2018 World Health Run – Run With Us or Follow Along on Social! #GlobalHealth #Running #HealthForAll #PeaceCorps @WorldHealthRun

April 6, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Follow us on social media tomorrow as we participate in the very first World Health Run!

In order to raise awareness of health equity, health as a human right, the many challenges some people face in seeking health care, and the challenges that health systems face in trying to provide comprehensive care, we are gathering stories and reflections from individuals around the world. We will highlight responses to questions on social media in the hopes of encouraging an open conversation that represents everyone.

Please go to www.RealVoices.World to participate!

We are very proud that this event offers the opportunity for individuals and groups to support some pretty terrific organizations and their high-quality work.

We are all proud, of course, to be a part of the Consortium of Universities for Global Health. The 2018 conference was inspiring and we were thrilled to be a part of it. In addition, the Rotary Club of Chicago, National Peace Corps Association, and Peace Care are collaborators in this effort. Take a look at their websites to see what kind of work they do. We’ll be telling you more about them through social media, as well.

In addition, this run supports many local organizations and the communities with whom they partner around the world. We will distribute a report several weeks after the run to let you know about these groups, and we will distribute a follow-up report later in the year to let you know about the impact of our collective effort.

Our principal goal is to raise awareness about health equity in the U.S. and Globally. If you are keen to learn a bit about the topic, the World HealthOrganization is a great place to start.

Did you know that:

  • In the U.S., “Native Americans and Alaska Natives have an infant mortality rate that is 60 percent higher than the rate for their white counterparts. 1 In 2013, infants born to African American mothers experienced the highest rates of infant mortality (11.11 infant deaths per 1,000 births), and infants born to Asian or Pacific Islander mothers experienced the lowest rates (3.90 infant deaths per 1,000 births).2” 3
  • Globally, every day, about 800 women die due to complications of pregnancy and childbirth. Maternal mortality is a health indicator that shows very wide gaps between rich and poor, both between countries and within them.4

(these are quoted directly from Baciu 2017 – referenced below)

We believe that by bringing broader communities together to advocate for better health.

Check out our 2018 World Health Run Music Mix!

We are thrilled that this event is gaining traction as being a premier opportunity for committed individuals and organizations around the world to come together to raise awareness about health equity.

Virtual World Health Run

Date: April 7, 2018

For World Health Day 2018, as stated during registration, there isn’t a physical run near you. Therefore, you will be participating in the VIRTUAL RUN. (We are working diligently to organize a physical run near you year. We’ve made a lot of connections this year and we are already making some terrific plans for moving forward).

DIRECTIONS:
As a VIRTUAL runner, you have a terrific opportunity to plan out a terrific route and raise awareness. We encourage you to get a group together if possible.  If you need some help planning a route, www.plotaroute.com is a terrific resource. Not only can you plan your own route, but you can locate previously planned routes near you.  Please let us know if you find a route that would be a great location for a physical run for next year!

We recommend that you go for your run on April 7, World Health Day, so that we can unite around the world on that day. With that being said, the virtual run does afford a degree of flexibility that can be convenient for those that are traveling or experiencing other challenges with their schedule.

We would love for you to engage with us on social media when you do run. Help us show the world that we care about health equity.

Above all, go have a great time, wear your shirt with pride, and feel good about this event. We are making an impact together.

Listen along to the Official World Health Run Music Mix! Let us know what we should add.

Filed Under: charity/notforprofit, fitness, health Tagged With: , , , ,

6th Annual Walk for Kids Growth & Festival

April 3, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Join the community for the 6th Annual Walk for Kids’ Growth on Saturday, April 28, 2018, at Flushing Meadows Park (at the Fountain of the Planets), from 11 am to 3 pm. The event will feature a 3-mile scenic, fun walk, FREE food, carnival games, display booths, live entertainment and much more! This is the nation’s largest fundraising event for childhood growth disorders and rare genetic diseases. The Walk raises significant funds and awareness for the disorders, celebrates patient advocacy and honors those who have reached new heights. All ages and leashed pets are welcome. Sign up (FREE) to participate at www.WalkForKidsGrowth.org.

