| BEARTWEEN THE LINES |
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 Dear Friends,
Exciting news is about to come your way!
Soon, you will be receiving information on how you, our generous supporters near and far, can really help Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation in our mission to eliminate pediatric cancer and to provide hope and support to those who are touched by it.
Over the last 18 years we have received countless calls from across the United States asking if there was an organization like Bear Necessities that could help children in their geographic location. Sadly, we have had to notify those people that there was not. Now that Bear Necessities is confident that we are meeting the needs of the children in our own backyards, we have developed the Bear Hugs Program to provide family support services across the United States and further our reach to these children and families.
Watch for specific email information to hit your inboxes, as well as posts on our website. Should this already spark your volunteer interests, please contact Elyse Barson, Programs and Services Manager, and she will make sure you receive the information as soon as it is ready.
Thank you all and please remember that over 12,500 children will be diagnosed this year with some form of pediatric cancer, and without your help we can't begin to make an impact on their lives.
Fondly,
Kathleen
President/Founder |
| SMALL MIRACLE LIST |
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We receive many requests for the following and would appreciate any help you could lend with providing these to children:
- Chicago Blackhawks Tickets
- Hockey Equipment
- American Girl Dolls
- Jewel Grocery Gift Cards
- Walmart Gift Cards
If you are interested in helping fulfill a child's Small Miracle by purchasing items, helping fund a special experience or making a restricted donation to this program, please EMAIL or call Elyse at 312.214.1200 x25.
All donations will receive proper acknowledgement for tax purposes. |
| BEARLANTHROPY |
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| Ethan Berman, a leukemia survivor, recently celebrated his Bar Mitzvah. Instead of receiving gifts for this wonderful event, he asked all of his guests to make a donation to Bear Necessities.
In all, Ethan raised $3,000 for BN!!
Congratulations Ethan on celebrating your Bar Mitzvah and thank you for thinking of Bear Necessities. Your generosity will create many Small Miracles for children battling cancer. |
| THANK YOU CHICAGO WHITE SOX |
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Bear Necessities recently received $15,000 from the Chicago White Sox Community Fund, a fund of the McCormick Foundation to support our Family Support Service Program! The Chicago White Sox Charities' support will help us provide financial assistance to hundreds of families' essential and immediate needs throughout the year. Thank you to the Chicago White Sox Charities for its continued support!!! |
| GIRL SCOUT TROOP 161 VISITS BN OFFICE |
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Last week while on spring break, Girl Scout Troop 161 from Algonquin, IL took the Metra to Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation.
They came with a mission; to create goodie bags filled with toys, toiletries and cookies to be distributed to patients and familes at future Hopital Meals hosted by BN. Although the troop purchased some of the items that they used, they were quite successful with soliciting for donations. They brought all of the items and spent some time assembling bags.
In addition to their project, they had the opportunity to meet the BN staff and learn more about the organization's initiatives and the role that each staff person plays to make BN's initiatives successful.
Oh, and of course they brought Girl Scout cookies for BN staff to enjoy! Thank you very much Troop 161 for all your efforts. It was such a pleasure to meet all of you!
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| HANA K |
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Hana K's Alpaca Tube: The most versatile accessory you could experience. It is multi-purpose, user friendly for any occasion and a great gift.
Purchase this lovely Alpaca tube and 10% of your sale will go directly to Bear Necessities.
to view the Alpaca tube. Call 847.914.0445 or email pierre@hanak.com today. |
| NATIONAL CHEESE FONDUE DAY! |
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Sunday, April 11th is National Cheese Fondue Day! All 5 Illinois Melting Pot locations will donate $10.00 of every cheese fondue ordered to Bear Necessities. Enjoy some fabulous food while giving back at the same time!
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| OFFICE NEEDS |
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| Bear Necessities is always in need of paper for all of our office needs. If you or someone you know is able to donate, please contact NelliRose at 312.214.1200 x21. |
| JOIN OUR LIST |
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FEATURED SMALL MIRACLE |
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TJ
TJ, 6, was very excited for his Small Miracle at the Monster Truck Show! He was sent a Monster Truck t-shirt, hat, book and video to prepare him for the big night. TJ and his family started the night going to dinner and then made their way to the Allstate Arena for their special night!
The Monster Truck Show Staff greeted TJ and his family and gave him VIP treatment. They met and took photos with many of the drivers, received autographs, and even had a behind the scenes sneak peek before the show began. TJ had a wonderful night!
A special thanks to Brian Rog, Manager of Public Relations at Feld Motor Sports, for making TJ's Small Miracle fantastic! |
| HOSPITAL OUTREACH |
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Loyola University Medical Center
 Volunteers from Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation brought smiles and cheer to patients and their families on St. Patricks's Day at Ronald McDonald Children's Hospital of Loyola University Medical Center.
Noah, 11, and his dad
Volunteers wore green, decorated the playroom, and encouraged patients and their families to get in the spirit by wearing green hats and beads. Lunch was served and green and white cupcakes were enjoyed for dessert!
Volunteers visited with patients and provided each of them a blanket made and donated by Bear Necessities' volunteers. Thank you Debbie Flores, Laura Kohler, Elizabeth Stiles and Christine Spencer (pictured above) for taking the time to volunteer with us at Loyola. The patients and their families enjoyed spending time with you.
