Archive for December, 2010
Last Chance to Sponsor a Zip Code in 2010
Before you ring in the new year, make your gift of any amount to Zip the Cure. You can sponsor a zip code for $100 or make a contribution of any amount.
Today is your last chance to make your gift to a charity of your choice in 2010.
Visit www.zipthecure.com to make your gift right now. All gifts received before the end of today are tax deductible in 2010.
Zip the Cure is a 501c Charity and proceeds benefit JDRF. We do not have a paid staff, only volunteers from throughout the country.
Thank you and Happy New Year!
Monica
Curling for a Cure
Halfway around the world, a twelve year old girl started Curling for a Cure.
Girl planning bonspiel to raise money for diabetes research
SYDNEY — A desire to make things a little better for others with Type I diabetes has motivated an Albert Bridge girl to raise thousands of dollars for research into the disease.
Lena Chiasson Curling for the Cure
Lena Chiasson, 12, began raising money for the cause in 2006 when she decided to pick out some of her toys and games to sell to raise money. With the help of her family, she eventually began the annual Curling for a Cure event, which is in its fourth year. Over the years she has raised thousands of dollars, including more than $3,000 at last year’s bonspiel.
“For kids like me, who hate taking needles every day and poking your fingers, I just want all that to stop,” Chiasson said.
She said her health is good.
“I’m taking really good care of it and all of my family is supporting me and helping me out,” she said.
As for why she decided to hold a bonspiel, Chiasson noted her parents have curled for years and she and her brother began curling in the past year.
“I thought it was just a good idea to get everyone curling,” she said.
Chiasson noted a great deal of work goes into organizing the event every year, from sending letters to local businesses, to letting people know that the event is coming up, registering teams and picking up donated prizes.
“It is all worth it in the end,” she said.
The project has garnered a great deal of support from the community, she noted, with more than 80 prizes donated by area businesses last year alone.
All funds raised go to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
Chiasson will host her annual Curling for a Cure event at the Schooner Curling Club in Sydney on Jan. 7-8. The event is open to 32 teams, and there are currently about 18 teams registered. For more information or to register a team, call 564-9474.
From the The Cape Breton Post.
Original story can be found here: http://www.capebretonpost.com/News/Local/2010-12-28/article-2076951/Girl-planning-bonspiel-to-raise-money-for-diabetes-research/1
Last Minute Gift Idea
Are you looking for a last minute gift idea? Something socially responsible and worthwhile, without even leaving your home?
How about a sponsorship of a zip code? For only $100 you can sponsor one of our remaining zip codes, under the sponsorship name of your choice.
Click on the map and zoom in to see if your desired zip code is still available. If this amount is out of your budget, donations of any size can be made. Gift the gift of research this year!
We are a IRS approved 501c Charity, and we are staffed entirely by volunteers. Our proceeds will benefit JDRF, and will fund diabetes research. Donations are 100% tax deductible.
For more information, please check out our website at www.zipthecure.com.
May you and your family enjoy a very Merry Christmas.
Monica
Initiative launches global campaign for JDRF
by Katherine Levy, 22 December 2010, 9:16am
Initiative is launching a no-cost, worldwide campaign to drive awareness of the research undertaken by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). The campaign, called The World Smiles, will appear in more than 50 markets around the world, without incurring any media or creative cost. The World Smiles features images of healthy, smiling children from across the globe, which drive users to www.theworldsmiles.org, where they are asked to say what makes them smile and are invited to donate directly to the JDRF. Mediabrands’ Initiative is partnering with media owners in all key advertising markets across the world, to run the campaign for free on television, radio, online, email, outdoor, and in newspapers and magazines. The World Smiles, which will run from 26 December into January 2011, was created by Initiative-owned Puerto Rican creative agency, Sajo García Alcazar. The site was created by online marketing agency Ariadna. In addition, the IPG creative network McCann Erickson has also offered its services to Initiative and JDRF free of charge. The agency will manage translations and adaptations in all markets where the campaign is running. Mauricio Sabogal, worldwide managing director, Initiative, said: “It is vital that large, global companies such as Initiative play their part in charitable activities.” Jeffrey Brewer, president and chief executive of the JDRF, said: “We are pleased that Initiative has decided to invest its time and resources to support JDRF. This holiday campaign will help promote the important work we are doing to find better treatments and a cure for the millions of people around the world living with type 1 diabetes.” The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International is the worldwide leader in funding research to find better treatments and a cure for type 1 diabetes.
original story can be found here: http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/channel/GovernmentNonProfit/article/1047457/initiative-launches-no-cost-global-campaign-diabetes-charity/JDRF Check
Last week I visited JDRF Headquarters in New York to donate our first check. Here is the picture of the check presentation with Dr. Insel, the Chief Scientific Officer of JDRF.
