Posts Tagged ‘charities’

Earlier in the year I wrote a blog post about five things in Atlanta I thought you should care about. This  is not that post.

For the most part everyone has a couple charities that they hold near and dear to their heart.. A lot of times you can’t even explan why that organization means so much to you, there is just something about their mission that touches your heart.

These are my organizations. They’ve been adopted over the years for different reasons. Some came from work, others college and a couple are just life long loves. If you don’t have a charity that you support, feel free to adopt one of mine. I love them all and would be more than happy to share.

Bert’s Big Adventure - Being one of those long-time forever fans of The Bert Show (since I was 15), I remember the first day the show went live on the air. I also remember the time Bert Weiss announced that he would be taking a group of terminally and chronically ill children to Disney World for the experience of their young lifetimes. I was hooked and I have never looked back. I love that trip. I love the families. I love hearing their stories of support, of love, of strength. If you haven’t checked out the BBA website, do so today.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital – This was my second charity. I picked it up in college as my sorority’s philathropy of choice. I was able to visit the summer after my junior year for recruitment and it was one of the most moving experiences I’ve ever had. You walk through the halls to see children riding tricycles or being pulled in red wagons. There are murals and colors and a teen room and everyone is warm and friendly. All of the counters, rooms, doorways, toilets, etc are small and child-sized because the children are the patients and they need to understand their illnesses. If you’re unfamiliar with St. Jude it’s a children’s hospital specializing in children’s cancer. St Jude patients only pay as much as insurance covers. St. Jude takes care of the rest.

Alex’s Lemonade Stand – Another favorite. Mostly because I love the story behind the organization. “Shortly before her first birthday, Alex was diagnosed with cancer. On her first birthday, the doctors informed Alex’s parents that if she beat her cancer it was doubtful that she would ever walk again. Just two weeks later, Alex slightly moved her leg at her parents’ request to kick. This was the first indication of who she would turn out to be – a determined, courageous, confident and inspiring child with big dreams and big accomplishments. By her second birthday, Alex was crawling and able to stand up with leg braces. She worked hard to gain strength and to learn how to walk. She appeared to be beating the odds, until the shattering discovery within the next year that her tumors had started growing again. Read the rest of this entry »