 

 

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TO WRITE LOVE ON HER ARMS HOSTS 5K FUNDRAISER

February 26, 2018 by Leave a Comment
to write love on her arms
On Saturday, April 14, 2018, To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA) will host its 6th Annual Run For It 5k at the David R. Schechter Center in Satellite Beach, FL. The Run For It 5k started in 2013 as a chance to reach the local community and share a message of hope and help in a new way. Since then, TWLOHA has witnessed hundreds of people running for health, recovery, or in memory of a loved one. Additionally, the Run For It 5k has evolved from several hundred people in Satellite Beach, Florida, to thousands running in all 50 states, and over 10 different countries across the globe.
“I am always in awe of the dedication and passion so many bring to the Run For It 5k every year, from rallying people to create a team to fundraising for hope and help. Whether you’re participating for the first time or the sixth time, we invite you to move for something that matters.” said Elizabeth Wilder, Race Director and TWLOHA staff member.
This year’s local event will offer a delicious pancake breakfast for all registered runners served by Backwater, Downtown Melbourne’s hottest restaurant! TWLOHA will also be presenting awards, supplying family-friendly activities, and offering dozens of raffle prizes to all registered participants as well.
To register for the Run For It 5k, sign up online at RunForIt5k.com.
Individual registration costs $27 ($32 on race day). For teams (four runners or more), registration costs $24 per individual-team registration will be unavailable on race day. Children 11 years and under are $17 ($22 on race day). Pancake breakfast is included for all registered runners but meals can be purchased for $5 by friends and family.
For more information about the Run For It 5k, or if you are interested in becoming a sponsor or volunteer, please contact RunForIt5k@twloha.com.
About TWLOHA

TWLOHA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide. TWLOHA has donated more than $2 million directly into treatment and recovery and responded to more than 200,000 messages from people in more than 100 countries. For more information, visit twloha.com.

Run For It 5k Details
●TWLOHA is hosting its 6th Annual Run For It 5k fundraiser on Saturday, April 14, 2018, at the David R. Schechter Center in Satellite Beach, FL.
● Race begins at 8:00 a.m.
● There is a virtual component to the race, which means people can participate in their own communities.
● Early registration costs $27 for individuals and ends April 13. After, registration is $32. Team registration costs $24 per runner on or before April 13. There must be a minimum of four runners per team. Team sign-up is not available on race day.
●  Maintaining physical health is integral to maintaining positive mental health.
●  TWLOHA is a nonprofit that presents hope and finds help for people struggling with mental illnesses.
Filed Under: charity/notforprofit, fitness, health Tagged With: , , , , ,

Healthy Humane Menu Plus a Giveaway!

December 14, 2017 by Leave a Comment

With all of the garbage that is put in our food today, it is important to be conscientious about where your food is coming from. Not only that – but where your meat is raised is a BIG deal. By buying welfare-certified animal products, or more plant-based products, you send a strong message to food companies that you care about the treatment of farm animals. Most of the nearly 9 billion animals raised for meat, milk, and eggs in the US are suffering in inhumane factory farms. I know – it is disgusting and sad to even think about it. But where DOES your meat come from?

A normal medium size family spends hundreds of dollars each month on things like chicken, beef, and sausage. As consumers, most of us do not realize just how powerful we are. As a group, we have the power to make something a success or even push to have something inhumane pulled from the shelves. But it takes us as one collective to actually get it done.

ASPCA Healthy and Humane

It is time to put a STOP to these inhuman conditions and we, as consumers, can fully harness the power of our collective purchases and demand better lives for farm animals with the Shop With Your Heart initiative launched by the ASPCA. This initiative gives consumers the resources to recognize, locate and demand meaningfully welfare-certified meat, eggs and dairy products as well as plant-based alternatives.

Here are five simple ways to become a more aware and welfare-conscious consumer when shopping for your family’s groceries.

  1. Eat Seasonally – Eating foods in season means that you’re able to buy from a more local economy and avoid having your food ship from other countries. This means fresher foods picked at peak ripeness too!
  2. Shop Locally – CSA’s and local farmers’ markets help support local, often smaller scale, farmers, and ranchers who are producing outside of the traditional factory-farm system. If you aren’t sure where to start, visit your local farmers’ market and start asking some question – this guide will get you started.
  3. Conquer Labeling Confusion – Marketers create confusion with their flashy labels and clever catch-phrases. But unfortunately, sometimes they care more about finances than transparency. Words like “natural” or “humane” often don’t have any oversight to actually tell you as a consumer anything concrete. However, some phrases and labels do have regulations associated with their use, and that’s what you can start to look for as a savvy shopper. Here’s a guide to labeling to get you started.
  4. Be Careful to Minimize Waste – One of the ways we can treat the animals used for food respectfully and humanely is by making the most of the food we purchase. Purchase only what you know you’ll use and serve the right sized portions to avoid wasting what your family buys.
  5. Look for Certifications That Mean Something – Unlike marketing gimmicks, there are certain certifications and awards that have true meaning. For example the USDA Organic label shows that the produce grown (or fed to the animal) didn’t use banned pesticides. Others include Animal Welfare Approved or Certified Humane

See The Good Groceries Guide for more information about how our shopping habits impact the lives of those around us – animals included.

