Residents of the Boston area won't want to miss out on the 2016 Make-A-Wish Gala taking place April 9. The Gala will be held at the glamorous InterContinental Boston hotel overlooking the city's waterfront. Attending is a great way to help Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island grant more wishes in 2016. Over the past 28 years, the chapter has granted more than 7,000 wishes. The Gala alone aims to raise funds for at least 100 more wishes.
Spring in South Carolina is a great time of the year, and this year, Make-A-Wish South Carolina is holding three Walk For Wishes events across the state to help raise money to grant more wishes. The average cost of a wish in South Carolina is $7,500, so your participation can make a huge difference.
Walk For Wishes Lowcountry, March 26
Make-A-Wish South Carolina will host the inaugural Walk For Wishes 5K Walk/Run at Jarvis Park in Hilton Head Island. After completing the 5K, there’s a lot for the entire family to enjoy. The post-walk festivities will include fun, food and entertainment. Event highlights include: an Easter egg hunt, visits with the Easter Bunny and photo opportunities, race awards, a bounce house, face painting and balloon animals.
Registration fees are $30 for adults, $20 for ages 13 to 17 and $10 for ages 12 and under. You can register at the event's website, where you can also donate to a team or donate to an individual.
The event starts with check-in at 8 a.m., opening ceremonies at 8:45 with the festivities going from 9 a.m.-noon.
Walk For Wishes Upstate, April 23
The Greenville and Upstate area Walk For Wishes will be at Gateway Park in Traveler's Rest. The event starts with check-in at 9 a.m., opening ceremonies begin at 9:45 with the festivities lasting from 10 a.m.-noon. There is no fee for this event, so participants are encouraged to raise as much money as they can. The top three individual fundraisers and teams will be awarded at the opening ceremonies. You can register at the event's website, where you can also donate to a team or donate to an individual.
Walk For Wishes Piedmont, April 30
The Rock Hill and Fort Mill-area Walk for Wishes will be held at Anne Springs Close Greenway (288 Dairy Barn Lane) in Fort Mill. Check-in starts at 9 a.m., opening ceremonies at 9:45 with the festivities going from 10 a.m.-noon. The event is free to participate in, and prizes for fundraising start with $100 raised. The top three individual and team fundraisers will be awarded at the opening ceremonies. You can register online, where you can also donate to a team or donate to an individual.
Sponsor The Walks
If you or your company is interested, you can also help by sponsoring the event. Available sponsorships include:
- Presenting ($10,000)
- Wish Granters ($5,000)
- Star of Hope ($2,500)
- Star of Strength ($1,000)
- Star of Joy ($500)
Can’t Make The Walk? You Can Still Help Make-A-Wish
There are other ways you can help Make-A-Wish South Carolina, without going to the Walk For Wishes events this spring. One of those ways is by donating an unwanted vehicle to Wheels For Wishes benefiting Make-A-Wish South Carolina. Donating a vehicle helps kids in Columbia, Charleston and throughout the Palmetto State. It also saves you the time and money spent on selling an unwanted vehicle that will be transformed into a wish for a local child. It also gives you a great tax deduction at the same time. Wheels For Wishes is an IRS-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so your donation is 100 percent tax deductible. Your car can make a wish come true!
To donate a vehicle to Wheels For Wishes, please call us at [chapter_phone], or fill out our easy online vehicle donation form. You will feel great about what your old car can do for a local child!
Spring is in the air in much of the country, and kids who have spent months bundled up during the winter are ready to get outside and play. For many kids, that means riding their bikes, scooters, or skateboards with friends through the neighborhood.
March is Brain Injury Awareness Month, and helping keep children safe from head injuries is very important. A traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs when someone's head is hit by something or shaken violently. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 1.7 million people receive TBIs each year. Of children up to 19 years old, TBI results in 631,146 trips to the emergency room each year.
Brain injuries, including concussions, can occur to kids while biking, during sports games or even on a playground if they were to fall while playing and hit their head. As a parent, before you let your kids go out biking, you need make sure that their helmet from last season still fits properly. If you have to buy a new helmet, make sure it fits snug. Buying a larger size that they can grow into can lead to disastrous consequences if they fall and hit their head. If the helmet doesn't fit properly, it won't protect as it should in the event of a fall.
What Symptoms Should Parents Look For?
