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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 2, 2008 

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Dolores Quinn Kitchin 
Public Relations 
Children International
To page: (816) 942-2000
Mobile:  (816) 718-0711


First Clean and Green Event to Help Poor Children Sells Out! 

Volunteers raise $125,000 to build Children International center in Zambia. 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Friends of Children International of Kansas City, a group of passionate supporters of Children International, held its premier fundraising event raising $125,000. The event called “Passport To HOPE” also promised 47 children the hope of medical and dental care and educational support.

The evening was filled with international flair, lively music from Son Venezuela, salsa dancing and delicious ethnic food from each continent the organization serves.

This global-minded group met their goal to raise over
$100,000 to help build a new community center in Zambia, one of the eleven countries that Children International serves. The community center will help 5,000 impoverished children and their families. Often, a new center becomes the heart of a poor village or slum, and is a place where sponsored children and their families gather to receive medical care, nutritional education and educational tools. The center will house a medical clinic, dental clinic, classroom, computer lab and library.
Traditional Music Society dancers performed native dances.
Traditional Music Society dancers performed native dances.

Brad Ayers from Osawatomie has sponsored a boy in the Philippines for 11 years. Dr. Eve Krahn, Friends of Children International of Kansas City President, says, “My family sponsors two children in the Philippines. We have visited them and witnessed the incredible poverty these children live in, and how Children International’s community centers truly provide services these children would not otherwise receive.”

“Our Friends members are unselfish advocates for children facing the obstacles poverty places in their way. Their efforts will help us reach our goal of sponsoring 400,000 children by 2011,” says James R. Cook, President and CEO of Children International.

These “Friends” also embraced environmental global awareness by practicing “green living” at this event. By simply reducing the amount of waste that often occurs at events like this, they conducted a more environmentally conscious fundraising campaign.

Here are some steps the Friends of Children International of Kansas City took:
Brad Ayers from Osawatomie has sponsored a boy in the Philippines for 11 years.

Recycled Materials:
Decorations were completely green.

Recycled decorated masonry jars crowned the tables and were set on beautiful large deep green banana leaves in lieu of any paper decorations. Fabric was used to create simple napkins that were tied with twine. The twine and banana leaves were composted. Besides helping our environment, these simple decorations also reflected the simplicity of the people that we strive to help.

Centerpieces were reused.
Each event table was decorated with a display of original and creative bouquets – no two were alike! All candles displayed were recycled.

Reduced and Reused:
Recycling bins were provided at the event check-out, and all attendees were encouraged to recycle the printed materials.

About Children International:
Established in 1936, Children International is a nonprofit organization with its headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri. Children International’s programs benefit over 320,000 poor children and their families in 11 countries around the world, including Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Mexico, the Philippines, Zambia and the United States.

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