Recycle outdated car seats, for safety’s sake

Phoenix Children’s Hospital will hold its fourth annual Keep Our Planet Neat, Recycle Your Car Seat Demolition event on Friday, April 20.

The event will be held from 7am until noon in the north parking lot at Tempe Marketplace.

“Car seats do a great job protecting children, but at the end of the seat’s life they contain many materials that could be recycled,” says Angelica M. Baker, child safety passenger coordinator at PCH. “Plastic car seats break down over time – especially in the Arizona sun. The harness can actually break through the car seat if a car seat is used past its expiration date.”

Garage sales and trash cans are not the answer to unwanted, old car seats – de-manufacturing and recycling is, says Baker, who reminds parents to never use a car seat that has been in a moderate to severe vehicle crash.

Miss Arizona 2012, Jennifer Sedler, and volunteers will be at the event to dismantle hundreds of car seats. All plastic parts and metal items will be recycled.

PCH also will have trained technicians on hand to conduct free car seat checks. and answer any questions about car seat installations and car seat safety.

Learn more.

Two good reasons to donate blood

Kellie* experienced symptoms of leukemia in 2004, while she was on a camping trip. She was airlifted to Phoenix Children’s Hospital, where she received transfusions of platelets and red blood cells that sustained her life. The Sunrise Mountain High School student has since strung together “beads of courage” to represent each of the 131 lifesaving blood transfusions she required during her battle against leukemia. Her mom credits blood donors for restoring their hope.

Photo courtesy of Grand Canyon Railroad.

As if that’s not enough incentive to pull out your blood donor card, consider this: United Blood Services is offering blood donors a chance to win one of 60 pairs of tickets to the Grand Canyon when they donate in April or May. Donors will be automatically entered to win the tickets on the Grand Canyon Railway, valued at $150 per pair. The Grand Canyon Railroad’s scenic trip from Williams to the Grand Canyon covers 65 miles of classic Old West territory. The trip takes approximately two hours and 15 minutes one way.

The United Blood Service network is one of the nation’s oldest and largest non-profit blood service organizations. Donors of all types of blood are needed, especially Type O, the universal blood type. For more information or to find a donation center near you, call 877-UBS-HERO (877-827-4376) or visit UnitedBloodServicesAZ.org.

*Last name withheld upon request.

Running against cancer, with Grace

Grace Kostyk.

In many ways, Grace Kostyk is a typical 6-year-old girl. She goes to kindergarten at Lookout Mountain Elementary and plays tennis.  She has an energetic and friendly personality.

But Grace’s life is anything but typical. In September 2011, she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), one of the most common types of cancer in children, according to the National Cancer Institute. ALL inhibits healthy cell growth in the blood and bone marrow because of an excess of underdeveloped white blood cells. So hospital visits, spinal taps and daily medications are also part of Grace’s routine.

“She’s not the kind of kid to let this get her down,” says her mom, Sue Kostyk.

Grace is the honorary starter for Saturday’s Run to Fight Children’s Cancer. The event, which takes place at Grand Canyon University, benefits the nonprofit organization Children’s Cancer Network.

“Cancer can be a devastating health issue for the kids and a devastating financial issue for the parents,” says Sue. Treatment for ALL can last two-and-a-half years for girls and three years for boys. “[The Cancer Network] is a great organization,” she says. “Many families can’t even put food on the table and this run helps provide gas cards and mattresses and things families struggle to afford.”

Saturday’s event includes family activities, games, crafts, facepainting, mascots and more on GCU’s campus at 33rd Avenue and Camelback in Phoenix. 5k and 10k runs will be held, as well as a Cancer Surviviors’ Walk. Registration begins at 6:30am. Proceeds will support families at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Cardon Children’s Medical Center and St. Joseph’s Hospital. A similar run last fall raised $30,000.

Sue says it’s hard “watching [Grace] go through things normal kids don’t have to go through. It breaks my heart that she can’t be normal.” But cancer hasn’t hindered her daughter. Grace is looking forward to starting off the big run and is proof that life doesn’t end with a cancer diagnosis; it simply changes.

To join the run, visit runtofightcancer.com.

— Amy Vogelsang

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

Blankets for babies

Centennial NHS students (from left): Will Pederson, Spencer O’Gara, Shelley Goldberg, Kimberly Avila and Natalie Aguirre.

Students in the National Honors Society (NHS) at Centennial High School this week delivered more than 60 handmade blankets for babies in the neonatal intensive care unit at Phoenix Children’s Hospital’s McDowell campus.

The NICU is located inside Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center. Patients include babies of high-risk pregnancies, babies born prematurely, multiple births and congenital anomalies.

Avila and Aguirre hold up one of the handmade blankets. Photos courtesy of Peoria Unified School District.

NHS students make blankets for babies every semester as a service project that has become a favorite for students each year. Each student brings in a yard of fleece to make the blankets and materials are donated by parents or members of the community. The students make the blankets using the cut-and-tie method, which does not require sewing.

Centennial High students have delivered more than 600 blankets to Valley hospitals within the last five years.

The Peoria Unified School District serves more than 36,000 students in 32 elementary schools, seven high schools and one alternative school. The district boasts a 94 percent high school graduation rate, award-winning teachers, high AIMS test scores, specialized signature programs and championship sports programs. For more information, visit peoriaud.k12.az.us.

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.

