, The Wish Ball is an evening of charitable giving: Since the event has started, it has raised more than $2 million towards granting the wishes of children with critical illnesses in our community.
It's been said by many famous singers that Nashville is a songwriter's town. On Jan. 10, 2015, some of the best songwriters in Nashville will be coming to Greenwood, S.C., to help raise money for Make-A-Wish South Carolina to grant wishes with.
The second annual Nashville Songwriter's Benefit brings together songwriters Buddy Cannon, Melonie Cannon, Marla Cannon-Goodman and comedian Steve Goodie to the Greenwood Community Theater. All of the event's expenses are covered by sponsors and 100 percent of the ticket sales from the event benefits Make-A-Wish South Carolina.
Legendary Songwriters
For the Cannon family, music is the family business. Buddy Cannon is a legendary songwriter, producer and record label executive who is currently producing a new record for Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard. He's produced No. 1 hits by artists like Kenny Chesney, John Michael Montgomery, Joe Nichols and Reba McEntire. His knack for picking and producing artists and their hits has helped launch the careers of mega-stars like Shania Twain and Billy Ray Cyrus, and his songwriting prowess has provided numerous hit songs for everyone from Vern Gosdin and Mel Tillis to Alabama and George Strait.
Have you ever wanted to spend Christmas, the New Year, or the holiday season in Candy Land? Florida residents tend to miss out on the white holiday season with snow-covered hills and roads, but Make-A-Wish Central and Northern Florida is creating a white holiday season for everyone! Attend the Christmas in Candy Land event to benefit Make-A-Wish Central and Northern Florida and grant the wishes of local children in your community.
The waters of north-central Illinois won't be warm for quite a while. But if you're a hearty soul that doesn't mind a dip in the cold waters of the Illinois River, you can dive on in and help support Make-A-Wish Illinois.
On Jan. 3, 2015, Heritage Harbor Ottawa and Quest Watersports will host the Penguin Plunge, an event that challenges hundreds of brave jumpers to jump together and make wishes come true for children facing critical illnesses. Whether you jump in as part of a team or as an individual, it’s a great way to get involved in supporting Make-A-Wish Illinois.
Sign-Up And Dive In!
All you have to do is raise $100 minimum for the opportunity to take the plunge! All of the money raised goes to benefit Make-A-Wish Illinois and granting local children's wishes. The goal of the Penguin Plunge is to raise $100,000, which will help grant more than 10 wishes.
Many people identify Thanksgiving as a time to indulge in a large meal with family or friends, but it’s easy to forget the true meaning of Thanksgiving, which is being thankful for all that we have. Instead of indulging in a giant meal that may be unhealthy for ourselves and for the planet, consider taking a kinder and more eco-friendly approach this Thanksgiving and give back to the community you live in.
The month of November may be a time to start your holiday shopping and decide which gifts to buy for your loved ones. However, you might be more interested in giving the gift of life this holiday season. If you are in good health, you can give the gift of life by volunteering to be placed in a Registry coordinated by The National Marrow Donor Program. Patients can only be helped if there are donors available to help them, and the more donors, the better. Donors offer patients the gift of a longer and healthier life, and it’s something you will feel great about for many years to come.
The holidays are a great time to get together with family and friends, and of course, get your child's photo taken with Santa Clause. In Seattle, if you are supporter or would like to be a supporter of Make-A-Wish Alaska and Washington, there's a special opportunity to take part in a special meeting with Santa while helping to grant wishes.
Make-A-Wish Alaska and Washington is celebrating the holidays in a winter wonderland at the Four Seasons Hotel Seattle (99 Union Street) at the upcoming Season of Wishes Brunch with Santa. This event is exclusive to donors who are part of the Wishful Giving campaign who donate at the Wish Friend level and above. Guests will enjoy a delicious plated breakfast, create holiday themed crafts to take home and receive a commemorative photo with Santa. For questions about the Brunch with Santa, please contact Lindsey Johnson.
If you're looking for some holiday fun and a great way to help Make-A-Wish South Dakota you won’t want to miss the Holiday Jam with the Hegg Brothers Dec. 11. This benefit concert features performances by a 10-piece band that specializes in classic and contemporary arrangements of popular holiday music. You’re sure to hear something new and unexpected at this performance.
Troon North is one of Scottsdale's premier golf courses, and not only can you take an afternoon off work to play 18 holes here, you can do it while benefiting Make-A-Wish Arizona. The first-ever Tech Minds Charity Golf Classic on Dec. 9 starts at noon with a shotgun start, and wraps up with a cocktail dinner and awards ceremony. You can help kick off this first-ever event designed to bring together executives of the high-tech industry for a day of golf, valuable networking and – with your support – a proud display of charity.
