Okay - Mary Murphy (who's always been cool) just got my vote for the Ultimate Human Being Award after sending out the Email below. If You have a moment, read it over. If You have some spare cash, consider donating some of it to people who don't.
(and yes, Mary asked that this Email be forwarded)
Congratulations, Mary and Victor. :-)
From: Mary Murphy
Date: Wed, Jul 2, 2008 at 8:02 PM
Subject: Our Big Give Wedding
Dear Family, Friends, and Colleagues,
I hope this finds you well and I'm writing to ask a favor. Many folks participate in runs or walks for charity, but Victor and I have had a brainstorm that we hope you will support. Inspired by Oprah's Big Give television show, we have decided to throw a BIG GIVE WEDDING in which we've challenged ourselves to raise $30,000 for two charities. Because our wedding is in September, we chose charities that target back-to-school time—providing weekend meals and school supplies to low-income Chicago school-kids who would otherwise go without.
We are asking everyone we know who might feel a connection to a charity drive that raises funds for kids' weekend meals and school supplies, to donate. Of course, in lieu of all weddings gifts and registries, we're also asking our guests to give to these charities too. Together we hope to reach our fundraising goal. Please read about our charities below or at our website and, if you are able, please donate at www.ourbiggivewedding.com. Donations flow directly to the charities (described below) through their secured websites. At just $2.50 for weekend meals, and $17 for school supplies and backpacks for a year, we can all give. Any amount gets us closer to our goal!
Our first charity is Nourish for Knowledge, a program of the Greater Chicago Food Depository. On Fridays during the school year, the Food Depository provides take home bags of food to children who would otherwise go without over the weekend. $2.50 feeds one child for the weekend. Our goal is to sponsor an entire Chicago Public School's program for one year. To give to Nourish for Knowledge, please click here.
Second, Kits for Kidz helps organizations provide school supplies and backpacks to low-income children. $12 buys school supplies for a child for one year, and a backpack costs just $5. The Erie Neighborhood House and its charter school will receive these school supplies and distribute them to its low-income, predominantly Latino and African American, students. Our goal is to raise at least 800 backpacks for the Erie Neighborhood House and Erie Charter School. To give school supplies, please click here.
We need YOUR HELP to make this give BIG! We hope this will have a direct impact on improving the lives of needy children, feeding them and readying them for the school year. Not only are we asking for your donations, but we're also asking you to reach out and get involved. FIRST, please VISIT Our Big Give website: www.ourbiggivewedding.com. Using the tabs at the top of the page, read about our charities, sign the guest book, and please give. NEXT, please FORWARD the message to people you think would be interested in supporting these charities.
In Chicago, the two of us are pursuing leads with several corporate donors who are interested in supporting these causes as well. Our charities have agreed to give recognition to organizations and business that give big through this project. We have also been in contact with the Oprah Show, which has given us the green light on OUR BIG GIVE WEDDING, and we've promised to keep them apprised of our success. So, together, we're off to the races!
Please let us know on the website what you think by signing our online guest book!
We're so excited to be able to begin our marriage in this way.
Thank you for helping us to GIVE BIG to these kids,
Mary Murphy
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