Fresh Air Fund Trips Start June 30th

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A favorite charity that I promote is the Fresh Air Fund that helps boys and girls, six to 12 years old, who reside in low-income communities in New York City, to enjoy the experience of spending two weeks of life outside the city each summer.

Sara Wilson of the Fresh Air Fund says they have been thrilled with all of the interest generated within the blogosphere for Fresh Air children. Next week on June 30th they will have their first departure of Friendly Town trips. They have trips going to Southern & Central VT, New London area CT, Great Barrington, MA, Latham/Albany area, Ontario, Rochester area. Everyone is so excited that the children are coming into these homes and towns and that it's the first day visiting for summer 2010. Host families are still needed. For more info on becoming a host go to Host Family Program.

The Fresh Air Fund relies on donations to provide memorable summers for NYC children and a generous donor has offered to double all donations received by June 30th, 2010. For example, your gift of $24 becomes $48, good for TWO round trip tickets from NYC to camp. To make a donation go to Donate Now.

“You Have the Power to Save Lives – Register to be an organ and tissue donor & Tell Your Loved Ones of Your Decision”

Register to be a donor in Ontario or Download Donor Cards from Trillium Gift of Life Network. NEW for Ontario: recycleMe.org - Learn The Ins & Outs Of Organ And Tissue Donation. Register Today! For other Canadian provinces click here

In the United States, be sure to find out how to register in your state at ShareYourLife.org or Download Donor Cards from OrganDonor.Gov

In Great Britain, register at NHS Organ Donor Register

In Australia, register at Australian Organ Donor Register

Your generosity can save up to eight lives with heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas and small intestine transplants (see allotransplantation). One tissue donor can help 75 to 100 other people by donating skin, corneas, bone, tendon, ligaments and heart valves

Has your life been saved by an organ transplant? "Pay it forward" and help spread the word about the need for organ donation - In the U.S. another person is added to the national transplant waiting list every 11 minutes and 18 people die each day waiting for an organ or tissue transplant. Organs can save lives, corneas renew vision, and tissue may help to restore someone's ability to walk, run or move freely without pain. Life Begins with You

The Fresh Air Fund NEEDS host families for the Summer of 2010

One of my favorite charities is the Fresh Air Fund that helps boys and girls, six to 12 years old, who reside in low-income communities in New York City, to enjoy the experience of spending two weeks of life outside the city each summer.

I've just received this note from Sara Wilson of the Fresh Air Fund and I'm pleased to share it with you.

"Hi Merv

I know it's still winter time but the countdown to Summer 2010 has begun and The Fresh Air Fund is again in need of host families. If you could help get the word out on Merv Sheppard’s Transplant Network it would really go a long way in helping to place these children into a loving host family home for a fresh air experience they will never forget.

I've put together a new social media release to make it simple to repost, so please feel free to use any of the images, graphics, banners, or copy:

http://freshairfundhosts.com

Please let me know if you are able to post or tweet and if you have any questions. Your efforts can help a child have an experience that will change their life!

Thank you so much,

Sara
--
Sara Wilson,
The Fresh Air Fund"
Fresh Air Fund

“You Have the Power to Save Lives – Register to be an organ and tissue donor & Tell Your Loved Ones of Your Decision”

Register to be a donor in Ontario or Download Donor Cards from Trillium Gift of Life Network. NEW for Ontario: recycleMe.org - Learn The Ins & Outs Of Organ And Tissue Donation. Register Today! For other Canadian provinces click here

In the United States, be sure to find out how to register in your state at ShareYourLife.org or Download Donor Cards from OrganDonor.Gov

In Great Britain, register at NHS Organ Donor Register

In Australia, register at Australian Organ Donor Register

Your generosity can save up to eight lives with heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas and small intestine transplants. One tissue donor can help up to 100 other people by donating skin, corneas, bone, tendon, ligaments and heart valves

Has your life been saved by an organ transplant? "Pay it forward" and help spread the word about the need for organ donation - In the U.S. another person is added to the national transplant waiting list every 11 minutes and 18 people die each day waiting for an organ or tissue transplant.

