Home > Newsletter > November 2014 e-Newsletter

BIT-full-logoWhat better way to give thanks this holiday season than by making a donation to help critically ill children and their families through Believe In Tomorrow’s programs.


Just around the corner: #GivingTuesday

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What is #GivingTuesday, you ask?

#GivingTuesday is a national grassroots movement to kick off the 2014 giving season. On Tuesday, December 2nd, nonprofits around the world will come together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and give thanks!

Making a year-end, 100% tax-deductible gift to Believe In Tomorrow helps accomplish our overall goal: keeping families together during a child’s critical illness. So far this year, our donors helped us accomplish some amazing things, like:

  • Hosting nearly 20 weekly barbecues for families enjoying a summer beach respite
  • Offering overnight housing to an average of 65 families a month through our hospital housing program
  • Providing once-in-a-lifetime Hands On Adventures to 73 families around the country
  • Creating memories of a lifetime for more than 200 families who enjoyed a respite trip
  • Making numerous upgrades to our seven facilities to keep all our families comfortable during their stay

To those who already gave this year, THANK YOU for making this happen! And for those who have not yet made their 2014 gift, save the date to give thanks on #GivingTuesday!


Hands On Adventures across the USA

We’ve come to the end of another amazing season with our Hands On Racing and Bull Riding Adventures, which kept us criss-crossing the country all year long! Last weekend, 40 children and family members enjoyed the PBR World Finals in Las Vegas, meeting the bull riders, checking out the bulls (from a distance, of course) and cheering on their new friends during the eight-second ride of their life.

A couple weeks ago, another one of our families made headlines while on their Hands On Bull Riding Adventure in Allentown, PA. Read about Sam’s day with the PBR!

Did you know? During the winter and early spring, blimps “hibernate” in warmer areas of the country where the climate is more consistent. Over the next few months, the MetLife Snoopy One blimp will stay in the Florida region, while the Snoopy Two and DIRECTV blimps will be on the west coast in California and Arizona, providing week after week of blimp rides to Believe In Tomorrow children in those areas!

Our Hands On Bull Riding Adventures will also kick off in January 2015, so we look forward to sharing lots of adventure-packed news over the next few months!


Save the Date for 2015!

September was jam-packed with fun activities and events, so thank you to everyone who participated in one (or many) to support Believe In Tomorrow! Here’s a few news clips from some recent events:

Feb. 7th: A Night in the Spotlight
Our second annual prom fundraiser will be a fun night to reminisce your high school prom! Tickets are $30 per person and include an upscale buffet, champagne toast, live music, andvoting for Prom King and Queen. Tickets are limited and will sell out, so contact Wayne at 800-933-9470 or wlittleton@believeintomorrow.org to purchase.

March 19th: Spring Benefit & Auction
We are looking forward to celebrating our Annual Benefit & Auction in the spring! The 2015 event will take place at the Grand Masonic Lodge of Maryland in Cockeysville, MD from 6-11pm. More info to follow.

April 25th: Port to Fort 6k race
Save the date for our 19th Annual Port to Fort 6k race, presented by The Home Depot and named one of CBS Baltimore’s top running races! This family-friendly race tours through historic Fort McHenry before ending with a fun post-race party and catered picnic lunch.Online registration opens January 1st.

 


Family Story: Chansen, an inspiration to us all!

Chansen and family

Chansen and his family picking apples

Chansen and his family were thrilled to spend a week at the Believe In Tomorrow House at Pinnacle Falls to celebrate Chansen’s end of chemo this past summer. After a seven-year battle with leukemia, including a relapse, intense chemo, and surviving a stroke, Chansen and his family have so much to be thankful for!

Read more about Chansen’s story…


 BGE makes us BRIGHTER!

Thanks to a recent grant from BGE, the Believe In Tomorrow Children’s House at Johns Hopkins is looking a bit brighter! Nearly 500 light bulbs and fixtures have been replaced with LED bulbs, helping our hospital housing facility save BIG.

All of our lighting fixtures, interior and exterior, have been replaced with LED lights, which is a major upgrade from incandescent and CFL light bulbs. With such a large building accommodating up to 15 families at a time, these lights get a lot of use! Not only do the new LED bulbs make the house appear brighter and cleaner, but the BGE Green Grant also allows us to cut costs.

LED light bulbs ultimately have a longer lifespan than CFL or incandescent bulbs, allowing us to save on cost of purchasing and cut down on frequent bulb replacement. While a CFL bulb might last about two years, an LED bulb will last nearly 20 years! LED bulbs also use less electricity, emit less heat, and are overall better for the environment. This helps lower our electric bill and allows us to fulfill our mission of being an eco-friendly facility.

In addition, BGE has gone above and beyond by getting even more involved at the Believe In Tomorrow Children’s House, hosting several family suppers and organizing an amazing wish list drive with dozens of much-needed housing items for our hospital housing facilities! A big shout out to Bakhtavar Wykpisz for coordinating much of these amazing volunteer efforts.

Thank you, BGE, for making such a bright difference for our children and families!