Pancakes for PCH

The International House of Pancakes will once again host National Pancake Day on Tuesday, Feb. 28 to raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network.

Donations made at IHOPs in the Phoenix area will benefit the Children’s Miracle Network program at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

More than 1,500 IHOP restaurants throughout the United States will serve customers a free short stack of pancakes from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. Customers are then encouraged to make a voluntary donation.

In IHOP’s seventh year of fundraising, the company hopes to raise at least $2.7 million nationwide. Hospitals will use the money to purchase equipment and to fund different procedures and treatments for seriously ill or injured children.

All month, participating IHOPs also have been selling “Miracle Balloons” to guests for $1 and $5 each to jumpstart the fundraising effort.

To find a local location or to make a donation online, visit www.ihoppancakeday.com.

— Erin Saltzman

Run (or walk) to fight children’s cancer

Olivia Baumgardner.

Grand Canyon University is hosting the inaugural Run to Fight Children’s Cancer on Saturday, Oct. 15.

Olivia Baumgardner, a 4-year-old who was diagnosed in October 2010 and is currently undergoing treatment, will start the race.

Grand Canyon University is hosting the 10K/5K run and cancer survivors’ walk to increase awareness of children’s cancer and raise funds for Tempe-based Children’s Cancer Network, which provides support for Arizona children and families dealing with childhood cancer.

The run will take place from 7 a.m. to noon at Grand Canyon University, 3300 W. Camelback Rd. Registration begins at 6:30 a.m. Family-friendly activities will include face painting, music and appearances from local professional sports team mascots.

Take advantage of early registration discounts by signing up today. Fees for the 10K run are $30 through today, $35 tomorrow through Oct 14 and $40 the day of the event. Fees for the 5K run are $25 through today, $30 tomorrow through Oct 14 and $35 the day of the event. The Cancer Survivors’ Walk is free, and family and friends of survivors are encouraged to participate.

Participants will receive an official race T-shirt, goodie bag and refreshments, and the first 500 people to register will receive race day performance socks.

Last year, an estimated 350 Arizona children were diagnosed with cancer.

“Gas and food are two of the highest needs families in Arizona have in dealing with childhood cancer,” says Patti Luttrell, founder of the Children’s Cancer Network. “Daily trips to and from the hospital for weeks or months takes a financial toll on families.”

The organization dispersed more than $25,000 in gas cards in 2010.

Sponsors of the event include Bank of America, the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Phoenix Suns. For information on registration and volunteer opportunities, call 602-639-7286 or visit runtofightcancer.com.

About Grand Canyon University

Grand Canyon University is a private Christian University founded in 1949 and regionally accredited. It emphasizes individual attention for both traditional undergraduate students and the working professional in six colleges: the Ken Blanchard College of Business, the College of Education, the College of Nursing, the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Find Arts and Production, and the College of Doctoral Studies. gcu.edu.

About Children’s Cancer Network

Children’s Cancer Network provides financial, educational and psychosocial support to children and families dealing with childhood cancer and strives to increase awareness of pediatric cancer research and the need to find a cure for cancer. childrenscancernetwork.org.

Michael Young is national Kohl’s Cares® Scholarship Program winner

Photo courtesy of Swing Fore Kids Golf Classic.

Kohl’s Department Stores announced recently that 17-year-old Michael Young of Scottsdale is one of 10 national Kohl’s Cares® Scholarship Program winners.

Michael will earn $10,000 in scholarships for post-secondary education. In addition to recognizing Michael for outstanding efforts through volunteerism, Kohl’s also will donate $1,000 to a nonprofit organization of his choice.

Michael Young.

After observing the importance of giving back to the community from his parents early in life, Michael decided at the age of 12 that he wanted to do something to make a difference in the lives of others. Michael founded an annual charity golf tournament called “The Swing Fore Kids Golf Classic” to raise funds for Phoenix Children’s Hospital’s Animal Assisted Therapy Program. For the past six years, he has organized the entire tournament, from developing and distributing written materials to securing sponsors, donations and celebrity appearances.

The annual event is the therapy program’s main fundraiser and has raised approximately $260,000 to date, which has allowed the number of therapy dogs in the program to more than double and a new volunteer escort program to be implemented.

“At a young age, Michael has made an inspiring impact on his community,” says Julie Gardner, Kohl’s executive vice president and chief marketing officer. “It’s teens like Michael who will continue to make our communities better places to live and we are honored to invest in their promising future. These generous acts have inspired and touched us and, we hope, will influence others to also make a difference through volunteerism.”

