Some VERY quick announcements!

Roger will be wrapping gifts at the Chesterfield Towne Center Barnes & Noble from 10am-2pm today!  There are other dates as well and some need a volunteer or two.  You can go to the website and sign up if you'd like to help out.



Today is also "Cyber-Monday" so please surf the web on over to HandmadeHomies4CJ which is our Business Of The Month for November.

If you are planning travel in the next year and can wait to book until February, the BOTM will be right up your alley.


Rachel and Roger will be travelling to Tiffin, Ohio this weekend for a multi-pronged event at Tiffin University.  Roger will be guest-performing at the annual "Christmas At The Ritz" concert on Saturday, Dec 1 and MIGHT be doing a vocal improv clinic for the students.  Rachel will be doing a book signing at the TU Bookstore as well.

The concert is a fundraiser and CJSTUF will be one of the beneficiaries.

Besides Black Friday and Cyber-Monday, another new trend is "Give Back Tuesday" where people are encouraged to donate to the charity of their choice.  Here's the DONATE button.  Why wait 'til Tuesday?

Right Now, Standby...

Let’s focus today’s post on the nuts and bolts of what’s going on with the Foundation RIGHT NOW.

The picture to the right is of the latest round of $500 financial assistance grants headed out in the mail today.  Five more families helped.  Five more unbearable situations made a tiny bit more bearable.  That brings the total number of families helped since CJSTUF’s inception to 95 (We’ll be hitting 100 soon enough)!  That doesn’t include the hundreds of people fed during the Lunch Bunch and other meals programs facilitated by the Foundation or the emergency financial assistance provided in the form of utility bills paid, gas cards purchased, etc...

There’s only one way these things happen and that’s through your generosity.  Roger and Rachel Reynolds, The Board ofDirectors, and all involved with CJ’s Thumbs Up Foundation would like to thank everyone who have helped make this year more successful that we could have possibly imagined.  And it’s not over yet.

Our most recent fundraisers, The Amazing Raise and the Groupon Grassroots Campaign, have raised over $4,000 ($2,300+ of that guaranteeing at least 7 Lunch Bunch meals which will feed no less than 420 people).

The next thing is the Eagle Rare Award contest that continues into January.  People can vote once every 24 hours.

Now, the 500lb gorilla in the room is the Fall Art Auction on Friday, October 19 at the Cultural Art Center in Glen Allen.  There will be a dessert bar including chocolate fountain (YUM!), wine donated by The Caboose in Ashland, live and silent auctions with a variety of pieces ranging in value from $20 to $1,800, and (here’s the really cool part) three interactive artists who will be creating pieces during the evening.  Those pieces will be auctioned off at the end of the evening.

Tickets are $50 each and can be purchased here.

The future holds the kind of promise that can only come from seeing the exit of a very dark tunnel after being trapped inside for an extremely long time.

There will be wonderful Businesses Of The Month in November and December.  Please standby for details.

Initial plans are underway for a benefit bluegrass festival on Saturday, July 20, 2013 and a 1,000-mile bicycle ride in 2014; no official date as of today. (Mr. Roger needs a good road bike)

And yet, there are still other plans that are too early in the works to mention here.

For RIGHT NOW, please buy your tickets to the Fall Art Auction, vote for Rachel every 24 hours, and start getting your holiday shopping lists together to fill at our Nov. and Dec. Businesses Of The Month.

All you can do for the future events is standby…

From Laughter to WINE-ing and Back to Tears

First the laughter…

We definitely know that laughter is very therapeutic.  And slightly lucrative for non-profits. Rachel and I have become involved with ComedySportz Improv Theatre of Richmond and throughout the month of June, they let CJSTUF take over during halftime of every show in order to play “Stick The Butterfly To The Flower.”  People bought little paper butterflies with sticky dots on them for a few bucks and for some crazy reason, allowed us to blindfold them.  Then they tried to stick the butterflies to a big flower on the wall.  The butterfly that ended up closest to one of the numbers on the flower won a prize.

Just that little game garnered over $300 for CJSTUF.

On top of that, during the last weekend of June, $2 of every ticket for the Friday night and Saturday early shows were donated to CJSTUF.  We don’t have a final tally yet but we’re confident that overall, we raised enough to help one family.  Thanks ComedySpotrz!

