August 2011                                                        

Vol 2, Issue 8
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Infant of Prague     
Central California Adoption Service
A Toast to the Children 
wine glasses
Watch your mail box as invitations to our annual wine tasting fundraiser are coming your way. Be sure to join us on September 23rd for an evening of fine wines, hearty hors d'oeuvres, a beer garden, a fabulous silent auction and Surprise Boxes, all at the beautiful Fresno Art Museum. 

This is our only fundraising event of the year. There are several ways you can help to make it a success. Please consider a donation to our silent auction or a gift card for the Surprise Boxes. If you have time the day of the event, we would love your participation in setting up or closing and table break down at the end of the night.

New this year will be a digital display showing pictures of our IPAS families. Adoptive parents may consider sharing their story by manning the display some time during the evening. If you are interested in doing so or would like your family photos to be included in the presentation, please call our office or contact Stephanie Schmidt at sschmidt@infantofprague.org.

There are also still sponsorship opportunities available. We would love your involvement and appreciate anything you can do to help make this event a success.  Give us a call at 447-3333 for information or to share your ideas.  We look forward to your participation.
Quick Clendar
August 20 & 27
Adoptive Parent Class Series, 9:00am

August 25
Board of Director Meeting, 6:00pm

September 13
Orientation for prospective adoptive parents, 6:00pm

September 23
A Toast to the Children
Wine tasting event, 6:00pm 


Join our Mailing List!
Help Us Put A Surprise In A Box

 

 

Gift Cards needed for Surprise Boxes at "Toast to the Children" Fundraiser!

 

gifts 

 

 

Surprise Boxes have become a fun addition to our fundraiser. Surprise Boxes contain gift cards, gift certificates or cash, all in denominations of $25.00 or more. Guests purchase the boxes for $25.00, in lieu of a raffle ticket, as one of the boxes contains a grand prize. 

 

We would love $25 gift cards for the surprise boxes. Please ask your favorite restaurants (if you happen to be  having lunch or dinner) or a shop/grocery store/specialty boutique if they would donate a $25 Gift card for our fundraiser.

 

If they hesitate, how about offering to buy a $25 card to match their $25 card? Many establishments are happy to donate $25 to a worthy cause because they know it will bring a new customer who will spend more than $25.

 

 
Also, if you are in COSCO, note that they are selling several gift card items at reduced prices. For example: Yosemite Ranch Restaurants is offering 2 $50 gift cards for $79.99---treat yourself and Infant of Prague. A $50 gift card in the Surprise box would be a great prize and you can enjoy dinner for two with the other gift card! Cold Stone Creamery (a long time supporter of Infant of Prague) is offering certificates worth $35 for $24.99. Spring for the  offer and donate $25 worth of the certificates to our fund raiser and keep the other $10 worth to take your kids to Cold Stone Creamery! And the Movie Theater at Sierra Vista in Clovis is offering a $25 gift card for $19.99. Check your local COSCO for other opportunities.
 
If you have bonus points on an American Express Credit Card or miles on United or American or another airline and think you will never get enough points to actually get a free flight, go online and order gift cards using your points or miles. Also, check with your employer for possible donations.  He/she may also have unused points or other gift cettificates that have gone unused.

 

BE CREATIVE! Have a gift certificate you got for your birthday and never used? Donate it to Infant of Prague!!! Have chips from a local casino you never cashed? Bought tickets for a concert you can't go to (after September 23, of course). Want to do something nice for your hair dresser or nail technician...? buy a gift certificate

from them for a free hair cut or manicure or pedicure and donate it to Infant of Prague !!!

 

And of course there is nothing like cold hard CASH. Some folks like to make a donation to the agency and designate it for the "Gift Boxes".  There is nothing like the excitement of a person opening their gift box to discover a $100 bill, or any other denomination for that matter!

 

For more information please email or call. We have all the supporting paperwork for tax deductible donations and will happily acknowledge all donors!

 

Thanks for helping us make this event a success! 

 

 

Attention Runners and Walkers

 

 

Race Group 

 

 

We would love to have you join us November 6th for the Two Cities Marathon as we celebrate Adoption Awareness Month.  You can participate as part of a relay team for the half marathon, walk the half marathon, run the half marathon, or run the entire marathon.  You can check out details of the race at www.runfresno.com.  If you would like to participate with us please let us know as soon as possible so that we can order your IPAS technical shirt.  We will also take a group picture of the entire team before the race.  Feel free to contact Stephanie Grant at the office if you have any questions.  

 

 

Announcments

 

IPAS Play Group    Garrett and Ruthann Cuthbertson, a couple who adopted through IPAS,  have started a play group for adoptive families. Those interested in joining may contact them at rlc@jtwcpa.com.

 

Pictures for Web Site   We are in the process of designing the new IPAS website. It will include a photo gallery of IPAS family pictures. If you would like your family pictures included, please email them to jfelger@infantofprague.org.  

 

Ideas for next year's picnic  We're looking for a possible new location for next year' IPAS Family Picnic.  If there is a park in your community that could host the event, or if you have a suggestion, please email your ideas to jfelger@infantofprague.org. Thanks!