Tuesday, January 26, 2016

2016 Relay for Life in Gresham Oregon

The American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Gresham will host a kickoff event on February 9th from 6:00-8:00 PM at Gresham Ford as volunteers and participants launch fundraising efforts for the year.  Come join in the Carnival antics as they anticipate 2016 with hope and opportunities in this new year.  The kickoff will honor cancer survivors and caregivers, and will feature speakers from the community who have benefitted from the funds raised at Relay For Life. Those interested will also be able to register to participate in the carnival themed event to be held on June 25, 2016 beginning at noon at Main City Park.
Relay for Life Logo

The world’s largest grassroots fundraising movement, Relay For Life mobilizes communities throughout the country to celebrate people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost and provide participants with an opportunity to fight back against cancer.  This year, Relay For Life will take place in nearly 6,000 communities in the United States and 20 other countries and will raise funds to support the mission of the American Cancer Society to save lives by helping people stay well, by helping people get well, by finding cures, and fighting back.

For more information about the upcoming kickoff, please contact Annie Tunnicliffe at 315.219.6328, annetunnicliffe@yahoo.com, or visit http://relayforlife.org/greshamor. Sign up for Relay For Life of Gresham today and help our community finish the fight against cancer!

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Cruise for Charity

Sue Piazza's Fab 50 ProjectSeveral years ago Sue Piazza did something that I am still in awe of….she set out to raise $50,000 for charity in the one year prior to her 50th birthday – well she exceeded her goal and raised over $70,000 for 6 local charities.  She did everything from bake sales to auctions but it was all fun!  So when she mentioned to me a couple weeks ago that she had a great idea for local non-profits to raise money – I knew it must be something big and as with all of her projects – FUN – but this is more than fun, it’s an adventure!

Do you want to see the beauty and history that lines both sides of the Danube on a Luxury European River Cruise?  Who wouldn’t! In addition, you have the ability to earn $1,000 per person to a qualified charity.  Yes that is right….$1,000 per person!  So, this beautiful vessel has 75 rooms of double occupancy so that is $150,000 for charity and all while you take the trip of a lifetime at a competitive price from a competent, caring local travel planner – Sue Piazza of Bucket List Travel Tours.
YMCA Camp Collins

Bob and I signed up immediately and our donation is going to Y.M.C.A Camp Collins where kids are able to experience the beautiful, great outdoors under the kind and caring leadership of Willard Burks and staff.  Each year scholarships are given to local kids who would not have the financial ability to attend Camp without this support.  So, while we Cruise - kids will ride horses, sing around the campfire, swim, climb walls, and in general have the camp experience all kids dream of.  We know we will have a remarkable time on the Cruise but by providing $2,000 to a local charity with no additional expense on our part, we will truly have the “time of our lives”.

For more information on how you can cruise for your favorite charity – please call Sue @503-926-4419 or sue@piazzapatrick.com or visit her website at bucketlisttraveltours.com.

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Thank you for helping to end hunger in East County

Once again, the outpouring of generosity from this community has had overwhelming results!  The pounds of food collected during this year’s Fill-A-Bag Food Drive for SnowCap brought in approximately 555,520 pounds of food!  And with the help offered from the Oregon Food Bank, $.05 can buy a pound of food so all the cash donated was stretched well beyond normal costs!  So, a huge THANK YOU  to this amazing place that we live where neighbors care about neighbors and also, an organization like the Oregon Food Bank with the resources and willingness to help!
Fill-A-Bag Food Drive for SnowCap Community Charities supported by the Gresham Ford Staff

This year, with the donations pouring in from the Fill-A-Bag food drive, SnowCap Community Charities was able to feed 2,545 FAMILIES, that’s about 10,000 individuals during the month of December.  Any time of year is hard for families that are struggling just to survive, but the holidays are even harder when there’s too much month at the end of the money.  With your help, these families were able to enjoy gathering with their family and friends for this holiday season around the table for a good meal!

A little insight into the world that SnowCap reaches, these are working families and senior citizens that just need a little extra to keep going.  Only 10% are actually homeless and the goal is to give these folks a hand up so they don’t end up on the streets. A wonderful story from this past year, a family that struggled for 3 years, with assistance from SnowCap they were able to get back on track and they were the first to donate back to SnowCap with $2,000 that kicked off the December 2015 donations!

But don’t forget about our struggling neighbors throughout the year!  A nickel can buy a pound of food through SnowCap and the Oregon Food Bank so it’s something everyone can do.  Get your kids involved and show them that giving can really make a difference!!

Thursday, January 7, 2016

Thank you for participating in the 2016 Fill A Bag Food Drive for Snow Cap Community Charities

Another season has ended for our annual Fill-A-Bag Food Drive for SnowCap as well.  This morning at Riverview Community Bank will be the final recap but there’s still time to clean out your cabinets and pantries! Stop by Gresham Ford, Riverview Community Bank, Stamp Connection or Balance Health & Injury Clinic and they’ll be glad to get your contribution counted in for the final tally!   Stay tuned next week for the results of this year’s food drive.  Last year we were able to fulfill SnowCap’s needs for three months. That’s a huge deal, and it’s all because of this generous caring community! So, thank you again to all who participated to make this a success once again!
Fill-A-Bag Food Drive for Snow Cap at Gresham Ford