Now for the WINE-ing…

This month, our Business Of The Month is really only it for one day but it’s a doosie!  Kate Hall over at RichmondMom.com has developed a tremendous relationship with the Wine Loft in Short Pump and the first Wednesday of every month is what’s called the Wine Down where a local non-profit benefits from ticket sales, raffles, and other donations.  They’ve raised as much as $900 during these events and the last time CJSTUF was the beneficiary of a Wine Down, it was the largest event they had had up to that point.  We’re hoping to set another record on the 11^th.  It is certainly possible because this year, an anonymous donor has offered to match donations if over $500 is raised at the event.  How's that for incentive?

Yeah, it’s not the first Wednesday but the whole July 4^th thing got in the way.

Tickets are $10 and include a raffle ticket (more available for $1 each), appetizers, and discounted wine.

The Wine Loft of Richmond is located at 4035 Whittall Way, Glen Allen, VA 23060 right next to Spirited Art (which just happens to have been our BOTM for May).  Festivities will get underway at 6:30 and you are strongly encouraged to arrive early.

Time for the BONUS ROUND!

Rachel has surpassed the 1200 vote mark in her quest to repeat as an Eagle Rare Life grant winner.  This year the grand prize has been increased to $30,000 to be donated to the charity of the winner’s choice and we feel confident that we can win it this year.  Last year’s secondary prize is helping to fund the new Lunch Bunch at MCV/Children’s Hospital Of Richmond for which CJSTUF has partnered with Connor’s Heroes Foundation and local restaurants to provide meals for the families of children receiving treatment on the 7^th floor of VCU’s Children’s Hospital of Richmond.  $30,000 would take care of a lot of meals.

People can vote once every 24 hours here.  Please set your alarms and spread the word.

So we come back to the tears.  It always seems to happen about every 6 months and July is very tough for us.  This 4^th of July weekend, we are traveling to Tennessee to visit my dad and have something of a small family reunion.  Rachel also has two book signings this weekend in Morristown at JavaGarden on Saturday and my dad’s church on Sunday (gotta take the opportunities when they happen).  Then we head back to Richmond to face the 9^th and think about our beautiful baby girl on her 7^th Birthday.

With every success that comes to CJSTUF, we are given a little solace.  The latest drop comes from knowing that because of Rachel’s initial book sales, we’ve been able to fund one family’s financial assistance grant.  That’s YOU, Network.  Because you have purchased books, because you voted Rachel into an Eagle Rare Life Award grant, because you donate what you can, when you can, we are able to fulfill our Mission which helps us to deal with things like July 9 and allows us think of Charlotte without curling up into

a fetal position.

And speaking of fulfilling the CJSTUF Mission, 10 Financial Assistance Grants totaling ($5,000) went out in the mail today.  You again.

So thank you for the world’s largest coping mechanism.  Thanks for just being there for us.

Don’t forget to love on your children.

I’ll take that glass of wine now.

Moving Forward

              

Our New Logo

Can’t do much else can we?  As Bruce Barton said, “When you are through changing, you are through.”  We’re hardwired to keep moving forward; to continually try to make our situation better even though sometimes all we do is repeat the mistakes of the past.  But move forward we must and that is what we’re doing here at CJ’s Thumbs Up Foundation (hopefully not with the whole repeating-past-mistakes thing).

Thanks to our generous Network (that’s YOU, generous reader) we’ve had a very good first half of the year.  Revenue is exceeding expectations due to increased donations, more successful fundraising events, and the release of Rachel’s book, Four Seasons ForCharlotte: A Parent’s Year With Pediatric Cancer.  It seems that so far, we have been doing things the correct way and our mission is being well-supported.

The Cover of Rachel's Book

                With all that in mind, it’s time to take some more baby steps forward.  This year, we will award a total of at least 25 financial assistance grants.  This almost doubles our impact from 2011 (so maybe “baby steps” is too conservative a term).  We also have plans to expand our Board of Directors and have welcomed some extremely capable members to the current board.  Our fundraising initiatives like the Butterfly Socials, the Thumbs Up Ball, and the Fall Art Auction continue to evolve into our primary annual events and we continue to seek ways to improve upon the last event’s success.