Run the NYC Half-Marathon with The Fresh Air Fund!

On March 21st, the Fresh Air Fund-Racers will take to the streets at the NYC Half-Marathon! Thank you to the Fresh Air Fund-Racers and their supporters for participating in this world class event. You are making a huge difference in the lives of thousands of Fresh Air children!

One of my favorite charities is the Fresh Air Fund that makes it possible for boys and girls, six to 12 years old, who reside in low-income communities in New York City to enjoy the experience of spending two weeks of life outside the city each summer. Not only is the New York City Half-Marathon a major fundraiser for the Fresh Air Fund, it is also a very popular event that is sold-out every year.

Participants in this year's event were chosen by lottery and the winners were announced Wednesday. But as Sara Wilson, Outreach Coordinator for the Fresh Air Fund notes in her memo, there is still a chance for those who missed out on the lottery. Also, some runners may be eligible for a guaranteed entry into the NYC Half-Marathon based on time standards, charity programs and other criteria. Click here for info.

"Hi Merv

Happy 2010! Hope all is well.

I have updated information on the NYC 1/2 Marathon. The NYC lottery closed last night and winners were announced today. The FAF team still has spots available and think interested runners will start researching teams to join if they didn't win a coveted lottery spot. We would be appreciated if you could mention this in an upcoming post or tweet if there is an interest.

Readers can sign up/research further at the Registration Page.

Please let me know if there is any interest.

Cheers!
Sara"

“You Have the Power to Save Lives – Register to be an organ and tissue donor & Tell Your Loved Ones of Your Decision”

Register to be a donor in Ontario or Download Donor Cards from Trillium Gift of Life Network. NEW for Ontario: recycleMe.org - Learn The Ins & Outs Of Organ And Tissue Donation. Register Today! For other Canadian provinces click here

In the United States, be sure to find out how to register in your state at ShareYourLife.org or Download Donor Cards from OrganDonor.Gov

In Great Britain, register at NHS Organ Donor Register

In Australia, register at Australian Organ Donor Register

Your generosity can save up to eight lives with heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas and small intestine transplants. One tissue donor can help up to 100 other people by donating skin, corneas, bone, tendon, ligaments and heart valves

Has your life been saved by an organ transplant? "Pay it forward" and help spread the word about the need for organ donation - In the U.S. another person is added to the national transplant waiting list every 11 minutes and 18 people die each day waiting for an organ or tissue transplant.

Run the NYC Half-Marathon with The Fresh Air Fund! March 21st

On March 21st, the Fresh Air Fund-Racers will take to the streets at the NYC Half-Marathon! Thank you to the Fresh Air Fund-Racers and their supporters for participating in this world class event. You are making a huge difference in the lives of thousands of Fresh Air children!

One of my favorite charities is the Fresh Air Fund that makes it possible for boys and girls, six to 12 years old, who reside in low-income communities in New York City enjoy the experience of spending two weeks of life outside the city each summer.

(The half-marathon is a major fundraiser but the Fresh Air Fund relies on donations this time of year to keep programs strong for the summer months)

This year's campaign has been a huge success according to the following I just received from Sara Wilson, Outreach Coordinator for the Fresh Air Fund and it warms my heart to see that so many children were able to get away from their tough neighborhoods to enjoy the pleasures of the country.

Hi Merv

I hope you're doing well this holiday season. The Fresh Air Fund is looking for runners and sponsors to join our Fresh Air Fund-Racers team for the NYC Half-Marathon this coming March 21st and I was hoping you might be able to post something about it on Merv Sheppard’s Transplant Network to share with your readers. This is a great way to participate in NYC's premier summer road race while helping Fresh Air Fund children.