Interested in volunteering at our next hospital outreach event? Know a business that would donate lunch? CONTACT US today! |
| AUXILIARY BOARD SPRING EVENT |
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| March Madness for Miracles
March Madness for Miracles was hosted last month by the new members of Bear Necessities' Auxiliary Board at 565 W. Quincy. Guests were well entertained with bowling, billiards, ping pong and the NCAA Tournament games on every T.V. The evening ended with many raffle winners and an after party at Crossroads Bar & Grill. Over $4,000 was raised to help more children battling cancer.
Thanks to the Auxiliary Board members for organizing the event, all who attended and all of the generous sponsors who made the event possible. |
| CHICAGO BEARS YOUTH FOOTBALL CAMP |
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| Sign up to support BN!
Calling all rising football stars! Sign up for the Chicago Bears Youth Football Camp and support Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation! The week-long camp will help your future Chicago Bears player build confidence, skills and an appreciation for the game. Until the camps are sold-out, $20 of your registration will benefit BN.
 Last year, almost 2,000 kids participated in Chicago Bears Youth Football Camps! With 27 community-based locations across Northern Illinois, the program offers kids a safe, non-contact and outstanding football instruction experience. Recently, the camp was named "Best in Illinois" by Sports Illustrated for Kids.
Registering in support of Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation is easy! Visit www.BearsCamps.com and click the "Register Now" tab. Upon being asked for a registration code, enter BenefitBNPCF.
This is a wonderful opportunity for your football star to participate in a fun summer camp while also supporting our mission to eliminate pediatric cancer and to provide hope and support to those who are touched by it. Questions or comments, please contact the Chicago Bears Camps directly at 312.226.7776. |
| VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION MONTH |
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April is Volunteer Appreciation Month! In 1992, a small band of dedicated volunteers helped form Bear Necessities. Eighteen years later, volunteers continue to drive us forward in our mission. Our thanks go to each and every one of our volunteers for the generous donation of your time and talents!
Volunteer Recognition Reception Save the date! Bear Necessities' Annual Volunteer Recognition Reception is Thursday, April 29th from 6:30-8:30 PM at the BN office | 55 W. Wacker Drive., Ste. 1100.
Cocktails, appetizers, awards and more in grateful appreciation for all that our volunteers have done and continue to do for Bear Necessities! RSVP to Karen by EMAIL or call 312.214.1200 x29 by Monday, April 19th.
MVP Volunteer Awards
Nominate a volunteer to receive Bear Necessities' MVP Award for distinguished service, commitment to our mission, representation of our values, and promotion of our philosophy. Submit the volunteer's name and a brief example why he or she should be considered for MVP by Thursday, April 15th, 2010.
New Volunteer Orientation
Want to volunteer for BN? Fill out a volunteer profile HERE. Then come to a New Volunteer Orientation:
April 10th at 10:00 AM
May 4th at 5:30 PM
May 8th at 10:00 AM
RSVP to Karen by EMAIL or call 312.214.1200 x29. |
| TEAM BEAR 2010 |
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| The Challenge
Planning to run a full or half-marathon, or any race this year? Add a charity focus to your personal achievement! Join Team Bear today and raise money for kids battling cancer.
Last year, a dedicated group of over 100 athletes pounded miles of pavement and raised close to $100,000 for our critical programs. You can run ANY race and be part of Team Bear....such as:
The CARA Lakefront 10 Miler on April 24th, the Door County Half Marathon and Nicolet Bay 5k on May 1st, the Magellan Development Chicago Spring Half Marathon on May 16th, the 13.1 Marathon on June 13th.
Team Bear is an official charity with the The Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon on August 1 and the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on October 10th.
**Team Bear has post close marathon entries available!**
Contact Karen by EMAIL or 312.214.1200 x29. |
| WELLS FARGO HOME MORTGAGE |
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Sharing Advantage® Program
We are excited to be partnering with Wells Fargo Home Mortgage through its Sharing Advantage® Program, which will enable you to make a difference in the lives of pediatric cancer patients when you purchase your next home - and the great news is that there is no cost to you! The Sharing Advantage® Program allows WFHM clients to support Bear Necessities just by doing business as you normally would. When you close on a home purchase loan with Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, the company will make a $300 contribution to Bear Necessities!!
How does it work?
- Contact WFHM to secure your next home purchase loan or refinance
- Tell the consultant that you are interested in participating in the Sharing Advantage® Program and your consultant will ask for additional information about Bear Necessities, which we will gladly supply upon request
- Donations are made by WFHM without any additional charge to the mortgage transaction. So, this is completely free to you!
- WFHM will send Bear Necessities $300 on your behalf!!
The program is offered nationwide; however, may not be available in some communities. To learn more about the program, please contact Demond O. Johnson, Home Mortgage Consultant at 312.432.1468 or demond.o.johnson@wellsfargo.com. |
| CALENDAR OF EVENTS |
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to view all upcoming events
Monday, April 12 - Cross Town Showdown Basketball Game | Arlington Heights, IL
Thursday, April 29 - Volunteer Recognition Reception | BN Office | 6:30 - 8:30PM | RSVP to Karen by EMAIL or call 312.214.1200 x29 by April 19th.
Saturday, May 29 - Western Springs Tower Trot
Saturday, June 5 - Monday, June 7 - American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting & Exposition | McCormick Place
Monday, June 7 - 3rd Annual Joey Dworak Memorial Golf Outing | Bensenville, IL
Friday, June 18 - 11th Annual Bob Panzino Memorial Golf Outing | Hoffman Estates
Saturday, June 26 - Kids for Cancer 56 | |
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