Team Jade 2011

Imagine making the following possible:

• a child with a life-threatening illness being able to take the vacation of a lifetime with his family
• a group of at-risk teens of color receiving the nurturing, support, and positive role models to help them succeed in school and in their communities
• a little girl with an emotional/behavioral disorder who improves her social skills so much at a special preschool that she can attend regular kindergarten, and make friends with classmates
• a young patient at a children's hospital whose parents can stay with her in a comfortable, cheerful room with many of the comforts of home
• children with fetal alcohol syndrome who have access to support and treatment opportunities for themselves and their families
• American Indian children who are able to get their vision screened, easily and painlessly, due to a new machine at their community clinic
• a young boy who loses his life to cancer having all his funeral expenses paid (making a tremendous difference for his family, due to paying medical bills)
• not one or two, but FIVE teens with very difficult personal and family circumstances being able to attend college, due to a special scholarship

You know what? If you have donated to The Jade Foundation over the past 10 years, you HAVE helped to make these miracles happen! And, these are only a few actual examples of how Jade grants have helped MN's young people with special needs since 1999...and there are many, many more! As a volunteer for the Jade Foundation, one of my jobs has been to follow up with organizations that receive our grants, to learn how the funds have helped their clients. Staff from these nonprofits have shared so many beautiful, heartwarming reports about the tremendous difference our grants have made in the lives of these young people!

THIS is what has motivated me and Greg, my spouse, to run the Twin Cities Marathon to raise money for the Jade Foundation for the past 3 years: knowing that we, and our friends and family, are helping to make it possible for the Foundation to continue its work. In 2011, we are doing it again, joined by our nephew Erik, and we would be so very honored to have your support! The Jade Foundation's leaders are considering new grants to make right now...and needs are greater than ever. As you all know, economic circumstances have been very difficult for many people in recent years, but for families of a child with disabilities or other hard circumstances, cuts in funding to organizations that help them make this far worse. The organizations that the Jade Foundation typically helps are very small to begin with, and have few resources to work with already.

With YOUR help, the Jade Foundation can continue to make generous grants to these organizations, allowing them to help vulnerable kids and families in MN who truly need and benefit from their services. Won't you please sponsor our Marathon run for the Jade Foundation? ANY amount at all WILL make a big difference! Thank you so very much in advance!