We are also modifying our online presence a bit.  In the near future, you will see more regular (weekly) blog posts covering various aspects of CJSTUF.org.  We are currently gathering stories and profiles of our Board of Directors, staff, local medical professionals, events, partnering non-profits, and most importantly, the reason we exist - our families.  We will spotlight these courageous families in an attempt to inspire the reader to do more, to dig deeper, or simply to help the healing process by making the families aware that they are not alone in their struggle.

You will soon be seeing small updates (in both look and function) to the website and social media outlets to include software upgrades, calendars, new widgets, and more efficient ways to keep up, and become involved, with CJSTUF.org.

One thing we are NOT changing is the mission.  We will also never forget the curly-haired, sweet-voiced little girl whose strength and courage is the inspiration for what we do every day. (We still miss you, Charlotte!)

It’s an exciting and bittersweet time for us here at CJ’s Thumbs Up Foundation as we continue to move forward, or as Jonathan Agin signs off of daughter Alexis’, Caringbridge posts, “…we are one day further, yet one day closer…”

We are so thankful to all who are helping us make unbearable situations a little more bearable.

Get in the Spirit with some Art!

Our April fundraiser is going to help us get into the spirit of Spring.  


Spirited Art Richmond is hosting as our Business of the Month.  Join us on Tuesday, April 24th from 6:30-9 PM and you can paint your very own butterfly!

What's that you say? 

You're not artistic? 

You can't paint?!?  

Forget all those ideas. 

Spirited Art makes it easy and fun.  I attended a Spirited Art event about two months ago with some of the other writers from Richmond Mom.  I am one of the least artistic people I know and I found it both easy and fun.  The instructors guide you through the process step by step.  You can customize your picture and everyone's creation is unique.  PLUS, you have access to affordable wine and appetizers from The Wine Loft (conveniently located next door) so no matter what happens, we'll be relaxed and contented!  

My first Spirited Art Creation

from start to finish

If I can do it....

...you can do it!

Visit our website if you need more information.  Cost is $35 for the evening (wine and appetizers are extra). Space is limited so call today or go online to register for our fundraising night.  A large portion ($25) of each registration comes back to CJSTUF so this should be a great night for our organization.  


By the way, speaking of Richmond Mom, don't forget to nominate your favorite Richmond Super Mom by April 14th. We will get a $5 donation for every nomination!


Also, now is the time to start thinking about hosting a Butterfly Social in May. What is a Butterfly Social? It's a great excuse to have a party or special get together for your friends.  You can give your party any theme you desire and use it as an opportunity to raise awareness (or even a little $$) for our organization. We can provide you with an entire event kit, including invitations, an event checklist, party ideas, and even some cool CJSTUF swag for your guests.  Stay tuned for more information or contact us if you have questions.  


Happy Easter, Happy Passover, and Happy Spring to one and all. 

As the year winds down

What a weekend! We had such a wonderful time with the Comedy Sportz team. If we could make all our FUN-raisers work using improvisational sketch comedy, I think I would be a happy girl! There are so many people to thank:

Thanks to the fans who came out on Friday and Saturday evenings for our organization. 

Thanks to Kate Hall and all the folks at Richmond Mom for promoting the event. Kate sacrificed herself to the comedy gods and the results were HILARIOUS! She does a mean Martha Stewart impersonation. 

Captain Rachel takes on Captain "Boots" 

The teams show off their mad rhyming skills in Doo-Rap

Kate Hall shows she's suited up
& ready for battle

Boots and sweatpants
are an excellent fashion choice

 Thanks to Roger and CJSTUF board member Lauren Coe for also stepping up to the stage for a good cause. Lauren's boots were the hit of the evening on Friday and Roger wielded so much power on Saturday he was even able to rename cast members.  If you happened to catch the late show, Roger and I even managed a brief cameo in the spit-take game. Let's just say things got a little damp on stage. 


















Thanks to Christine Walters, Dave Gau, and all the other incredible performers at Comedy Sportz for offering this opportunity to spread the word about CJSTUF and make some money in the process.  There are talks of making this an annual event so stay tuned.

In other news, we just learned that the Spirited Art fundraiser will be delayed due to some challenges with their grand opening plans. We will announce when the event has been rescheduled. 

This means that, as of now, we do not have any "official" events scheduled for CJSTUF for the rest of 2011.  However, our wait list for financial assistance grants continues to grow.  We still need your help and there are great ways that you can support our cause. 

