Athletes Giving (original) (raw)
Apr 20
Good deed of the week
Sorry for not getting this out sooner but it’s never too late to pay it forward.
I went flying in my Cessna 182 (aka the BUGSMASHER) today and realized what a treat it is to be able to do that. I also know how convenient private travel can be. Of all the people I have met, few are more passionate than pilots and this is a great example. There is an organization called “Angel Flight” and this is the low down.
“Angel Flight was created by a group of pilots who believe in the benefit of volunteering. strive to keep all aspects of the organization volunteer. We are a non-profit charitable organization of pilots, volunteers, and friends. We will arrange free air transportation for any legitimate, charitable, medically related need. This service is available to individuals, and health care organizations. We will also arrange transportation of those people who are financially distressed, or who are in a time-critical, non-emergency situation due to their medical condition.”
First Descents has used them in the past and they really do help non profits and people alike save a lot of money in times of need. Please spread the word on Angel Flight and if you feel so inclined (or if you’re a pilot looking for some “tail wind karma”) please make a small donation to keep these planes in the air!
To learn more or make a donation to Angel Flight, please click HERE
Apr 18
7 “extreme” athletes with a cause
Forbes did this piece on “7 ‘extreme’ athletes with a cause”. I would rename it “7 athletes doing extreme things for a cause”. Regardless of what you want to call it, these athletes are at the pinnacle of athletic fundraising. Some pretty cool stories about just how far people will go to fundraise.
Apr 17
PR stunt or true charity?
Hugh Jackman (yes, THAT Hugh Jackman) has made a giving pledge. 100k to a charity of his choosing that he will pick based on tweets submitted on his twitter site @realhughjackman
It’s an interesting opportunity for charities but many are saying that it’s an even more interesting way for Hugh to get pr. He is getting tweets at the rate of several per minute so the odds of your charity receiving the 100k aren’t great whereas his chances of getting increased pr are.
After looking into it, if this is his way of getting PR I would much rather see this than hear about another scandal, sex tape or trip to rehab. Giving inspires giving and this is a great way to get the ball rolling. It will also become a great forum for charities to showcase themselves by tweeting.
Send your tweets for your charity to @realhughjackman and if you can’t think of one to send, please send this on behalf of Young Adults with cancer:
@realhughjackman FirstDescents.org empowers young adults with cancer to regain control of their lives through free outdoor adventure therapy
Here is an article about it: http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/2338744/Hugh-Jackmans-Twitter-charity-pled
Apr 16
Cee Cee
Please watch this exclusive AG interview with Lilly Lorenzo-Luaces, a good friend and First Descents alum.
Cee Cee embodies the mission of AthletesGiving. After a diagnosis of cancer flipped her life upside down, she took back control by attending First Descents. That experience empowered and inspired her to challenge herself by running a half marathon, something she thought she would never do and to gave her the desire to pay it forward to other young adult survivors by raising 5k for First Descents.
Please watch this video and then click HERE to see her fundraising page if you can, make a 10 dollar contribution to help her achieve her goal.
Apr 15
His war continues
A close friend of mine, Nick Raitt aka Nickname, has been in a war with cancer for 2 years now. I met Nick at a First Descents kayak camp in Montana with First Descents.
He’s an amazing all around athlete and for years had used sports to raise money for causes. He’s the ultimate giving athlete. Last year he held a local soft ball tournament that riased 5k which he split between First Descents and his local treatment center.
Recently he joined Team Beyond Cancer as one of their athletes with a goal of raising 20k for young adult cancer survivors to attend First Descents.
Nick received news that his cancer is back and on April 15, he will begin his battle with cancer again. Please follow him on his blog http://www.nick-raitt.blogspot.com/ and support his efforts. We could all learn a lot from Nick.
Apr 13
MVK
I went to lunch the other day with a friend who worked as the interim ED for Most Valuable Kids. She was telling me about the foundation and how some friends of hers started it after attending several professional sporting events and seeing so many empty seats. They were determined to give those seats to deserving and underprivileged kids.
Now it is a national foundation serving thousands of kids and partnering with hundreds of athletes. The Capitals even have MVK night. Cool cause.
Apr 12
Good deed of the week
In light of it now being the end of National Young Adult Cancer Awareness Week, I thought it would be cool to encourage people to learn more about AYA Cancer and make a small meaningful donation to any one of the causes associated with it on this link! http://www.vitaloptions.org/yawc.htm
Apr 10
She jumps!
I was on the phone with a good friend of mine, Lynsey Dyer, last night and told her I was going to write this post about her. Lynsey is one of the most amazing athletes I have met. She’s beautiful, talented, personable, artistic and philanthropic. She’s also dating a really good Red Bull skier from Europe so don’t get your hopes up boys!
Lynsey has made her mark in the skiing community with her bold lines and big smile. What impressed me, though, was her true passion to give back to other women. She recognized how much confidence and community athletics had provided for her and sought to give that back to other women so that they too might be empowered like her. She co-founded “She Jumps” who’s mission is to increase participation of women in outdoor activities through mentorship and coaching from professional and recreational outdoor female athletes. She’s created a positive, healthy and empowering environment for women through sport.
To learn more about Lynsey, see some sick ski pics or check out her art click HERE. To find out more about She Jumps and how you can become involved, click HERE.
Apr 09
CNN Heroes
Most good hearted people do what they do because they really care not because they need recognition even though they truly deserve it. Here’s a cool way to recognize your favorite philanthropic athletes and by doing so, inspire others to join the team!
Apr 08
Boof against the odds
Katie Hilleke is one of the strongest female athletes on this planet and it runs in the family. Her brother Tommy is an equally strong paddler and both are as nice as they come.
A couple of years ago, Katie was diagnosed with colon cancer as a young woman in the prime of her life. A devastating event no matter how you look at it. Katie however chose to see it as an opportunity.
The paddling community that Katie is such as big part of was able to raise 20k to help her with medical bills. She didn’t feel like she deserved this and decided to pay it forward for the next person in her position by starting a national fundraiser. Katie had people pledge to sponsor her in her efforts to kayak as much as possible over the course of 2 months. People pledged for every river mile she did and she spilt that money between First Descents and the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Both of these organizations are very near to her heart after her experience.
This is a perfect example of someone who found a silver lining and used their athletic passion to support a cause that was very important to them. You don’t need to have had cancer to apply Katie’s example to your life. Just follow your passion and use it to help a cause that really means something to you!
To read her story, please click here