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1 Spring 2024Spring 2024 HopeNotes MagazineHopeNotes Magazine Meet HopeKidMeet HopeKid GibranGibran Meet Our HopeCrew meet five volunteers who share their favorite memories serving HopeKids families2 Contents Volume 7, Issue 1 Spring 2024 Features 3 Volunteer Hours 4 Meet Our HopeCrew 6 Program Partners 8 Get Involved On the Cover Cover photo by Tana Hughes Gibran is 13 years old and is a Duchenne muscular dystrophy warrior. He is a big fan of building with Lego, cooking and playing video games. His family joined HopeKids almost a year ago and their favorite events have been the concerts they have seen. The concerts have provided them with an opportunity to spend time together singing along to the artists they love listening to! “We have gone to new places and tried various new things through HopeKids. Spending that time together has allowed us to bond and to create wonderful memories.” - Lorena, Gibran’s momVOLUNTEERS all HopeKids acr os s chapters donated 10,809 HOURS in 2023 to families who have a medical condition child wi th a life-threateningM ark an d Hope Kid James in 201 7 Che niah shares her con tag iou s sm ile Meet Our HopeCrew This month, we want to introduce you to few members of our HopeCrew, the term we’ve dubbed our volunteers. These are individuals who have a true passion for HopeKids and, whether they recently joined our team or have been serving for years, always show up to support HopeKids families. We are honored to call these people “friends” and to have them as a part of our community. Take a minute to read about their favorite events and why they share their time with HopeKids! We just launched our brand new volunteer platform, which will make it even easier for HopeCrew members to sign up to serve at events. We’re always looking for incredible people, like you, to join us in providing hope. If you’re interested in learning more or applying to become a volunteer, please visit www.HopeKids.org/Volunteer. Nic olle as Prin ces s Peac h with her prince ss frie nd s Phy llis helping HopeKids colle ct the ir pr ize tic ke ts Meet Nicolle, a Colorado state board member and regular HopeCrew volunteer who regularly goes above and beyond to serve families at events. “People who know me well know that I love any occasion that requires a costume or dressing up. One of my favorite HopeKids events is our annual Princess and Superhero Party, and why not join in on the dress-up fun?! I dressed up as Princess Peach and didn’t realize the reaction I would get from the kids. They were so excited to have one of the adults join in on the fun, take pictures, and ask questions about my princess world. Serving on the Colorado Board of Directors has been a wonderful opportunity to impact our local community. We are not just helping anonymous families--these are our neighbors, our colleagues, our friends; we’re all a part of this community to transform lives and restore hope.” Meet Phyllis, one of North Carolina’s first HopeCrew volunteers. She has helped make sure their brand new programming is supported. “One favorite moment was during the Christmas dinner and gift giving at Dave and Buster’s. It was so great to see the joy on the children’s faces as they were receiving their gifts. The interactions with the families are priceless. I would say that this the best fun you can have for 2-3 hours. Supporting HopeKids by sharing your time and showing you care for the community is well worth it. All it Meet Gloria, a six-year member of the HopeCrew who often shares her photography talent so that families have lasting memories to look back on. “I just thought that an organization whose goal was to relieve the stress and sadness of families with medical conditions was something that I wanted to be a part of. I feel honored to bring smiles to these families. Their ability to find joy in moments reminds me to do the same. I am blessed to use my photography hobby to capture those moments for them. I am always amazed by the strength and joy of our kids in new challenges. I also love the events where I get to make memories for the families--from photos with Santa to family and high school portraits.” Meet Cheniah, who has a heart for HopeKids families because of her background as a nanny for children with special needs. “One of my favorite moments from an event was a Parents Night Out. A corporate sponsor allowed HopeKids to use their office for the night and set up different play/entertainment rooms within their office for the kids to do various activities while their parents stepped away to enjoy dinner alone. There was a family that was incredibly reluctant to leave their son, as they had never left him in the care of anyone other than immediate family and were unsure that we’d be able to handle the responsibilities that came with caring for him. Sensing this reluctance, I introduced myself and shared about my history as nanny to a special needs child. I asked if I might be able to sit with their son