CJSTUF merchandise is available for purchase on our website. 100% of the proceeds from merchandise sales goes towards our Meal Fairies program, providing healthy snacks and meals to families in the hospital.

If you know someone who has a birthday coming soon, consider a request for gifts to CJSTUF in lieu of presents. We have some fabulous goodie bags that you can give your guests as a thank you for their donation.  

Stave off the holiday weight gain and start training now for your next race! If you need more motivation, consider running your next race for CJSTUF. It doesn't matter if you're walking a 5K or running an ultra-marathon. Team CJ would love to have you on board.  You can join our race team and ask your friends and family to support you through dedicated donations.  New Team CJ race shirts will be available in 2012 and you can get your own personalized website to track donations. 

Are you trying to make a little extra money for the holiday shopping season by selling your old stuff on eBay? Want to get rid of gifts that you didn't really want in the first place? Consider donating a portion of your eBay sale transaction to CJSTUF through the eBay Giving Works program. You can designate anywhere from 10-100% of your sale price as a donation to CJSTUF. In return, you get a portion of your selling fees refunded and help a great cause while you shop. 

Finally, remember that our corporate partner, Barefoot Books, has great gift ideas for kids of all ages. Shop through the link on her website and a portion of proceeds benefits our organization. 

That should keep you busy for a while. Stay tuned for news as we move towards 2012. 

November Events

Join us November 4th & 5th as we make you laugh for a good cause. CJSTUF is teaming with Richmond Mom and Comedy Sportz for two nights of laughter. Bring the gang out to this family friendly show and watch as representatives from CJSTUF and Richmond Mom join the Comedy Sportz Pros in improv skits and games.


Rachel & CJSTUF board member Lauren Coe will team up for the Friday show while Roger and RichmondMom founder Kate Hall will engage in a battle of wits on Saturday.  


Roger, Lauren, and I attended one of their shows last Saturday and we were in stitches the entire night.  It was a great show for all ages.

Admission is $10 per person and a portion of the proceeds will benefit CJSTUF. 
Show times are 8 PM on Friday, November 4th & 7 PM on Saturday, November 5th. 
Call 804-266-9377 to reserve your tickets. 


If art is more your thing, join us November 14th at Spirited Art.  We are honored to have been chosen by this new art venue in Short Pump to help with their Grand Opening.  Spirited Art can help bring out the artist in everyone. If you can draw basic shapes and stick figures, you can create a painting masterpiece!  Check out the details below, grab your friends, and reserve your spot!

California Pizza Kitchen: This Thursday!

First, a thank-you to the generous donors who supported us recently during The Amazing Raise.  We did not receive any of the matching challenge grants but we did raise over $1000 in a 36-hour period!  We hope that The Community Foundation will repeat this event next year. 


The year is winding down. Can you believe it's already October? While our major events are done for the year, we do have some fun things to put on your calendar. 

First, plan to eat your dinner at California Pizza Kitchen in Short Pump this Thursday, October 13th.  Print and bring THIS FLYER to the restaurant and 20% of your order will benefit CJSTUF.  This offer is valid all day for both take-out and dine-in options but you must have the flyer.  






Also, keep the evenings of November 4th or 5th reserved on your calendar.  You will not want to miss this! CJSTUF has teamed with ComedySportz Richmond and RichmondMom for an evening of improv humor.  The shows are at 8 PM on Friday and 7 PM on Saturday.  If you've never heard of Comedy Sportz, think "Whose Line is It Anyway?"  

The show is all improv humor and will be very family-friendly.  Here's the kicker: Roger, Rachel, and two representatives from Richmond Mom will join the comedy professionals on the stage for a night of fun.  $2 from each $10 ticket sale will benefit CJSTUF.  


More events on the docket for November (and maybe December too).  Stay tuned!

September Biz of the Month: An easy way to help CJSTUF

Last night we hosted a Gold Does Good party at our house.  Even with our small turnout, we raised over $300 for CJSTUF.  How did we do it?

I went through my jewelry boxes and junk drawers and found a small box full of old, broken, unwanted jewelry and metal.  There were a few unmatched, broken earrings, some tangled chains, and a few pieces that I just didn't want or need anymore.  