Since the program began in 2001, Kohl’s has awarded more than 13,000 youth volunteers ages six to 18 with more than $2.6 million in scholarships and prizes. This year, Kohl’s recognized nearly 2,200 nominees with nearly $420,000 in scholarships and prizes.

The Kohl’s Cares Scholarship Program is part of Kohl’s Cares, the company’s philanthropic program focused on improving the lives of children. Kohl’s Cares benefits children’s health and education initiatives nationwide through its merchandise program, featuring special books and plush toys where 100 percent of net profit benefits children’s initiatives, fundraising gift cards and the Associates in Action associate volunteer program. kohlskids.com.

Father of the Year – Mike Tully, CEO of AAA Arizona

Mike Tully was one of five outstanding Valley dads to be honored by the Phoenix chapters of the American Diabetes Association and the Father’s Day Council as 2011 Fathers of the Year at an awards dinner and celebration Thursday night.

These prominent Phoenix businessmen were chosen on the basis of their demonstration of responsible parenting, exemplary ability to balance family and work life and strong commitment to serving the community. Yesterday we interviewed honoree Bradley Parker.

Mike Tully, CEO of AAA Arizona

Mike Tully, CEO of AAA Arizona, and his family.

Tully, the father of two teenage girls, was surprised to be nominated for the award. He says he is fortunate not to have any close, personal ties to diabetes.

Since his nomination, he has learned a great deal about the disease and its impact, especially on children.

Tully remembers an impactful experience at one of the Father of the Year meetings, at which each father was given a teddy bear wearing a jacket hung with 120 safety pins, representing the number of shots of insulin children with type 1 diabetes must be given each week.

In an effort to raise funds for the cause, Tully sent letters to his “400 closest friends,” family and colleagues around the country. He has been amazed by the generous response he received.

With long work weeks, Tully says he looks forward to vacation times with his kids.

“Between community service-type stuff and work, trying to balance family-type stuff is critically important. So, vacation is one of the big, very very special moments in my life. We typically go on adventurous vacations. We’re typically very active on vacations and have a lot of great memories,” he says.

Tully’s two daughters, ages 15 and 12, are best friends, despite having very different personalities.

“I’ve never seen two kids get along as well,” he says. “The two never fight. We’ve been phenomenally blessed. I’m incredibly lucky, actually, to have the family I’ve got.”

Over the years, Tully says he has tried to teach his girls by example how important it is to be active in the community.

“I’m a strong, strong believer in ‘What you do is what people see, which is what they will do.’ So basically demonstrating the balance in your own life. Frankly, sometimes, when I get done with work, I’d rather drive home. Making those tradeoffs and making sure your kids understand those tradeoffs, getting involved in charities [is important].”

Tully said he wants to be sure his kids understand how fortunate they are, and the struggles others go through.

“One thing could change in your life and it could be completely different,” Tully says, “and you’d want to have people looking out for you if that ever happened to you.”

This Father’s Day, the family will embark on yet another adventurous vacation. They will be heading up to Whistler, Canada to go sightseeing for bears, canoeing down a river, and speeding down a “monster zip-line run.” — Sadie Smeck

Tomorrow: Chris Rich, president of Rich Financial Group.

Volunteer opportunities for health-minded teens and young adults

Cardon Childrens Compass volunteers check a "patient."

The Cardon Children’s Medical Center volunteer program for ages 18 to 22 is accepting applications for the 2011-12 class.

The nine-month Cardon Compass Program requires 40 hours of volunteer work representing Cardon Children’s at public events and experiences within the hospital. Each Compass class also chooses a special service project to leave a legacy at Cardon Children’s, the Valley’s newest children’s hospital.

The 2010-11 class participated in events including Shape Up, Zoolights, the Cardon Children’s First Birthday celebration and more. Volunteers also spent time with health professionals during career shadowing experiences and seminars.

“I had no idea I’d ever be interested in brain surgery,” says volunteer Brittany Ebbing, 19, a sophomore at ASU who wants to become a pediatrician. “But after spending four hours with neurosurgeon Scott Elton, M.D., I was definitely open to the idea.”

To learn more about the Cardon Compass Program or to submit an application, visit bannerhealth.com/cardonchildrens and look under “Ways to Give.” Applications are due June 15 and orientation begins in August. Space is limited, and applicants must participate in a group interview, maintain good grades and submit two letters of recommendation.