for a little before they left, so that he’d also feel comfortable with me. Not long after, they felt at ease knowing I’d be with him the entire time and trusted that he’d be in good hands. They were able enjoy dinner and gelato free-of-charge and came back seemingly reenergized and grateful. It was, by far, the most rewarding experience of my life.” Meet Julie, a HopeKids mom who started volunteering as a way to give back to an organization that supported her family through her son’s battle with brain cancer. “Truthfully, I volunteer because it brings my heart joy and warms my heart to be able to pay it forward. It’s like coming full circle. Seeing the smiles on the faces of the children and the reception from the parents is a reward that is above and beyond. While my son battled brain cancer 10 years ago, there weren’t a lot of resources or help groups available to us. Now, with the knowledge and experience of what we went through and how extremely difficult it was on my son and my family, it is only right to extend a helping hand, however minor it may be. It truly does takes a village.” Che niah shares her con tag iou s sm ile Ju lie an d he r son , Mat thew Nic olle as Prin ces s Peac h with her prince ss frie nd s G lo ria ha vin g a blast on the ice with fam ilies6 Virtual DistrActors Flow with Ali Jai Dee Wellness Joe Courtemanche Northrop Party Belles of Nashville Red Bird Time Arizona 29:11 Church Aaron Baddeley Allied Global Marketing Allison and Kris Marshall API, Inc. Arizona Diamondbacks AZ Pain Doctors Ballet Arizona Ballet Etudes School of Dance Chicken N Pickle Colten Cowell Foundation Commercial Plus Community of Grace Church Crossroads Church of Casa Grande Dance Connection 2 Desert Diamond Arena Marketing Desert Mission United Methodist Dream City Church East Valley Children’s Theatre eeCPA Extreme Faith Productions Fiesta Bowl Charities Frost Communications Galaxy Theatre Gloria Morgan 658 events were provided by 224 different program partners in December, January and February. These generous people, companies and organizations helped provide hope through an ongoing calendar of events. If you’re interested in becoming a program partner, please contact your local chapter. Take a look at the December, January and February HopeDay, HopeCommunity and Virtual Program Partners. Goldfish Swim School Grand Canyon University Horizon Honors J.D. Grenado JW Marriot Desert Ridge Resort and Spa Keelin Depas Lennon Equine Lesley & John Lassen Lily’s Pad Main Event Majestic Cinemas Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament Phoenix Sheraton Downtown Phoenix Suns Charities Rainy Partners Spotlight Youth Theatre Steve’s Dream Valley Youth Theatre West Valley Mavericks Colorado Amanda McKoy Flanagan APEX Denver Ascent Church Casa Bonita Cecilia Mainord Chase the Music Chick-fil-A Chris Thein Colorado Symphony Cottrell Printing Denver Museum of Nature & Science Denver Zoo Discovery Christian Church Dominos Estes Park Mountain Shop Feld Entertainment Inc. Game Day Memories Grace Mountain Church Halcyon Hotel Kroenke Sports & Entertainment Little Man Ice Cream Martin Technical National Western Stock Show Palace Construction The Bull Pin Trout Haven Fishing Pond University of Denver Urban Air Aurora YMCA of the Rockies Kansas City Chick-fil-A Chicken N Pickle Chuy’s Mexican Restaurant Dave & Buster’s Feld Entertainment Inc. Goldfish Swim School Hallmark Hammer & Stain Heritage Biologics HopeOutdoors Missouri Jolt Lighting Kansas City Ballet Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts KC Comets LEGOLAND Discovery Center Main Event Midwest Trust Center Miller Theater Morris Higham Management Park Hill School District Special thanks to our Program Partners7 658 events were provided by 224 different program partners in December, January and February. These generous people, companies and organizations helped provide hope through an ongoing calendar of events. If you’re interested in becoming a program partner, please contact your local chapter. Take a look at the December, January and February HopeDay, HopeCommunity and Virtual Program Partners. Pinstripes Platinum XP Rainbow of the Heartland RoKC Shadow Buddies Sunset Trails The Coterie The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Tiger Rock Martial Arts Topgolf Trader Joe’s Williams Financial Middle Tennessee Berry’s Chapel Church Discovery Center Feld Entertainment Inc. Flour Power Studio Game Terminal Harlem Globetrotters Hendersonville Strike and Spare Life’s Big Adventures Main Event Memphis Grizzlies Foundation Nashville Ballet Nashville Children’s Theater Nashville Predators Foundation Nashville Repertory Theatre Nashville Soccer Club Open World, Inc. Scott Hamilton Skating Academy Tennessee Titans Thrivent Financial Topgolf Tennessee Performing Arts Center Minnesota Akagi Jiu-Jitsu Alexa Barrett Bill and Donna Pfeiffer Colten Cowell Foundation Dan and Erin Smith Dave and Kimberly Bonfield Dick Sonnen Emagine Eagan Emagine Rogers Emagine White Bear Feld