Thanks to the high value of gold, sterling silver, and platinum, even these seemingly "worthless" pieces carried some great value!  We got a debit card for the value of the items (Roger and I donated most of it directly to CJSTUF instead of keeping it for ourselves) PLUS CJSTUF gets an additional 12.5%. For more information, check out our website for details. 

So now we want to know, who else is interested in

helping CJSTUF by selling your unwanted metals?

There is another Gold Does Good party hosted by Kimberly Johnson on September 17th from 7-9 PM at the Martin's Community Room at 11361 Midlothian Turnpike

We are also looking for at least one more person to host a gold party for CJSTUF.  If you are interested in hosting your own Gold Does Good party during the month of September (or any time) and donating your hostess fee to CJSTUF, please contact us. 

Carnival Cancelled due to Irene

Hi everyone. If you haven't guessed already because of the impending forecast, we are cancelling the Carnival and Bake Sale tomorrow.

We do not have a re-schedule date. With all of the upcoming fall activities (include our Art Auction and Biz of the Month!) the calendar is already fairly full.

We may look at a time to reschedule a less formal event like a bake sale and/or spirit night at Pepicellis.  

Thanks again to everyone who volunteered to help. 
Thanks to Pepicellis and Jade Enterprises for their help with all of the organization and preparation.

Better luck next time.

Stay safe this weekend and stay tuned for more upcoming CJSTUF events.

September Biz of the Month: Mark Your Calendars

Mark your calendars now! Our September Biz of the Month event is coming soon.

The September Biz of the Month is Gold Does Good

This time, you don't have to buy anything. Instead, we are asking you to SELL your gold, silver jewelry, and coins.

Local representative Beth Boston is helping CJSTUF. Here's how it works:

During the month of September, CJSTUF volunteers will host gold parties. You are invited to each open house and encouraged to bring your gold and other select metals (you can contact us for a complete list of qualifying items). Jewelry can be broken, tangled, or old.

You get: a debit card loaded with the full value of your qualifying gold or silver jewelry and coins.

CJSTUF gets: up to 15% of the total amount

It's that easy!

The first open house will be held:
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
5:30-8:30 PM.
9 Slash Ct., Ashland, VA.
You can come any time during the selected hours.

If you are interested in hosting your own Gold Does Good party during the month of September (or any time) and donating your hostess fee to CJSTUF, please contact us.

We will post here and on our calendar if more Gold Does Good events that benefit CJSTUF are scheduled. 

PS There's still time to book your cake with Kalico Kitchen for the August Biz of the Month.  

August Business of the Month

Do you need a cake for a special occasion?

Kalico Kitchen can help! As our Business of the Month, Kalico Kitchen will give CJSTUF 20% for any cake reserved this month.

Jeni made Charlotte's 4th birthday cake and I can tell you that it was not only beautiful; it was delicious as well!

 So what are you waiting for? Call Kalico Kitchen at  804-262-1966.

While we're talking about birthdays and other special occasions, this would be a great time to remind you that you can hold a Birthday Party for CJ any time of the year. Children (or adults) of any age can request donations to CJSTUF in lieu of presents and we will provide you with fun goodie cups filled with adorable swag PLUS a t-shirt for the birthday boy or girl. 

 Stay tuned for more information on our September business of the month. We just partnered with a local representative from Gold Does Good for an amazing opportunity. Imagine helping our foundation and getting paid for it! Stay tuned for more details in future blog posts as well as on our Facebook site.


PS Did you get our August newsletter?  If you're not already on our mailing list, it's easy to sign up.  It's the best way to stay hip to all the latest news (besides this blog, of course).

Got Pets?

CJSTUF is excited to announce our Business of the Month for June: 

Dr. Bob Magnus, The Housecall Vet

Our pets are important members of our family. They need regular care to stay healthy. Sometimes, however, scheduling visits with the vet can be a challenge. Enter Dr. Bob Magnus: The Housecall Vet.

Dr. Magnus (or Dr. Woof as he likes to be called) makes caring for your pets simple and affordable. As a concierge vet, he will come to your home to administer exams and vaccinations for all your 4-legged family members. 

Tigger enjoying his big backyard.

We recently made an appointment with Dr. Woof for our two cats, Tigger and Noah. In the past, we would have to make two separate appointments for the cats at the vet's office due to the struggles involved getting them into their crates, working around other 4-legged patients, and dealing with their individual cat neuroses. This time, Dr. Woof came to us. He examined the cats in the comfort of our living room and administered their vaccines. Less than thirty minutes later, Tigger and Noah were enjoying their big backyard.  