Foursomes Still Available
With a $5,000 Make-A-Wish Arizona Sponsorship, a hole on the course will be dedicated to your company and Make-A-Wish Arizona and a Wish Kid will be present to cheer you on, or tee off on your behalf. The Make-A-Wish Arizona Sponsor includes: One foursome, golf cart, one tee box advertisement for Make-A-Wish and your company, lunch, dinner, gift bags and prizes.
Veterans Day, Nov. 11, is an important day in our country to show gratitude for the sacrifices veterans and active duty members of the military make to keep us safe. Veterans Day is celebrated Nov. 11 because the 11th hour of the 11th day in the 11th month in 1917 is when the armistice between Germany and the Allied forces came into effect, ending World War I. The day was celebrated for the first time on Nov. 11, 1918 as Armistice Day, and was celebrated as such until 1954 when the official name of the day changed to Veterans Day.
Staying active is important to help stay in shape, but it becomes even more important at the holidays. After all, we've indulged a little too much on holiday treats, right? Once again this year, there is a great way to get into shape while helping a great cause.
Brave the Bay is an annual fundraiser presented by the San Francisco Police Department to benefit our partner, Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area. It's an active, holiday-themed event that's perfect for participants of any age.
Three Ways To Participate
Brave the Bay takes place in and around Aquatic Park in San Francisco on Saturday, Dec. 6, with three different athletic events to take part in: Santa Walk and Fun Run, Santa Plunge in the Bay and the Santa Cable Car Pull.
Last year's Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles Wishing Well Winter Gala raised more than $1 million – an event record – and had more than 750 guests in attendance. This year's event could be even bigger! The 31st annual Wishing Well Winter Gala is at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills on Wednesday, Dec. 3. Cocktails start at 6 p.m. with the dinner and program starting at 7 p.m.
The annual Wishing Well Winter Gala is the perfect event to connect with business leaders, philanthropists, medical visionaries, entertainment executives and celebrities in a celebration of the children and families whose lives have been touched by their wishes. It's also a time to honor leaders in our community who make these wishes possible.
The American Cancer Society predicts that there will be 46,420 new cases of pancreatic cancer in 2014 in the United States. And while this disease rarely affects children, it is possible. Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month is a great time to learn more about this serious form of cancer and raise awareness. While many of its risk factors are unavoidable, some are, and November is a good time to learn about them and help yourself and your children avoid these risk factors.
Unfortunately, pancreatic cancer often goes undetected until it is in an advanced stage. And even when diagnosed early, pancreatic cancer often has a poor prognosis. That’s why it’s important to learn about the risk factors, symptoms, screening tools and prevention options so that more cases can be prevented or caught earlier.
Nov. 20 will be a night to remember! The Fifth Annual WishNYC: A Toast to Wishes will help to grant the wishes of children living in Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, and Staten Island. Make-A-Wish Metro New York raised more than $550,000 during last year's event and over 750 guests attended! This year's event is expected to be an outstanding success. Don't miss out!
Hosted by Make-A-Wish Iowa, Jolly Holiday Lights is an annual favorite and a great way to help grant more wishes for local kids. In 2013, Jolly Holiday Lights raised enough to grant the wishes of 35 children! You can help them reach even more children at this year’s display. All of the proceeds from Jolly Holiday Lights go to Make-A-Wish Iowa.
The holiday season is right around the corner, and for more than 30 years, Reyn Spooner has helped to spread the holiday cheer through colorful aloha shirts. Guests are asked to wear their favorite Reyn Spooner aloha shirts at the Reyn Spooner Holiday Party on Nov. 13. This exciting event will take place at Neiman Marcus in Honolulu (1460 Ala Moana Blvd.) and will go from 6-9 p.m. Enjoy cocktails, live entertainment, and an opportunity to grant wishes for Hawaii kids!
Candy is great on the night of Halloween when children are dressed up in different costumes, going door to door looking for candy. However, they probably aren’t going to think about their pillowcases filled with candy for more than a few days at most. Instead of giving away bags and bags of various types of candy this Halloween, consider donating your car instead. Are you up for the challenge this Halloween?
If you live in the Tempe area, you won't want to miss your chance to attend the exciting Diwali Ball on Nov. 22. Diwali is a traditional Indian festival of lights that celebrates life, the victory of good over evil, and light over darkness. The Diwali Ball will be a great way to support Make-A-Wish Arizona all while experiencing a piece of traditional Indian culture.
Even as the days become shorter and the weather becomes colder, you can still walk or run for wishes! Don’t miss the 9th Annual Walk & 5K Run for Wishes on Sunday, Nov. 2 at Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park. Taking place in Yorktown Heights, runners or walkers can enjoy a beautiful fall day while helping to grant wishes for children in the Hudson Valley region. Plus, it’s great exercise before the Thanksgiving feast rolls around!