Over the last year, support from friends like you helped us give nearly 10,000 inner-city children country experiences that they're still talking about! We rely on donations this time of year to keep our programs strong for the summer months, and helping children is a cause that I'm sure your readers would be interested in. Please feel free to repost anything from our news site here:

http://freshairholiday.org

Note: from the above link you can register for the NYC half-marathon, make a donation or get more information. Merv.

Please let me know if you are able to post or tweet and if you could send me the link that would be wonderful. Together we can help make sure these children have everything they need!

Thank you so much and have a happy holiday,

Sara
--
Sara Wilson,
The Fresh Air Fund
sara@freshair.org
http://www.freshair.org

*********

The story of Brandon Mendoza and the McKnight family

Brandon Mendoza was just a young child when he first visited the McKnight family in Cape Cod, Massachusetts through The Fresh Air Fund's Friendly Town program. Little did anyone know that the relationship formed that first summer would blossom into a lifelong friendship. To this day, the McKnights remain a constant source of support and love for Brandon and feel that he is now just another member of the family.

Check out Brandon's story below!

Free eye exams and glasses for Fresh Air Fund children

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One of my favorite charities is the Fresh Air Fund that gets children out of the hot and steamy inner-city of New York and into the country each summer. Not only does the Fresh Air Fund help in this way but they also provide assistance and services that are needed in many other ways. One such service is the partnership with OneSight to provide free eye exams and glasses to children that need them. This summer 1,629 pairs of glasses were made and I'm happy to post this note I received from Sara Wilson today.

"Hi Merv

I wanted to let you know about a partnership we are very proud of here at The Fresh Air Fund. This past summer OneSight reached out to us and helped over 3000 Fresh Air children by making sure that every child who needed the gift of sight was screened. The Fresh Air Fund is so happy OneSight and their traveling optical clinic are able to help at Fresh Air camps. I was hoping you could post a mention on Merv Sheppard’s Transplant Network to help this worthy cause. I've created a new social media microsite which explains everything:

http://freshairvision.org

By supporting The Fresh Air Fund we are able to partner with Onesight to provide free eye exams and eyewear to the children who need them each year. Please let me know if you are able to post or have any questions.

Thanks so much,

Sara"

--
Sara Wilson,
The Fresh Air Fund
http://www.freshair.org

“You Have the Power to Save Lives – Sign Your Donor Card & Tell Your Loved Ones of Your Decision”

Register to be a donor in Ontario or Download Donor Cards from Trillium Gift of Life Network. NEW for Ontario: recycleMe.org - Learn The Ins & Outs Of Organ And Tissue Donation. Register Today! For other Canadian provinces click here

In the United States, be sure to find out how to register in your state at ShareYourLife.org or Download Donor Cards from OrganDonor.Gov

In Great Britain, register at NHS Organ Donor Register

In Australia, register at Australian Organ Donor Register

Your generosity can save up to eight lives with heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas and small intestine transplants. One tissue donor can help up to 100 other people by donating skin, corneas, bone, tendon, ligaments and heart valves

Has your life been saved by an organ transplant? "Pay it forward" and help spread the word about the need for organ donation - In the U.S. another person is added to the national transplant waiting list every 11 minutes and 18 people die each day waiting for an organ or tissue transplant.

Nearly 8,000 NYC children enjoyed summer in the country

Click image to Donate to The Fresh Air Fund and change a child's life forever

All year long I've been promoting the Fresh Air Fund to help boys and girls, six to 12 years old, who reside in low-income communities in New York City, to enjoy the experience of spending two weeks of life outside the city this summer. This year's campaign has been a huge success according to the following I just received from Sara Wilson, Outreach Coordinator for the Fresh Air Fund and it warms my heart to see that so many children were able to get away from their tough neighborhoods to enjoy the pleasures of the country.