Helping moms live Happily Ever After

The Happily Ever After League (HEAL), a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization created to provide financial support to moms during their recovery from cancer, is recruiting teen volunteers to participate in a  new youth service community group.

Ambassadors in HEALing will act on behalf of the organization, spreading the word about its mission while gaining valuable real-world experience. The nine-month program will teach high school students about community leadership in the areas of event planning and execution, grant writing, outreach and fundraising. Students will have the opportunity to earn community service hours and participate on committees while building skills for college and the workplace.

Students interested in interviewing for this year’s program must be an incoming freshmen through seniors in high school. For more information or to download an application visit happilyeverafterleague.org.

Will you get a lucky duck?

The Leslie’s Lucky Ducky Derby of Arizona aims to grow this year’s participation from 20,000 to 40,000 ducks, while raising money to benefit charities and children in Arizona. The 24th annual duck race will take place from 11am to 2pm on Saturday, May 7 at the Scottsdale Waterfront. This year’s race includes family-friendly activities and vendors.

Ducks can be adopted at any of Leslie’s Swimming Pool Supplies‘ 53 Valley locations starting April 1 or online at lesliesluckyduckyderby.com. Ducks can be purchased for $5 each or in packages: five ducks for $20, 15 ducks for $50 or 30 ducks for $100. With each duck they adopt, participants are entered in a drawing to win $10,000.

Adopters are invited to cheer on their ducks as they are dumped into the canal and “paddle” toward the finish line. The official dump time is set for 1:30pm.

City of Scottsdale Parks & Recreation will host a Day of Fun in conjunction with the event from 11am to 2pm. Activities will include kid-oriented games, a photo booth, fingerprinting by Scottsdale Police Department, entertainment, food and more.

This year’s race benefits Arizona Children’s Charities, including Ronald McDonald House Charities, City of Hope, Run the World, Rotary International, Mountain View Family Church, Scottsdale Cares, The Phoenix Conservatory of Music, Big Brothers Big Sister of Central Arizona and The Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix and The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale.

Learn more about the event.

Dance, dance and fight childhood obesity

photo courtesy of Primrose Schools

Six Primrose Schools in Arizona are working to fight childhood obesity by encouraging families to participate in a dance-off contest to campaign will benefit Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

The Family Dance-Off will run through March 19.

“Primrose Schools launched this national campaign to promote physical activity and healthy lifestyle choices by encouraging families across the country to get up and dance,” says Heather Legeza, owner of Primrose School of Fletcher Heights. “We will donate a total of $65,000 to CMNH in the top three winning families’ hometowns.”

If an Arizona family wins, the beneficiary would be Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

To compete, families submit 30-second dance videos. Two finalist families will be selected each week based on the number of votes their videos receive. The final 14 families will compete for most votes from March 20-26. The grand prize winner will receive $5,000 plus a $30,000 donation to their local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital.

“The contest is open to all families, not just families who attend Primrose Schools,” Legeza says. “Finalists will be chosen based on creativity, originality, humor and the number of votes each video gets.”

For more information or to enter a video visit familydanceoff.com.

Primrose Schools provide accredited early childhood education programs and child care for school-age children. It is the first preschool organization in the country to achieve the gold standard in educational accreditation from AdvancED and to require all of its schools to become SACS CASI or NCA CASI accredited.

For more information, visit primroseschools.com.

Four hours, a bunch of books, lasting benefits

A volunteer sorts books for the VNSA Book Sale.

The Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation is seeking volunteers to help at the VNSA Used Book Sale next month.

 

Volunteers will be asked to work a four-hour shift at the event, the largest charity used book sale in the Southwest. The organization has contributed more than $1 million to the foundation.

The book sale will be held Feb. 12 and 13 at the Arizona State Fairgrounds Exhibit Building. Morning and afternoon shifts are available. Volunteers will help restock shelves, sort and add books, help direct customers, etc. Refreshments and rest areas for volunteers will be provided.

If you can help, click here to register.

“We are also looking for businesses, churches and organizations that might be able to organize a used book drive anytime during the year,” says Raoul Sada, MPA, executive director of AFFCF.

How to host a book drive.

AFFCF was founded in 1983 to promote the self-esteem and enrich the lives of Arizona’s foster children by funding activities, education and other needs that provide them with quality experiences while they live through the most difficult circumstances. Learn more.