You might imagine that a concierge service like this would be too expensive for most families but we found Dr. Woof's services to be very affordable. We may have even paid less for Dr. Woof's services than we did for our last vet visit. 

Noah, our diva cat. Now he's going to demand housecalls.

Book your vet appointment with Dr. Woof during the month of June and 25% of your bill will directly benefit CJSTUF.  As an added bonus, Dr. Woof is currently offering his services FREE of charge to families effected by chronic and life-threatening illnesses.  If you know of a family that needs help caring for their 4-legged friends while also supporting a child with health challenges, contact us so we can put them in touch with Dr. Woof.

Thanks to The Housecall Vet for their support of CJSTUF. If your business would like to be featured as a CJSTUF business of the month, contact us so we can get you on the calendar. 

Announcing Our April Biz of the Month

Are you looking for an opportunity to work with a fabulous professional photographer for your family pictures?

Eight Richmond-area photographers have donated a 30-minute photo session and 10 digital pictures with unlimited printing rights. During the month of April, every $10 donation will be entered as a chance to win a photo session with a participating photographer.   

Special thanks to our participating photographers:

Ashley Glasco Photography
Beth Harris Photography
Dacia Photography
Galhouse Photography
Kristie Bradley Photography
M. Chase Narrative Photography
Marvelous Things Photography
Reflections Photography

 

To enter the giveaway, make a donation to CJSTUF online between April 4th and April 30th. Cash or check donations will also be accepted at Romp n' Roll-Mechanicsville. Each $10 donation will equal one entry into the raffle. (i.e. a $100 donation = 10 entries) 

For more information, check out our Biz of the Month page on our website. 

Biz of the Month: 31 Gifts!

During March, Thirty-One gifts representative Christi Williams is helping support CJSTUF as our Business of the Month.



Follow the link on our website to Christi's Thirty-One page. Place your order any time during March and 15% of the sale will be given to CJSTUF.


Thirty-One offers fun bags, gifts, and accessories for everyone. It's a great place to find the perfect shower gift, Mother's Day present, or even a fun spring bag for yourself!

More information on our Biz of the Month for February

During the month of February, KidsDineFree is helping support CJSTUF.

Buy a KidsDineFree card on their website on the following dates:

Wednesday, February 9th

Thursday, February 17th

Monday, February 28th
40% of the card sales will be given to CJSTUF

OR you can visit the Johnny Rockets in Chesterfield on Saturday, February 19th to buy your card in person.

When you have a KidsDineFree card, your child eats for FREE at hundreds of restaurants every time you dine (not just on special "kids eat free" days). Cards are available for Richmond, Williamsburg, Northern Virginia, and South Florida.



Stay tuned to our Facebook page and the Biz of the Month Page on our website for more information on special KidsDineFree events during February.

PS: Did you receive our February Newsletter? If not, go to our website and sign up for our email newsletter list! (or check your spam filters)

January News

January is off to a great start. 

There are so many exciting things to report!

First, we are excited to announce the recent hire of Michelle Alford as our new Foundation Administrator and Event Coordinator.

Michelle will be working with us to plan fundraising events and campaigns as well as assist in recruitment and organization of volunteers. If you have signed up to help us as a volunteer, you may hear from her soon!

Next, our Business of the Month for January is The Station Cafe.  Located at 113 Railroad Avenue in Downtown Ashland, The Station Cafe is donating 10% of sales in January to CJSTUF if you mention our organization when you place your order. The restaurant is open Monday-Friday 7 AM-3 PM and Saturday 9 AM-5 PM. Their menu features coffee drinks, gourmet hot dogs, ice cream, and other family-friendly fare.



PLUS we will be celebrating Roger's birthday at the Cafe on Saturday January 29th from 6-8 PM. Admission will be $5 and the event will feature cake, ice cream, and a music jam (bring your axe!).


Finally, we need your VOTE!

We are in the running for another grant that will help fund the CJ's Meal Fairies program. Please go to the Kindermusik website and search for our grant (CJ's Meal Fairies). Voting is active from January 5th-February 9th. Each individual can vote up to 10 times per day. Please spread the word to all your friends!