December 2008 - in this issue
Hands on Bullriding
 For a group of children, Round Three of the PBR World Finals was a very special night. The kids from "Hands on Bullriding" got the chance to meet their favorite bull riders, leave their marks on chaps, and even participate in the opening ceremony.
The "Believe In Tomorrow" foundation supports the program and has partnered with the PBR to bring critically ill children for VIP treatment and behind the scenes access at many PBR events.
"These are kids who are thinking about today's treatment or yesterday's treatment," said Founder and CEO Brian Morrison. "Getting them out, we hope, will create an inspirational moment." As compared to the previous two nights' ceremonies, this one was relatively tame. And, when the riders came into the arena, many of them came out holding hands with or carrying children. Some of the kids still had paint on their hands from marking the riders' chaps and various other surfaces, including a camera lens, and all of them stood next to their riders as they were introduced.
 "The important part is turning them on to following the riders," said Morrison. "We believe that focusing on the future is one step in the healing process.
Excerpt taken from the article: “Round Three notes and quotes: Hands on Bullriding and Out of the Chute” by Jamey Bergman on ESPN.com. November 3, 2008. See the whole article here http://sports.espn.go.com/rodeo/news/story?id=3679519
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The First Look at Giving
Film aficionados use You Tube. Photo sharers have Flickr. Writing fiends logon to Blogspot. Charities – and the wonderful people that support them – swap info through…FirstGiving.
FirstGiving.com makes building a Believe In Tomorrow community of donors and supporters as convenient as the YouTube/Flickr/Blogspot social networking sites we all know so well.
A message on FirstGiving’s page proclaims: “Our goal is to help people raise as much as they can for the causes they care about, by providing an excellent service to as many people as possible.” With 13,000 non-profits raising over $68 million, the Massachusetts-based web community has well surpassed what it initially set out to do. Believe In Tomorrow is one of the 13,000 non-profits with cause and satellite pages on FirstGiving’s site.
Even with the recent economic downturn, November and December are traditionally the best times to fundraise. FirstGiving reported over 35 percent of all fundraising takes place in the holiday months.
 Friends and family looking for a simple way to lend a hand can now do so at the click of a mouse button. FirstGiving’s easy navigation allows supporters to sign-up and begin fundraising right away. Children can host a school walk-a-thon for Believe In Tomorrow, families can raise money and awareness for a child’s birthday party, and friends can attract donors to support a specific initiative – or purchase an item off of our wish list for the holiday season. To view an example family page, please click here.
With the growth of charity networking sites like FirstGiving, Believe In Tomorrow will reach more families in more places than ever before. For more information or technical help with setting up a FirstGiving page please contact: jtouton@believeintomorrow.org.
 Create your own fundraising page!
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 Holiday Cards on Sale
Get ready for the holiday season with the new Believe In Tomorrow Holiday Cards, created by children in the Believe In Tomorrow programs! Visit our online store to order your cards today! Proceeds benefit Believe In Tomorrow programs.
Click here to order your cards today!
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Family Letter
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 Dear Believe In Tomorrow,
The Strawberry family would like to express its sincerest gratitude and appreciation for the heartfelt work of the Believe In Tomorrow National Children’s foundation. Through this phenomenal foundation my family and I have experienced some of the most rewarding, loving, and cherished vacation time ever. Our visits to the Believe In Tomorrow house on Wisp Mountain in Deep Creek, Md. were truly enriched and have provided many special and lasting memories.
We were introduced to your foundation because of our daughter Daryn, who was diagnosed at 18 months with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. Coupled with our strong faith and trust in God, the Believe In Tomorrow foundation has provided comfort, care and encouragement to what would be considered a long, hard journey. For that we are truly grateful.
 As a family I can’t tell you how appreciative we are that you provided Daryn and ourselves a break from the routine of hospital visits and medicine regiments. It was an absolute joy to see the smiles created by the generosity provided through Believe In Tomorrow and to experience the beauty and richness of the open air at the Wisp Mountain house.
Keep up the great work.
Sincerely,
Bernard, Charlene, Daryn & Lynell |
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Swim, bike, run for a cause
Are you an iron girl? Believe In Tomorrow National Children’s Foundation has secured ten registration slots for a fundraising team to participate in Columbia, Md.’s annual Iron Girl triathalon. General registration for the competition is already closed. Entrants participate in a .62-mile swim, 17.5-mile bike, and 3.4-mile run. Those interested in joining the team – and willing to pledge a minimum fundraising goal – should contact Brian immediately at bmorrison@believeintomorrow.org or call the office at 800-933-5470. |
Upcoming Events
Around the Corner: Ocean City Christmas Under the Stars Please join us from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, December 11 for an evening of holiday fun at the Seventh Annual Christmas Under the Stars Fundraiser at the Ocean City Golf and Country Club. Come and enjoy the sounds of the season as the Stephen Decatur High School Show choir entertains with favorite holiday classics and dance numbers. In addition to a cash bar, dinner will be provided by Boxy’s Salty Dog Saloon. Tickets can be purchased for $30 each, and $35 after December. A 50/50 raffle and an array of silent auction items will round out the evening’s entertainment. For more information or to purchase tickets please contact Wayne Littleton at 410-723-2842.
Up Ahead: Musical Fundraiser with Harry and the Fountainheads
 Looking to keep the party going after the New Year? Harry and the Fountainheads, with help from singer/songwriter Bill Paffenback, a soulful, acoustic soloist, will rock Reisterstown on Jan. 31. Harry and the Fountainheads channel the Beatles, Neil Young, the Grateful Dead, and a few older hits. The party starts at 7 pm at Hannah More School in Reisterstown, Md. The bands are requesting a donation of $10 for the evening, with all donations going toward Believe In Tomorrow. Light refreshments are available.