Entertainment Inc. Game Day Memories Gopher Athletics Joshua Berwald KTIS Merlin’s Magic Wand MiniSota Play Cafe Minnesota Children’s Museum Minnesota Timberwolves & Lynx Minnesota Wild Northrop Occasions with Character Old Log Theatre Phil Emery Reggie Wright Sever’s Fall Festival Sharing Christmas Shopping Spree Stages Theatre Company The Arts Creative The Burrow - Oakdale Tickets for Kids University of Northwestern Theatre Wild Mountain Willow Lane Elementary Wolcyn Tree Farms & Nursery North Carolina Charlotte Ballet Charlotte Hornets Cinemark Theaters ImaginOn Mecklenburg Parks and Recreation Mission Laser Monster Mini Golf Topgolf Town of Mint Hill Events Urban Air North Texas Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas Allied Global Marketing AT&T Performing Arts Center Austin Trophy Whitetails Avant Chamber Ballet Bolder Adventure Park Bridget Asheim Brooke Long Cara Lynn Chicken N Pickle Compass Church - North Fort Worth Cory Kent Cotton Patch Cafe D’Vine Grace Vineyard Dallas Children’s Theater Dallas Mavericks Foundation Dallas Stars Foundation, Inc. Dave & Buster’s David MacDonald Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra Galaxy Theatres Good Shepherd Jake Oettinger Kimberly Hall Kimzey’s Coffee Kirsten Pettet Laura Catalano Leanne Perrine Linda and Art Sparks Linnybird Bakeshop Make-A-Wish Megger Merlin’s Magic Wand Misa Imports, Inc. Mountain Lion Aviation Mr. John George Nasher Sculpture Center Pacific Builders Incorporated Panther City Lacrosse Club Plano Metropolitan Ballet Rise Adventures, Inc. Sarah McReynolds Texans Credit Union The Leaders Institute Topgolf Urban Air8 GET INVOLVED Interested in sharing your time as a volunteer? Are you a dedicated prayer warrior? Complete a volunteer application or join our prayer warriors team at www.HopeKids.org/get-involved GI VE Facebook Fundraisers Looking for a new way to get involved? Host a Facebook Fundraiser! Whether you choose to ask for donations for your birthday or just want to share your passion for HopeKids with 500 of your closest friends, you can create a fundraiser in less than five minutes. The funds you raise provide hope through an ongoing calendar of free events to families in your local chapter! To create a fundraiser visit www.facebook.com/fund/hopekidsinc Provide hope every day of the year. For $30/month you can help provide a HopeKids family with an unlimited calendar of free events for an entire year. Join our Hope365 monthly giving program at www.HopeKids.org/Hope365. Have a company suite, tickets, food or other items to support our HopeDay and HopeCommunity programs? Contact the Executive Director for your local chapter listed on the next page. Employer Matching Gifts Many companies offer programs to match charitable contributions made by their employees. Through corporate gift matching, your employer can multiply your gift to HopeKids, giving it an even greater impact. Consider asking if your employer offers this program. United Way/Employee Giving Campaigns Does your company participate in United Way’s annual campaign or host its own employee giving campaign? Please consider arranging for a HopeKids representative to speak during the campaign cycle. Your coworkers can help provide hope to our families by designating their pledge to support HopeKids. (HopeKids, Inc. EIN: 86-1042378) Donor-Advised Funds You can recommend a gift to HopeKids through your donor-advised fund and support the chapter of your choice! For more details on what information to provide your sponsoring organization, visit hopekids.org/other-ways-to-give today. Legacy Giving Legacy Giving, such as a bequest in your will or life insurance designation, allows you to make a powerful impact for years to come on families who have a child with a life-threatening illness. Learn more about leaving a legacy of hope by visiting hopekids.org/legacy-giving today. Donate online at www.hopekids.org9 Connect with us LOC AL CHAP TER S National PO Box 240721 • Apple Valley, MN 55124 Josh Taylor • josh@hopekids.org 612.345.0933 Arizona PO Box 28471 • Scottsdale, AZ 85255 Andrea Lewis • andrea@hopekids.org 602.317.1511 Colorado PO Box 7073 • Denver, CO 80207 Robbin Brown • robbin@hopekids.org 303.887.5949 Kansas City PO Box 11947 • Kansas City, MO 64138 Abigail Swafford • abigail@hopekids.org 816.372.0311 Middle Tennessee PO Box 210961 • Nashville, TN 37221 Deb Sandvik • deb@hopekids.org 615.430.9190 Minnesota PO Box 44712 • Eden Prairie, MN 55344 Brian Anderson • brian@hopekids.org 952.270.8271 North Carolina PO Box 79282 • Charlotte, NC 28271 Amanda Austin • amanda@hopekids.org 704.793.8698 North Texas PO Box 551042 • Dallas, TX 75355 Mandy Mueller • mandy@hopekids.org 817.739.8123 SOCIAL MEDIA @HopeKidsInc EVENTS Join us for one (or all) of our fundraising events! Purchase tickets or become a sponsor at www.HopeKids.org/special-events SUBSCRIBE Receive this quarterly magazine and updates on the impact you have on HopeKids at www.HopeKids.org/subscribe10 HOPE IS A POWERFUL MEDICINE.Next >