- December 13th 2010 Check Presentation
Thank you to all of our supporters and volunteers. This milestone could not have happened without you. Together, we are making a difference!
We are staffed entirely by volunteers and we are an IRS approved 501c Charity. Our proceeds benefit JDRF.
If you are looking for a great year end charity to support, please visit www.zipthecure.com to see how you can help us. You can support your own zip code for $100, or choose to participate at ANY level; $5, $10, $25 or $50.
Thanks!
50 States
Thanks to Anne Atwood, we are now in all fifty states! Anne was one of our early supporters, and she recently emailed me to see how many states in which we had supporters. I told her that we had eight states without sponsors. Anne stepped up and sponsored zip codes in eight states! Thank you so much for this. One of our goals with Zip the Cure was to have sponsors in all fifty states, and we have now achieved this. Thank you Anne!
News Article
We have great news this week. On Monday, Zip the Cure appeared in Marketwatch.com:
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/teenagers-nonprofit-raises-thousands-for-research-2010-12-13
Normally, I do not blog about news stories, but this is our first national coverage, and we are so excited.
We found sponsors for new zip codes and set a record for daily visits to the Zip the Cure website!
End of our First Year
It is hard to believe we are at the end of our first full year. We went live on November 14, 2009. Last year at this time, we were a brand new non-profit. Now, one year later, we have found many sponsors for zip codes, and have made friends throughout the country.
We can all be very proud of what we accomplished this past year. We now have over 550 zip codes sponsored, and this month, we are donating our first check to JDRF.
Our goal with Zip the Cure is simple; find generous people from throughout the country to sponsor zip codes. To that end, we have been successful. We now have sponsors in more than half of the fifty states.
Today I would like to thank everyone for your generous support. Some of you sponsored zip codes, others sent what they could, $50, $10, $25 or $5. You all supported research to find a cure for this horrible disease.
As we come together this holiday season, and as you are thinking about end of year contributions for tax purposes – I urge you to join me in making a contribution to Zip the Cure. Your gift of $100, $50, $25, $10 or $5; whatever amount you can afford will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you your for your continued support.
Teen with diabetes vows to pick up Santo’s mission
Original story with video can be found here: http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=7835001
Seventeen-year-old Lauren Hermsen developed a close bond with Santo after she was diagnosed with type-1 diabetes. ABC7′s Evelyn Holmes reports she will not let the inspiration she received from Santo go away.
“It’s going to be a hard day,” Lauren said before Friday’s visitation.
It was a thought Julie Hermsen shared with her daughter — as the teen struggles with the realization that man who inspired her to succeed is gone.
“Today is definitely going to be difficult, because it’s hard to imagine life without him,” said Lauren.
The Gurnee High School student last saw Santo in June at a charity golf outing.
While most knew him only as a Chicago Cubs legend and broadcaster, to Lauren, he would become a friend and mentor. Fate brought him to her to help her battle the disease of diabetes that also afflicted him.
Lauren says he taught her not to let the disease stop her from her dreams.
“I’ve known him my entire life with diabetes and never have heard him say a negative thing,” said Lauren. “I think that that definitely had an affect on how I’ve dealt with it.”
The family first met Ron Santo after Lauren was diagnosed with type-1 diabetes at 2 years old. That’s when her grandfather — who played in a tennis league with the baseball great — reached out to him for guidance and direction.
Lauren’s mother says Santo was particularly supportive when in fifth grade Lauren nearly died from diabetes-related complications after she had her tonsils removed.
Julie Hermsen says so much is owed to Ron Santo in his fight to help find a cure for children with the disease.
“He advanced diabetes research by the millions and millions,” said Julie Hermsen, Lauren’s mother. “And so where would diabetes be today if Ron Santo weren’t involved? I think that’s what people should look at.”
The Hermsens say Santo remained positive even after he lost both legs to diabetes and never slowed down in his support of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
There is still no cure for diabetes. That’s the reason why, as she says goodbye, Lauren vows to finish what Ron Santo started.
“He’s gone now,” said Lauren. “I’m going to keep fighting for him. It’s what he would have wanted.”
Santo was diagnosed with the disease when he was 18. He said his greatest thrill outside of the Major Leagues was his work toward finding a cure.
Lauren Hermsen says Saturday’s gala to raise money for finding a cure will be dedicated to Ron Santo.
