Kids Helping Kids!

[Scrolling Days]

Here's something I'm definitely proud of......we just finished up our annual Harvest Festival fundraiser this weekend to benefit Kids Create Hope, and raised over $1,500!

We've had the foundation in place for 3 1/2 years now, and over that time, through events such as walks, and with fundraisers like these, we've managed to raise over $60,000 and have become a large contributor for pediatric cancer research at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

The goal of Kids Create Hope is to get kids to find strategies to raise money to fight this disease. A large part of what they do is to make crafts, which we then sell at our sales.

I enjoy being very involved in the Foundation, especially when it lends me an opportunity to share my scrollcrafting. Whereas with last year's sales, I dedicated most of my efforts toward my "Dragons For Dollars" puzzles, this year, I made bookmarks which actually feature designs made by the kids themselves.

Since we're not supposed to post scrolling projects in the Special Publicity Forum, I posted a thread detailing these bookmarks in the General Scrollsaw Forum:

Bookmarks Designed By Kids!

Check them out....they really were great sellers for us!




The show this weekend was an absolute blast!! The weather was perfect (sunny and crisp) and the kids really had a good time.

We usually have quite a few children who participate for these events, so we end up splitting them up into shifts. I always enjoy just sitting back and watching them interact with the customers and collect money for their sales. They learn about responsibilty, basic money handling skills, and really get a nice sense of satisfaction when we're done.




Besides crafts, we even had a couple of our "chefs" peddling baked good and cider!





I think we had one of the busiest tents in the whole Festival!!

[Scrolling Days]

A special thank you goes out to our own Bob Crane (Avapilot).....I met Bob personally at the Puzzle Parley recently, and the foundation had come up in conversation. A month later, he had remembered it, and offered to send a few creations for us to sell.....I got a great photograph, a puzzle, and this really awesome piece of word art in the mail.

Thanks Bob! (My lousy photography really doesn't do it justice, with the reflections and all)




Overall, the whole event was a tremendous success, and I'm definitely going to bed proud tonight, especially of all the work the kids did!

[frieke]

Thanks for sharing Shawn, I have a smile on my face.....

[jim_mex]

Hi Shawn - That's fantastic! It really doesn't surprise me to see you involved in this sort of event and I can imagine you going all out to help to help the kids. Hey, you are a big kid at heart after all aren't you?

I love the bookmarks, especially the fact that the kids got in on the designs which are really great Your jewels also add a really neat touch

May you continue to find way to raise funds for a very worthy cause and thanks pal for sharing the festival events with us. It really is nice to start the week off on a happy event and see all those great smiling faces.

Well done pal!

[KtownScroller]

Hi Shawn - I love the bookmarks that the children designed. Two of them really catch my eye. I better not say which ones. lol

$1500 is just wonderful! It's nice to see the kids getting involved in charity and having fun at the same time. Kudos to you and the kids!!!

[Wood Dog]

Congratulations on your success, great job by all involved...absolutely
Sweeeeeet to the Max!

[Huntter2022]

Shawn
Thanks for sharing it with us . This does a couple things I can see .
Helps out a foundation that is need .
Teaching the children valuable lessons that can't be given in a classroom.
They look like they are having fun , and don't need drugs to do it

[JohnB]

G'day Shawn,
Mate, you have done an excellent job (with help from all the ankle biters).

All I can say is "I'd like to shake your hand and buy you a beer or two"

You have an admirer in OZ.

Well done mate

[Big_red_S]

Congratulations on your success Shawn, beautiful story.

[Scrolling Days]

Thanks, everyone!

I have to admit, the weekend kicked my rear, though. I pretty much spent Monday and Tuesday in total crash mode, LOL.

I don't know how you folks who do craft shows on a regular basis do it....they're a lot of work (but fun)!