NEW IDEAS?!

[KateC]

HI ALL!!

Let's start looking at some new ways we can help other CDH parents. What kind of awareness activites or fundraisers can you think of?

I have thought about many things, but I do not always have the means to do them. I think it would benefit us all if we posted our ideas. That way if a member who has the means, can maybe borrow your idea if they like it!!

Some of the things I have looked in to or thought of doing is:

Adpot-A-Highway! NO MONEY REQUIRED!!!! You can contact your local AAH coordinator and set things up. You can google AAH to find out who your coordinator would be. So get this - you have to agree to pick up trash on a 2 mile stretch of highway for two years. They provide EVERYTHING!! A sign in your cherub's name or CHERUBS, they give you bags, garbage sticks, vests, traffic sign so drivers know you are on the road. FREE FREE FREE AND IT GETS AWARENESS OUT!! If each member did this, holy tamolie we'd cover a lot of road!!!!

Baby Bears for the NICU's. Buy some teddy bears from a craft store and donate them to the local NICU for your cherub or CHERUBS.

Candle making. Make tri color candles in the CDH Ribbon colors, sell them and donate the money to CHERUBS.

Get together with a local fire department and have a "Boot Drive" Ask the fireman to help coordinate with you for it. Half $$ to CHERUBS half to go to the FD. This is a HUGE media attention getter. The FD would eat this up! They love the camera to get spotlight on their department, and how better to say they are helping raise money for a Non profit!!

Get with your local school district and do a "Penny a Page" program. A parent agrees to donate one penny for each page his child reads. All of the money goes to a Non Profit and the child who has the most pennies gets a book related prize! Not only does it promote awareness, it promotes education!!!!!!!!!!!

That's all I can think of right now!

There are also many othe rthings you can do that we already have posts on:

GABE'S GIFT BAGS
ADOPT A HOSPITAL
CDH AWARENESS DAY FOR CHURCHES
PACKET PARTIES
JEWLERY MAKING
TRUFFLE SALES
BOWL A THONS
BAKE SALES
BLOOD DRIVES



I am looking forward to ANY good ideas you have. I mean any. Even if you thought about it, but never thought you would be able to do it!

LET'S GET CDH AWARENESS OUT THERE!!!

[Dawn Torrence Ireland]

Thanks for posting this, Kate! I can't wait to hear everyone's ideas!

[StephanieOlivarez]

Church Newsletters are a great way to spread CDH Awareness.
Wearing CHERUBS gear when out in public. Just telling one person--they may spread to all over.
Bumper stickers with CHERUBS on them.
Sending emails to everyone you know---people send to people they know..it goes on and on.

Telling YOUR CDH story to all you can.
Our girls wear their CHERUBS gear proudly to school...I can't tell you how many teachers and parents have aske what CDH is.

Giving CHERUBS cookbooks as presents. If someone has never heard of CDH or CHERUBS....they will most likely go and look. I know I would.

I have to think of more ideas..but as Kate and Dawn both have said...WE NEED YOUR IDEAS!!!!!
TOGETHER WE CAN SPREAD CDH AWARENESS---even with the simple things.

[KarlaHolt]

Are you looking for awareness ideas or fundraisers? The dress down day I had at work was a great success and TONS of people asked about CHERUBS and CDH.

I've been dying to send tons of e-mails to all the different parenting magazines begging for a story on CDH. Braden is cute enough to be a cover model, right? LOL

I don't know what the hospitals need but I was asked last week when I went Borders if I wanted to donate a book to the Children's Hospital. I'm guessing many hospitals are in need of books. Our NICU had a sibling cart for Brooke and many of the toys were in bad shape or missing things (puzzles w/o the pieces etc). Perhaps a toy drive is in need? How many hospitals have sibling carts? I know having it allowed us more time with Braden because Brooke was busy.

Still thinking here....

[Corin Nava]

I love the adopt-a-highway idea! I think I'm going to look into that!

I was thinking about doing some awareness cookies I found a cookie cutter in the shape of an awareness ribbon! I plan on cutting out some sugar cookies and decorating them with pink, blue, and yellow icing. I'll take some pictures!

I'll start brainstorming other ideas and come back....

I can't wait to hear everyone elses ideas!

[StephanieOlivarez]

Corin---I am so into cookies these days for some reason.
Can't wait to see the pictures of yours!!!!!!!!
The girls and I have been making cookies eveyday....what they come up with makes me smile!

[KateC]

Yup, Karla just looking for ideas!!

Like I said, I do not have money to do half the things that come to my mind, but I figure if we can all post our ideas, maybe another member could pick up on it!

Sending the newsletters out is a great idea! You can print a couple off an dtake the down to your local NICU!

Cookies - awesome. Who doesn't love cookies????? And would like some pics of them when you are all done!!

I LOVED LOVED LOVED your dress down day idea, Karla! Maybe since you are a teacher you can suggest the penny a page idea to your principal (or however that works).


C'mon people! I know you all have ideas you have once thought of that maybe you wanted to do but just didn't have time, or money!!!!!!!!!!