This is the time of year when everyone is rushing around town and online in search of that perfect gift. The one that is sure to warm that special someone’s heart.
It might seem overwhelming but it does not have to be.
It’s actually quite easy.
The best gift you can buy can’t be purchased at a mall or on a website.
The best gift is when you truly make a gift to help someone else, the gift of charity.
At Casey Cares this year, we reached record numbers to serve more than 27,000 program participants. We brought smiles to the faces of nearly 800 kids with specially selected birthday gifts so that kids battling cancer, sickle cell disease and heart ailments could celebrate their milestone moment.
Almost 100 families in our programs escaped the daily routine of doctors’ visits and hospital stays and enjoyed quality time together on a vacation getaway in 2017. Families enjoyed trips to Great Wolf Lodge, Busch Gardens, Hersheypark and more. We even had a family spend a weekend in Nashville where they were treated to an ice show with Olympic gold medalist Scott Hamilton featuring music stars like Sheryl Crowe and Darius Rucker!
We arranged athlete meet-and-greet experiences, complete with VIP treatment and behind-the-scenes tours with our partners at the Baltimore Orioles, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles, Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Indians, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Pirates and the Washington Nationals. Ravens offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley spent an evening at an advance screening of “Jumanji” with about 100 Casey Cares program participants, and Baltimore Orioles star first baseman Chris Davis and his wife, Jill, once again served as race ambassadors at our Casey Cares 5K Run/Walk which finished ON THE FIELD at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Kids have been able to go behind the scenes at concerts, such as Jingle Ball at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., see their favorite TV characters, such as Paw Patrol and Disney Live! on stage and sit in awe at Cirque Italia shows. Whether it was being a game-day ball boy for the Globetrotters or simply a night out at the movies, Casey Cares worked hard to create lasting memories throughout the year.
Our families loved getting together at group parties we arranged. Through our Caring Connections Program, families spent quality time at museums, such as the Smith Memorial Playground in Philadelphia, at pumpkin patches and playing laser tag and mini-golf.
We also were able to provide a little bit of comfort to kids battling for their lives in area hospitals, hospices or at home by sending at-home movie night kits, complete with new pairs of pajamas, pizza gift cards, and, of course, candy and popcorn. Did we mention we distributed more than 10,000 new pairs of PJs?
None of this would be possible without your generosity.
Your gifts help us create little moments and lasting memories for families that have been through so much pain, hardship and emotional wear and tear.
You can take my word for it, or you can hear it from one of our Casey Cares’ moms, who sent us this note after spending time with her family on a vacation to Ocean City. Her son, Ja’Marcus, is just 6 and has been treated at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., for leukemia:
I honestly can’t express the love and appreciation I have for you guys. It brings tears to my eyes every time I see an email from the foundation. It’s just the good you do not just for my family, but all of these families. You guys truly are a blessing. Although, the words aren’t enough, I still want to say THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU soooo much for the Ocean City trip. It wasn’t just needed for JaMarcus; it was a break for us all. Since the day I’ve been a part of the Casey Care Foundation, it’s been a WONDERFUL experience. From tickets to a trip … it’s just amazing. I am forever a friend to you all. You have made my son smile in ways that I’ve seriously haven’t seen in a long while. This was something that I would not have been able to do on an average day, so this was truly a blessing.
Thank you all so much from the bottom of my heart.
P.S. Casey Cares… Keep being who you are and keep putting smiles on other faces!!
With your help and support, we will keep putting smiles on the faces of more critically ill kids and their families. Casey Cares has grown 30 percent from a year ago, and we are now serving families in seven states and Washington, D.C.
So you see, it’s simple. The perfect gift is right here. A donation to Casey Cares will put a smile on the faces of critically ill children, their families and you.
It’s all about making little moments and lasting memories. The clothes you buy now will be outgrown and outdated. The toys will be cast aside. The memories will last forever.
Happy holidays from all of us at Casey Cares and wishing you good health and happiness in the new year.
Casey