Hi Merv

I wanted to thank you for all of your help this past year spreading the word about The Fresh Air Fund. We had nearly 8,000 children enjoying their best summers yet. All of the wonderful folks who blogged, posted banners, tweeted, and joined our Facebook Page and Cause have just been amazing. We put together a video montage of images from the summer and some other fun stuff here to thank you:

http://freshairfund-news.com

If you'd like to share this wonderful news with your readers or followers that would be fantastic. If you haven't become a fan or our Facebook Page, please do - http://facebook.com/freshairfund and our twitter handle is @freshairfund.

Again, thank you so very much

Sara

Visit the Fresh Air Fund home for information on making a donation, becoming a guest host or volunteer and participating in the 2010 NYC half-marathon which raised $80,000 for the children in the 2009 event.

***********

“You Have the Power to Save Lives – Sign Your Donor Card & Tell Your Loved Ones of Your Decision”

Register to be a donor in Ontario or Download Donor Cards from Trillium Gift of Life Network. NEW for Ontario: recycleMe.org - Learn The Ins & Outs Of Organ And Tissue Donation. Register Today! For other Canadian provinces click here

In the United States, be sure to find out how to register in your state at ShareYourLife.org or Download Donor Cards from OrganDonor.Gov

In Great Britain, register at NHS Organ Donor Register

In Australia, register at Australian Organ Donor Register

Your generosity can save up to eight lives with heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas and small intestine transplants. One tissue donor can help up to 100 other people by donating skin, corneas, bone, tendon, ligaments and heart valves

Has your life been saved by an organ transplant? "Pay it forward" and help spread the word about the need for organ donation - In the U.S. another person is added to the national transplant waiting list every 11 minutes and 18 people die each day waiting for an organ transplant.

Help inner-city children enjoy summer in the country

I received a special request from Sara Wilson of The Fresh Air Fund in New York City asking me to help by promoting it on my blog, which I'm very pleased to do.

Sara notes that "The Fresh Air Fund is looking for runners and sponsors to join our Fresh Air Fund-Racers team for the NYC Half-Marathon on August 16th. Last summer's NYC Half-Marathon was a huge success and the Fresh Air Fund-Racers raised more than $125,000. We are also still in need of Friendly Town hosts for next month. Host families open their hearts and home to a NYC child who would not otherwise have the opportunity to escape the hot, crowded city streets."

In our transplant community we often talk about the "Gift of Life" that transforms us and presents us with a lifetime of opportunities. To my way of thinking, that 'transformation' can also take place when children are given the "Gift of Fun" that has the potential to open the door to a lifetime of opportunities for them.

How to help Fresh Air Fund children have some fun this summer

• Run in this year's New York City Half-Marathon August 16th (Maybe you would have liked to have gone to Australia for the World Transplant Games this year but couldn't due to financial and time constraints - Here's a chance to take part in something worthwhile closer to home.)


• Host a Child - thanks to host families who open up their homes for a few weeks each summer, children growing up in New York City’s toughest neighborhoods have experienced the joys of Fresh Air experiences.


• Donate to The Fresh Air Fund - Every year, The Fresh Air Fund gives thousands of inner-city children the priceless gift of fun – and opens the door to a lifetime of opportunities.

Any help you can give to make it possible for a child to escape the hot, crowded city streets this summer will be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Merv.

“You Have the Power to Save Lives – Sign Your Donor Card & Tell Your Loved Ones of Your Decision”

Register to be a donor in Ontario or Download Donor Cards from Trillium Gift of Life Network. NEW for Ontario: recycleMe.org - Learn The Ins & Outs Of Organ And Tissue Donation. Register Today! For other Canadian provinces click here

In the United States, be sure to find out how to register in your state at ShareYourLife.org or Download Donor Cards from OrganDonor.Gov

In Great Britain, register at NHS Organ Donor Register

In Australia, register at Australian Organ Donor Register

Your generosity can save up to eight lives with heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas and small intestine transplants. One tissue donor can help up to 100 other people by donating skin, corneas, bone, tendon, ligaments and heart valves

Has your life been saved by an organ transplant? "Pay it forward" and help spread the word about the need for organ donation