WILL YOU TAKE THE PLEDGE?

Take the pledge to be a more welfare-conscious shopper: aspca.org/shopwithyourheart. Everyone who signs the pledge also gains access to an exclusive Shop With Your Heart Grocery List, including welfare-certified and widely available plant-based brands.

ASPCA Healthy and Humane

MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

To fully harness the power of our collective purchases and demand better lives for farm animals, the Shop With Your Heart initiative gives consumers the resources to recognize, locate and demand meaningfully welfare-certified meat, eggs and dairy products as well as plant-based alternatives.

SHARE YOUR BUYING POWER!

Post a photo of yourself on your social media channels or use one of the resources here to show your friends, family and co-workers you are a part of the movement with sample language like:  “Join the movement with me and pledge to #ShopWithYourHeart! aspca.org/ShopWithYourHeart @ASPCA.” 

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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How to Make a Difference

October 24, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Do you wish you could make a big difference to other people’s lives? Well, it doesn’t have to be difficult. There are many ways you can transform the daily lives of people in your community or across the globe. Find out how to make a difference.

Give Blood

Are you aged between 17 to 65 years old? If so, you should give blood. All you need to do is find a local blood donor center, see if you are eligible to donate, and make an appointment. Giving a pint of blood will take ten minutes out of your day, but the benefits could last a lifetime for those in urgent need of your blood type. Before you do so, though, ensure you a fit and healthy, and are wary of your health at the time of donation.

Donate Your Platelets

If you have a little more time to spare and have healthy veins, you could also donate your blood platelets, which are often required for individuals who are undergoing chemotherapy or an organ transplant, or for those who are living with a blood disorder or have experienced a life-threatening bleed following surgery. The process takes approximately 90 minutes to complete and will filter your blood through a cell separator to remove the platelets and return the blood to your body. You can also donate your platelets up to 13 times per year.

Make a Charitable Donation

Making a charitable donation can make a significant difference to the lives of many people. For example, you can support top cancer charities to fund essential research and improve care, which can transform the lives of adults and children across the globe. After all, cancer touches the lives of many families across the globe, as there were an estimated 1,685,210 new cases in the United States alone in 2016.

Register as an Organ Donor

Registering as an organ donor takes only a few minutes out of your day, but can change the lives of many people. Sign the organ donor register and inform your loved ones about your intentions, so they will respect your wishes once you pass away. You can also choose the organs you are happy to give to others, which can extend the lives of more than one person. To do so, register with your state’s Organ Donor Registry, simply select ‘Yes” when applying for a driver’s license or sign a donor card, which you should keep in your purse or wallet.

Vote

If you want to make a difference to the lives of others, you must use your vote. Whether you are male or female, young or old, voting gives you a voice in society. So, don’t sit quietly and wait for the wrong decision. One small vote can make a big difference to an election campaign, which will ensure the right candidate wins so that they will have a positive impact on society.

Have you got any top tips on how to make a difference to other people’s lives? We’d love to read your advice and opinions in the comment section below.

Filed Under: charity/notforprofit Tagged With:

THE MUDDY PUDDLES PROJECT FOR PEDIATRIC CANCER RESEARCH TO HOST 5th ANNUAL ‘MESS FEST’ FEATURING PEPPA PIG

July 21, 2017 by Leave a Comment

More than 3,000 Children and Families to Attend ‘Woodstock for Kids’ in Honor of Ty Louis Campbell – with Giant Mud Pit, Ziplines, ‘Slopstacle’ Course,
Food Fights, ‘Slime Times,’ Splatter Paint, and Much More!

WHAT: The Muddy Puddles Project 5th Annual Mess Fest! Hosted by the Muddy Puddles Project for childhood cancer research, the can’t-miss event honors Ty Louis Campbell, who lost his battle with brain cancer at the age of 5. Ty loved kids’ TV character Peppa Pig and dreamed of jumping in muddy puddles, just like Peppa, when his cancer was cured, but he never got the chance. In remembrance of Ty, the special event is devoted to letting “kids be kids” in honor of those who can’t. Attendees of all ages are encouraged to laugh, play – and get messy! – at this “Woodstock for kids” for an amazing cause!

Among the highlights of the 2017 Mess Fest are:

        • A special visit from the one-and-only Peppa Pig, star of the hit preschool series on Nick Jr. – who loves jumping in muddy puddles!

        • Thousands of adorable kids in action with ziplines, climbing walls, “slopstacle” course, splatter paint, “slime time,” pie tosses, food fights, and much more

        • A giant mud pit for muddy puddle jumping – of course!