According to Parent Center Hub, the term traumatic brain injury is used to describe trauma to the head that can cause permanent changes to areas of their mental cognition such as:
- Thinking and reasoning
- Understanding certain words or parts of language.
- Short-term memory loss
- Paying attention
- Problem-solving
- Thinking abstractly
- Speech and other communication skills
- Behavioral patterns
- Walking or other physical activities
- The ability to learn new things, especially if a skill was never introduced to the child before trauma.
According to the Brain Injury Association of America, there are some essential ways to protect your children’s safety and significantly reduces the risk of brain injury. make sure your children (and you), stay safe from brain injuries:
- Wear a seat belt every time riding in a motor vehicle.
- Buckle children in the car using a child safety seat, booster seat, or seat belt according to the child’s height, weight and age. Children should start using a booster seat when they outgrow their child safety seats. Children should continue to ride in a booster seat until the lap/shoulder belts in the car fit properly, typically when they are approximately 4-foot-9 tall. Local police or fire departments often have clinics for parents to help make sure child safety seats are properly installed.
- Wear a helmet and make sure children wear helmets that are fitted properly. Specialty bike shops generally have staff member who are great at fitting helmets. The right helmets can reduce the risk of severe brain injuries by 88 percent, according to SafeKids.org.
- Make sure playground surfaces are made of shock-absorbing materials, such as hardwood mulch or sand, and are maintained to an appropriate depth.
- Use the right protective equipment and make sure it is maintained properly.
Help Local Children’s Charities
Each year, many children are affected by serious or chronic (?) medical condition. Vehicle donations help to provide these children with better lives. Donate a car, truck, motorcycle, boat, or camper and let Wheels For Wishes turn your vehicle into hope and encouragement for a child in your community.
When you donate a vehicle to Wheels For Wishes, your donation will go towards supporting the children’s charities in your area. See which charity your donation will benefit by checking out our Chapter Locator. When you donate a car, truck, boat, or motorcycle to Wheels For Wishes, you will receive free pick up or towing of your vehicle. To make a car donation, simply call [chapter_phone] or make your donation online.
Help to support children’s charities by donating your vehicle to Wheels For Wishes.
Spring is in the air in much of the country, and kids who have spent months bundled up during the winter are ready to get outside and play. For many kids, that means riding their bikes, scooters, or skateboards with friends through the neighborhood.
March is Brain Injury Awareness Month, and helping keep children safe from head injuries is very important. A traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs when someone's head is hit by something or shaken violently. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 1.7 million people receive TBIs each year. Of children up to 19 years old, TBI results in 631,146 trips to the emergency room each year.
Brain injuries, including concussions, can occur to kids while biking, during sports games or even on a playground if they were to fall while playing and hit their head. As a parent, before you let your kids go out biking, you need make sure that their helmet from last season still fits properly. If you have to buy a new helmet, make sure it fits snug. Buying a larger size that they can grow into can lead to disastrous consequences if they fall and hit their head. If the helmet doesn't fit properly, it won't protect as it should in the event of a fall.
What Symptoms Should Parents Look For?
According to Parent Center Hub, the term traumatic brain injury is used to describe trauma to the head that can cause permanent changes to areas of their mental cognition such as:
- Thinking and reasoning
- Understanding certain words or parts of language.
- Short-term memory loss
- Paying attention
- Problem-solving
- Thinking abstractly
- Speech and other communication skills
- Behavioral patterns
- Walking or other physical activities
- The ability to learn new things, especially if a skill was never introduced to the child before trauma.
According to the Brain Injury Association of America, there are some essential ways to protect your children’s safety and significantly reduces the risk of brain injury. make sure your children (and you), stay safe from brain injuries:
- Wear a seat belt every time riding in a motor vehicle.
- Buckle children in the car using a child safety seat, booster seat, or seat belt according to the child’s height, weight and age. Children should start using a booster seat when they outgrow their child safety seats. Children should continue to ride in a booster seat until the lap/shoulder belts in the car fit properly, typically when they are approximately 4-foot-9 tall. Local police or fire departments often have clinics for parents to help make sure child safety seats are properly installed.
- Wear a helmet and make sure children wear helmets that are fitted properly. Specialty bike shops generally have staff member who are great at fitting helmets. The right helmets can reduce the risk of severe brain injuries by 88 percent, according to SafeKids.org.