DQ Miracle Treat Day

Participating Dairy Queen locations will donate either $1, $2 or 100% of the proceeds from each Blizzard sold tomorrow (Thursday, Aug. 11) to benefit Children’s Mircale Network. Money raised locally will benefit Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

To find a participating location near you, visit miracletreatday​.com.

Back-to-school calendars feature artwork by Phoenix Children’s Hospital patients

Peter Piper Pizza has launched the sale of commemorative back-to-school calendars that feature creative artwork from Phoenix Children’s Hospital patients. The calendars retail for $5 each, with proceeds benefit the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, and they include more than $140 worth of Peter Piper Pizza perks, including free tokens and coupons.

The designs featured in the calendar are collected through The Art Project, which is the largest fundraiser for the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders and raises urgently needed funds by converting original artwork of young patients with cancer into merchandise. All 33 Arizona locations of Peter Piper Pizza will sell the calendars.

Peter Piper Pizza opened its doors in 1973 with its flagship restaurant in Glendale. Over the years, it has evolved to the leading pizza and entertainment restaurant chain in the Southwestern U.S. and Mexico with 35 company-owned restaurants and 101 franchised locations, including 45 in Mexico. Find a location near you.

Date nights for a cause

Date nights may have become a little more rare since your family has grown but have no fear! During the coming weeks there are several events going on that will give you the chance to spend alone time together while beer tasting, golfing and rocking out for a cause.

The certified therapy dogs at PCH comfort kids and families and often play an integral role in motivating kids to heal. Photo courtesy of Swing Fore Kids.

Sixth Annual Swing Fore Kids Golf Classic

Wake up bright and early and pack the clubs in the car. While enjoying your golf came at Monument Course at Troon North Golf Club, you’ll also be helping to bring fuzzy friends to visit young patients at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.  All proceeds will go to benefit the hospital’s Animal Assisted Therapy Program.

Sponsored by the Southwest Section of the PGA and Petsmart, golfers will enjoy a continental breakfast, lunch program, silent auction and raffle.

You’ll go home feeling much more connected, and, should you be the lucky golfer to make a hole-in-one, you might also bring home $50, 000.

The shotgun start is at 8:30am on Friday, April 22 at Monument Course,  10320 E Dynamite Blvd in Scottsdale. Learn more.

Rock the Zoo

For this trip to the zoo, couples will definitely be leaving the kids at home. The beverages will be abundant as guests get the chance to sample beer, wine and liquor from more than 30 local breweries, wineries and distributors.

While sipping cocktails, the music of several ’80s-style rock bands will be floating through the air. The Motels, Dramarama, Tommy Tutone, Animotion, The Promise and comedian Barry Sobel will all be performing to help raise money for the zoo animals and educational programs.

Your chance to give is through buying 50/50 tickets, where one winner will bring home half of the cash, while the other half is given to the zoo.

The event takes place from 7pm-11pm on Friday, April 29, at the Phoenix Zoo.

Karaoke day at the STARS programs new Cholla Campus.

Fiesta de las Madrinas

Fiesta de las Madrinas benefits STARS, an organization that helps adults with conditions like autism, Down syndrome and cerebral palsy.

Alongside a silent auction featuring paintings and photography from some of STARS’ own artists, guests will be able to taste tequila from Senor Rio, enjoy the music of Mariachi Pasion and dance to Main Street Swing.

The evening begins at 6pm on Saturday, May 7, at Chaparral Suites, 5001 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale.

Earlier this year, STARS added services for teens transitioning from local high schools at a new Cholla Community Campus. The Cholla Campus is the result of a partnership with the Scottsdale Unified School District and is also home to the Miracle League of Arizona.

Coming this fall, the campus will add a PANDA Program for preschoolers with special needs and a medical clinic for individuals with special needs. STARS’ participants learn life skills, cooking and baking, become award-winning artists, and can realize their dream of increased independence through on-site work centers or competitive employment in our community. Learn more about STARS. — Veronica Jones

Double the community service

Flori (left) and Ilyena Witenstein (14) of Phoenix.

More than 100 artists will be displaying their wares along Central Avenue between Dunlap and the canal from 5 to 9pm Saturday, April 9 as part of Sunnyslope Art Walk.

Among them will be Ileyna & Flori Witenstein, creators of “Whoopies, Caps with a Cause!”

The twins in 2009.

We first wrote about the twins, who are the daughters of Dan & Julie Witenstein of Arizona Sunrays Gymnastics & Dance, in 2009. The girls, who came home from summer camp the year before with whooping cough, spent their convalescence creating magnets and jewelry with a bottle cap decorating kit. Their hobby turned into a community service project.

They donate a percentage of the proceeds of their sales to The Arizona Partnership for Immunization (TAPI ) and spread the word about their experience with whooping cough and the need for immunizations.

“From the sales of our ‘Whoopies’ just this year, we have donated close to $400 to Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Desert Mission Community Health Center (in Sunnyslope), and to TAPI,” the girls told us.

For the Sunnyslope Art Walk, they’ll be located in the parking lot near Grinder’s Coffee at Central & Dunlap. The event features paintings, photography, mixed media, fiber/wearable, metal work and much more. Parking is available at Sunnyslope Village Center (115 E. Dunlap), Sunnyslope High School (35 E Dunlap) and Cowden Center (9202 N 2nd St.). Learn more at sunnyslopecommunity.org.