WHO: More than 3,000 kids and families to attend, plus special guest, Peppa Pig!

WHEN: Saturday, August 5, 11am-4pm (rain or shine!)

WHERE: Kiwi Country Day Camp, 825 Union Valley Road, Mahopac, NY 10512

WHAT ELSE: The Muddy Puddles Project was created as a fundraising platform for the Ty Louis Campbell (TLC) Foundation for childhood cancer research to improve the survival rates for all children diagnosed with cancer. Parents everywhere participate by taking photos of instances where they let their children have some extra messy fun, and share the photos, along with uplifting stories, with the MPP Facebook Community. A series of Muddy Puddles Project Mess Fest events and Welly Walk fundraisers take place each year, and supporters are encouraged to host their own! 

Filed Under: charity/notforprofit

#DonateStuffCreateJobs to Strengthen Your Community

April 27, 2017 by Leave a Comment

I travel a ton, which all of you know. When I travel, I enjoy bringing home keepsakes. Most of those keepsakes I enjoy for years. Some of them just end up collecting dust. As part of my annual spring cleaning routine, I go through my collection of keepsakes and decide which ones have value to me and which need a new home. Once I have a large enough collection of things to donate- I bring them to the Goodwill.

#DonateStuffCreateJobs

Do you do any sort of spring cleaning? If you don’t then I am here to motivate you to start. Why? Well because if you participate in Spring Cleaning, and donate the things you no longer love to Goodwill, you help create jobs in your community! #DonateStuffCreateJobs

Goodwill’s career centers, training programs, and staffing operations give people the resources, skills, and confidence that changes thousands of lives each year.

So how can you help to be a part of this growth and effort in your own community? It’s easy! Donate to Goodwill = create jobs!

Sometimes it feels hard to get rid of things, but with the right motivation, you can get rid of almost anything. Have some old books lying around? 10 of them equals 15 minutes of on the job training. What about that pair of jeans you’ve held onto since high school that doesn’t fit? Those are 9 minutes of training!

Thanks to the programs and support services made possible by donations of clothes and household items, Goodwill helped place more than 312,000 people in jobs in the United States and Canada in 2015 – that’s one person finding a job every 23 seconds of every business day.  

#DonateStuffCreateJobs

Why do I donate? Because what I may not want or have a use for may be perfect for someone else! If we have perfectly good items that can be loved by someone else, why not help our community? If you are not sure where your local Goodwill is, you can use the Goodwill Locator App available for Android and iOS devices and at http://www.goodwill.org/ (click “Explore Our Map” on the homepage). Simply input the items you’re donating to calculate the number of hours of career counseling, on-the-job training, résumé preparation, financial planning classes, and other services you’ve helped provide people facing challenges finding employment. When jobs thrive, communities thrive.

Last year, nearly 2 million people engaged in face-to-face Goodwill services to advance in their careers. More than 35 million people accessed education, training, mentoring and online learning tools offered by Goodwill virtually to strengthen their skills and gain industry-recognized credentials.

How many minutes or hours of on the job training can you unwanted things earn?

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Diggerland and local non-profit join forces to organize philanthropic event

April 18, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Diggerland USA has partnered with the SAMBULANCE Program, a 501 c(3) non-profit tasked with fostering special needs safety education. The entities will co-host Dig, Dine and Drive, an annual fun-filled evening set to take place on Friday, June 9th from 6:00 to 10:00 PM.

Tickets for the all-inclusive event, priced at $30 each and now available online, include: live entertainment, a BBQ buffet, auction, specialized stunt show, as well as access to all the park’s various attractions.

Proceeds will support the continued education and safety of special needs individuals through the non-profit, which offers free hands-on training. In 2016 alone, over 22,000 students across New Jersey and Pennsylvania were reached by the SAMBULANCE team.

“Being able to provide lifesaving presentations is so rewarding,” said Annie Peters, Executive Director of SAMBULANCE. “The special population we reach is particularly vulnerable in emergencies. Knowing that we are making a difference in helping them stay safe, makes this job really special. Emergencies are daunting experiences, so allowing exposure to emergency personnel, vehicles and situations is vital.”

SAMBULANCE also works with Diggerland USA and Sahara Sam’s Oasis to host park events catered to the special needs community. These events, along with Dig, Dine and Drive have been made possible through ongoing support from Nemours DuPont Pediatrics in Voorhees. A number of both local and national companies have donated over $5,000 in raffle items for the auction, including Virtua and TD Bank.

To make a donation, provide sponsorship, purchase tickets or receive additional information on the June 9th event, visit: http://digdinedrive.org.

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