So, we are 5 days from the end of my 2009 Holiday Kids’ Charities drive. As I announced here, I am counting the downloads that come from my iStockphoto.com portfolio, and for each image license sold, I am donating $.10 to a pot to be divided between Toys For Tots and Give Kids The World. Both, very worthy kids’ charities.
A check of the donation tally boards shows that we are up to almost $500! Woo-hoo!
Today, I wanted to inject some personal experience into the drive. An friend of my wife recently made a trip to Orlando, courtesy of Give Kids the World. She offered forth these thoughts about the journey from some writings she had done. I think they show how special this organization is, and how great the service they provide is.
Each night, I asked Ally what her favorite part of the day was. Last night, she told Brad, “Being a princess!” Let me just say, she has been a princess all week – in a good way. They call this place Give Kids the World, and they do that and more. From the moment the wish begins, everything is about the wish child. Everything was booked in Allyson’s name, and we were her guests. We called our villa her house all week, and she LOVED that! Each night when we’d return and go through the guard at the front of the property, the volunteer would always say, “Welcome home!”
That is exactly how you feel when you are here…home away from home. The staff here at GKTW bends over backwards to make sure you have everything you could want. Once inside the parks, Ally was treated like royalty. If you ever doubt the kindness of humans, spend the day with a wish child. If you ever need to witness the strength of the human spirit, come spend the day walking around the village at Give Kids the World.
Tomorrow we return home. I am sad Ally’s wish has come to an end. Since her diagnosis, we have been looking forward to this week for almost two years. While this is the end of her magical wish week, we look to the future when we hear the words, “Ally is cured!”
Hopefully, you find that as compelling as I did. If you weren’t planning to license from my portfolio to boost the total, or aren’t able to, feel free to give directly to Give Kids the world at this link: http://www.gktw.org/howToHelp.asp?a=3&page=donate
Thanks!
ps. The twitter RT contest for 50 IS credits is still active. Just RT this line, or something like it (once) for a chance to win those credits!
RT @sjlocke to donate $.10 per download 12/1-12/15 from his #istockphoto content: http://bit.ly/sjlocke4kids . RT for 50 IS credits contest!
