Comments for a Cause.
THE best thing I could ever do on It’s Just Life is our monthly Comments for a Cause.
THE BEST THING.
Thank you to all of my readers who have faithfully supported my monthly Comments for a Cause since April 2011. That is a lot of causes, isn’t it? One day when I am feeling really ambitious I will post all of the causes we have supported in a post. But not today.
Image from Highland Youth Garden
Today I want to give a shout out to our cause for July 2017 which was the Highland Youth Garden. My friend Bill Kline is an integral part of the Highland Youth Garden that is located in Columbus, Ohio. If you click here you can read the post and see a video that will share more about what this great place does for children in the area.
Kids grab my heart every single time and I am thrilled that we are able to make a donation of $200 to the Highland Youth Garden as a result of the comments on the blog this month. Anytime we can donate to a worthy cause that helps kids it is a good day.
When we lived in Mooresville, NC from 1998 – 2006 I had the pleasure of listening to a radio show on a local Charlotte radio station with a morning team called Ace and TJ. They started my mornings off right with music, news and some pretty funny conversations. When I drove to work they were what I listened to and I loved being a part of their “radio family”.
Fast forward a bit and TJ and his family attended the church that our family attended so I got to see him outside of his radio personality. What I did know without a fact was that he and Ace had huge hearts when it came to helping others. Which is what leads me to the Comments for a Cause recipient for August 2017. I don’t know why I waited so long to feature them –it’s a no brainer.
Ace and TJ’s Grin Kids was started in 2000 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides a magical, all expense paid, 5 day experience at Walt Disney World for children between the ages of 5-12 who are terminally ill or chronically disabled and their immediate family. Yes, you read the correctly. What an amazing gift to these children and families.
I followed along on the radio many years as they raised money and took children to a magical place complete with caregivers and family members. I cried along with them as the children shared in the excitement of the magic that happens at Disney World. It is a recipe for wonderfulness.
Image courtesy of Ace and Tj’s Grin Kids
What is this all about? Read a little bit more about their mission as stated on their website:
The charity was designed to enhance the lives of terminally ill and chronically disabled children between the ages of 5 through 12 and live within Ace & TJ’s radio listening area. Our 501(c)(3) charity takes the children & their entire family on a once in a life time trip to Disney World. Over the years we have taken over 400 children and their families on a 5 day all-expense paid vacation including air travel, ground transportation, Disney Park Hopper passes, meals, hotel rooms at a Disney Resort, Meet & Greet with some of the famous Disney Characters and Disney Dollars for souvenirs. Grin Kids is funded exclusively by listener donations, fundraising events and corporate donations. Every dollar helps in making this magical vacation possible for children who have only dreamed of a vacation to the Happiest Place On Earth!. The name of the organization comes from Ace & TJ’s motto on their morning show, “You Grin, You’re In!”
Ace and TJ are a bright spot in our world. What they are doing to raise money and support these children and their families is beyond extraordinary and I am thrilled to highlight them this month as our Comments for a Cause recipient. If you are new to It’s Just Life a little explanation of how it works. Each comment made during the month means a 50 cent donation to Ace and TJ’s Grin Kids. We cap our donation at $500 and I am still waiting to reach that magic number so maybe this is the month. Comment on ANY post –it does not have to be this particular post. I usually have 5 posts a week so it is easy to just bookmark or subscribe to get my posts by email (look on the sidebar) or follow me on Facebook and Twitter (also in sidebar) to see my posts. Share with your friends.
If you are coming here because of your connection with Grin Kids I would love to read your comments about what this organization means to you. I love to read those stories and share the joy. So please, stop by often, comment on any post I have written in the past or in the month to come and it will all count towards our end of the month donation.
Please follow Ace and TJ’s Grin Kids on their different social media outlets that I will link to below the video.
Oh and the video? I DARE you to watch it and not tear up a bit. It makes my heart so happy. Thank you, Ace and TJ, for your dedication to making the world a little bit brighter for so many.