- Make sure playground surfaces are made of shock-absorbing materials, such as hardwood mulch or sand, and are maintained to an appropriate depth.
- Use the right protective equipment and make sure it is maintained properly.
Help Local Children’s Charities
Each year, many children are affected by serious or chronic (?) medical condition. Vehicle donations help to provide these children with better lives. Donate a car, truck, motorcycle, boat, or camper and let Wheels For Wishes turn your vehicle into hope and encouragement for a child in your community.
When you donate a vehicle to Wheels For Wishes, your donation will go towards supporting the children’s charities in your area. See which charity your donation will benefit by checking out our Chapter Locator. When you donate a car, truck, boat, or motorcycle to Wheels For Wishes, you will receive free pick up or towing of your vehicle. To make a car donation, simply call [chapter_phone] or make your donation online.
Help to support children’s charities by donating your vehicle to Wheels For Wishes.
This April, there are three opportunities to make wishes come true for children in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky when you attend a BIG Wish Gala. Make-A-Wish Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky helps kids throughout these states who suffer from critical illnesses. You can help grant wishes to children in Akron, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, Toledo, Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Evansville, Louisville, Lexington and more when you attend either of the Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana BIG Wish Galas in Columbus, Indianapolis or Cleveland.
Columbus BIG Wish Gala, April 9
If you live in the Columbus area, the Columbus BIG Wish Gala is the perfect opportunity for you. Enjoy an evening out at the Hilton Columbus Downtown (401 N. High Street), while also helping to grant the wishes for kids in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. The event will feature a sit down dinner, a live and silent auction, and inspirational wish stories from children and families who have benefited from Make-A-Wish. The event begins at 6 p.m.
Individual tickets sell for $300 each and sponsorship opportunities start at $3,000. To purchase tickets, please contact John Hykes at johnh@makeawishohio.org.
Learn more about the Columbus BIG Wish Gala here.
Indianapolis BIG Wish Gala, April 22
The Indianapolis BIG Wish Gala takes place at the JW Marriott Indianapolis (10 S. West Street), starting at 6 p.m. Individual tickets are $400 each and sponsorships are available from $4,000 to $25,000. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of our 2016 event, or to RSVP, please contact Kelsey Leichtnam at 317-522-4082.
Cleveland BIG Wish Gala, April 28
The Cleveland BIG Wish Gala at the Westin Cleveland Downtown (777 St. Clair Ave. NE) will provide guests with the opportunity to experience the Make-A-Wish mission firsthand. The evening starts at 6 p.m. and includes dinner, a live and silent auction and a few more surprises. Guests will also have the opportunity to hear stories of inspiration from children and families whose lives have been forever changed by a granted wish.
You can attend the event by purchasing tickets or tables. Individual tickets are $300. RSVP today to Michele DeScioli at 216-367-5655. Sponsorships are also available, and range between $3,000 and $15,000.
Can’t Attend But Still Want To Make Wishes Come True?
If you are unable to attend either of these fantastic events, you can still help Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky, & Indiana by donating your car, truck, boat, motorcycle, or camper to Wheels For Wishes. Wheels For Wishes is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that benefits Make-A-Wish through our car donation program. Donate your unwanted vehicle and it will be recycled or auctioned off to grant more wishes for local children.
To donate a vehicle, please call [chapter_phone] or fill out our online car donation form. Vehicle donations are tax-deductible and include free pick-up and towing of your vehicle, anywhere in your area. Call us today to donate your vehicle!
If you want to take part in a night of exquisite wine and food, then Wine & Wishes is for you. March 23 is the 13th Annual Wine & Wishes event, hosted by Make-A-Wish Metro and Western New York. At Wine & Wishes, you'll enjoy a delightful evening of fine wines, desserts, and silent and live auctions, with earned proceeds benefiting Make-A-Wish Metro and Western New York.
Make-A-Wish Alaska and Washington’s annual Wish Night Gala & Auction: Flights of Fancy will be an especially magical event this year. Make-A-Wish Alaska and Washington is celebrating its 30th anniversary of granting the wishes of local children, but the real magic of the 2016 Wish Night is its focus on raising funds to grant 400 wishes this year. You can help the Wish Night Gala & Auction achieve its goal through contributions and donations to the event. With your support, Make-A-Wish Alaska and Washington can provide more life-changing experiences to children battling life-threating medical conditions and their families.