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Event Recap: The Faces of Giving
 Restaurateurs, volunteers, friends, and donors showed their support for Believe In Tomorrow National Children’s Foundation and its programs Nov. 8, attending the annual Benefit and Auction held at the Marriott Waterfront hotel in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Guests sampled seared tuna with edamame from the Rumor Mill and a variety of specialty cookies from Meli, among other things. Over twenty restaurants served tasty treats as guests readied their hands and pens to bid in silent and live auctions. Carl Dakes of Dakes Co. and the Baltimore/Annapolis chapter of the Painting and Decorating Contractors of America graciously accepted the 2008 Unsung Hero award for his tireless painting jobs in Believe In Tomorrow properties.
 Despite tough economic times, guests showed their support in whatever way they could and spent the evening listening to renditions of the Temptations and Shakira, performed by Power Play.
Believe In Tomorrow staff would like to thank all vendors, businesses, and individuals who donated goods or services, helping to make the 2008 Benefit and Auction a successful and memorable evening for all.
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Retreat Housing Update: A Wisp Mountain Winter Weekend Itinerary
 Friday
Brenda’s Pizzeria for Dinner
This eat-in or take-out establishment of Garrett County, just off Garrett Highway, provides an airy dining room perfect for the young and old alike. Start off the weekend getaway with a quick and easy stop at this community fixture. Grab hero sandwiches served on fresh nine-inch rolls, traditional make-your-own red and white Italian pizzas, or a serving of lasagna classico to fill up the crew for the long weekend of activities ahead.
http://www.brendaspizzeria.com/pizzeria/index.html
Catch a Flick
When bellies are full, hop over to Garrett Eight Cinemas, just one and a half miles down Garrett Highway. Tickets are $4.75 for children under 12 and $7 for adults.
http://www.garrett8cinema.com/
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Spotlight: The Coccia’s Harbor Home
 When Robin Coccia and her husband, Dean, first opened front door of the Children’s House at St. Casimir, the striking Arizona desert-red of the foyer walls brought back a rush of memories.
“My husband and I used to live in Canton [where St. Casimir is located],” says Robin. “That was the exact same color of our old living room. And everything you could possibly need was right there.”
For Robin, the impact of having everything she needed was magnified because of her daughter’s unique situation. Chloe Coccia, now 19 months and in complete remission, has Down’s syndrome...
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 The Believe In Tomorrow Children’s House at John’s Hopkins: A collection of care
By Edison Leung
Whenever I volunteer at Believe in Tomorrow’s Children's House, I always get this special feeling as if I am back home at my parents’ place. I thought it was rather strange for me to feel that way, so one day, while walking through the house, I tried to pinpoint what actually gave me that feeling.
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Lockheed Fiesta at The Children’s House
Families at The Children’s House at Johns Hopkins were treated to a Mexican Fiesta by employees of the Lockheed Martin Corporation. The group, who wore sombreros and supplied the families with maracas, also presented The Children’s House with a generous donation of one thousand dollars. Ole!
Volunteer Opportunities at our hospital & retreat houses:
Baltimore
Ocean City
Deep Creek |
My first thought: the feeling came because the house was beautifully arranged just like how my mom used to do it back home. There are plenty of decorative art pieces around and the place is well-kept. But that answer did not satisfy me since any well-kept place gives me that feeling.
I began to think it was because the house was set up like a home with televisions, equipped kitchens, and comfortable couches. That answer still did not satisfy me because I didn’t get these feelings when I visited other people’s homes.
The Children’s House feels homey, but not because of the cleanliness, furnishings, or even the building itself. The place feels like home because care radiates from every aspect of the house just like my parents’ care for me does when I’m home.
The decorations, the couches, the beds, the food - everything in the house is a memento of the time and effort put in by the volunteers and staff to make the place as comfortable as possible for the families and children. It is the culmination of their care and compassion for the residents during the difficult times.
As that realization dawned on me, I could not help but smile. People can make a positive difference in others’ lives. The house stands as a testimony to that.
I also realized that whenever I go to offer my time and energy to volunteer at the Children’s House, I am contributing to that cause, helping to make tough times a little less rough for the families. That thought is immensely rewarding. It makes volunteering completely worth it.
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Volunteer-of-the-Month: Joe, the Thanksgiving Elvis
 For Joe Forester, the Thanksgiving holiday means a trip to the Believe In Tomorrow Children’s House at Johns Hopkins and dressing up as Elvis.
Last year Joe, who has organized donations, volunteers, and cooked dinners every Thanksgiving for ten years, changed into his Elvis impersonator costume to entertain during the meal and take pictures with the children.
“I have a brother that I never met that passed away from leukemia at 5-years-old and it’s kind of a way of honoring his memory,” says Joe about his Thanksgiving volunteer efforts...
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 Easy Holiday Blanket Making
Submitted By Amy Hargadon
Materials: two pieces of fleece fabric approximately one and a half to two yards long, scissors.
1. Choose one piece of fleece fabric with an appropriate holiday theme (snowflakes, penguins, presents, etc…) for the gift-receiver and another bold color to match the first swatch of fabric.
2. Lay out fabric and make sure both pieces are aligned.
 3. Use scissors to cut through both pieces, creating fringe about one half inch thick by three inches long. Cut around the entire periphery of the blanket.
4. Tie all fringes in a double knot.
5. Package and gift wrap, or, cuddle up on the couch by the fire!
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