Make-A-Wish Northeast New York has granted nearly 1,600 wishes over the past 29 years. You can help celebrate their impact of all these wonderful wishes at the 18th Annual Gala for Make-A-Wish. This year's theme is "Wishes Light the World." Make-A-Wish Northeast New York plans to grant 100 wishes this year, and you can help by attending the gala.
If you live in Iowa, you have four opportunities to support Make-A-Wish Iowa at an upcoming gala. This spring, you can attend a gala in Dubuque March 19, Des Moines April 2, Clinton April 9, or Cedar Rapids April 22. Each gala will have its own flair, but all of them help Make-A-Wish Iowa keep doing wonderful work for kids in your state.
Now that spring is just around the corner, most of us are ready to begin the season by decluttering and downsizing for a fresh start. It can be refreshing to clean out your closets and get rid of household clutter you've been hanging onto.
Feb. 14 is known for Valentine’s Day, but it’s actually so much more than that. Not only is it a day to shower your sweetie with candy hearts and chocolates, but it’s also a great time to raise awareness for Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Day and National Donor Day. Plus, Valentine’s Day falls right in the middle of Random Acts of Kindness Week (RAK Week). This Valentine’s Day, have a heart and combine all four of these great events into one day, or share the love all week long!
February is American Heart Month, a time dedicated to learning more about heart disease. Heart disease includes conditions such as stroke, high blood pressure, angina, rheumatic heart disease and coronary heart disease, which can cause heart attacks. These conditions would be rare in children since they normally affect adults as they age; however, it's never too soon to adopt heart-healthy habits that the whole family can benefit from!
Now that we're in the heart of winter, you've had a chance to get reacquainted with driving in the snow. The first couple of snowfalls, getting used to driving in the snow is an adjustment. People slipping and sliding down the road is a common sight as people figure out how much time and room they need to stop.
One way to help yourself and stay safe while driving in the winter is to equip your car with winter tires to replace your other tires until the snow goes away.
Even if you don't live in a cold climate with snow, winter weather can seem endless and get you down. With the holidays far behind us, most people are ready for winter to be over. However, with a little creativity, winter can still be a blast even if you are stuck inside!
The Make-A-Wish Central & Western North Carolina Wish Ball raised more than $450,000 in 2015, and with the plan to grant more than 260 wishes this year, being part of this signature annual event has never been more important. The Wish Ball is once again being held at The Westin in their mission to help children with critical illnesses. The 2016 Wish Ball is on Friday, Feb. 12, 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 entertaining cocktail hour, an elegant dinner prepared by the master culinary team at The Westin, 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.
Parking for the event will also be discounted for Wish Ball guests, at a rate of $12 for valet services and $6 for self-parking.
With road trips, errands and daily commutes, cars play a major role in our lives. But your car can also make a huge difference in someone else's life when you donate your vehicle to charity! Wheels For Wishes supports children's charities around the country, and the proceeds from your donation can add to that impact.
Many home improvements are costly up front, but save you money down the road. The long-term value of installing energy efficient windows or an Energy Star-rated air conditioner can be huge, but the cost of such upgrades can be a major barrier to some families. Luckily, there are also a lot of simple changes that cost next to nothing and can start saving energy and resources almost immediately. If you've made a New Year's resolution to go green in your home this year, these ideas can help you get there!
After the holidays are over, the last thing you probably want to do is clean up the decorations you spent hours putting up. It's never as much fun to put things away, which is why it might be so tempting to just throw things out and start over fresh each year. A better way is to recycle and reuse your old decorations that you can't necessarily save and reuse in the same way next year. And if you haven't already, check out our tips for recycling your Christmas tree.
Each year, nearly 13,000 cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed in the U.S. This disease was once one of the leading causes of cancer death among women, but the death rate has dropped more than 50 percent over the last 30 years.
Christmas has been over for a few weeks now. Hopefully by now you've got your Christmas tree down, and your lights and ornaments packed away. But if that's not you, and you still have your tree up, it's probably getting to be about that time to pack it up.
February is meant to be all about hearts with events such as Valentine’s Day and National Heart Month, but January is just as important! The American Red Cross celebrates National Blood Donor Month this January and encourages you to have a heart and give blood, if possible. If you’re unable to give blood, there are other ways to give back and make a difference.
