Awareness

The New York Jets dedicated the team’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals to ownerWoody Johnson, whose daughter, Casey Johnson, died suddenly earlier this week.

Following the NY Jets’ 24 to 14 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, Coach Rex Ryan and the team dedicated the win to Johnson. “There’s only one game ball,” Ryan said, according to the New York Daily News, “and it goes to Woody.”

The Johnson family gathered to cheer on the Jets only five days after Casey Johnson’s mysterious and sudden death. Woody Johnson reportedly said it was “a very difficult time for us, but we felt it was important to be here today.” Even so, Johnson said the win could not help ease the pain from losing his daughter so young. “No, it doesn’t help,” Johnson said.

A moment of silence was held at the game for Casey Johnson before the national anthem. Jets staff members wore diabetes awareness bracelets in support of the Johnson family and their tragic loss.

No official cause of death has yet been released in the death of Casey Johnson. The young socialite suffered from diabetes, but it is not yet known if the disease may have contributed to her death.

Members of the Jets organization wore juvenile diabetes awareness bracelets at the game yesterday to honor Casey Johnson, daughter of team owner Woody Johnson, who died last week at age 30.

Casey Johnson suffered from the disease, but the cause of her sudden death at a friend’s home in Los Angeles has not yet been determined.

She had a history of drug and alcohol abuse and was using both before her death, friends have said.

Her father, Woody Johnson, established a memorial fund in Casey’s honor after her death at the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, which he chairs.

The bracelets, worn by every member of the Jets organization except the players, read “CURE diabetes” on the front.

Results of an autopsy and toxicology screen on Casey are expected to come later this week.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2010/01/10/2010-01-10_diabetes_bracelets_honor_casey.html#ixzz0dNfXypxu

Published Date: 04 January 2010

By Hazel Slade

With 2009 behind her, the 15-year-old schoolgirl from Irthlingborough Road, Finedon, who was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in September, is now looking forward to the future.

With hopes of the home visit in two weeks, when the family will celebrate Christmas properly, dad Nick has also launched the sale of wristbands and silver bracelets on his internet site to try help raise
funds for the family during Vicki’s treatment.

Mr Alex, 43, explained Vicki had her last course of chemotherapy before Christmas, but is having to take constant antibiotics through a drip as her immune system is so low.

He said: “Hospital is the last place you want to be over Christmas. They try their best, but you just can’t do what you would at home – you’re very restricted.

“Vicki could walk around with her drip, but there’s no real freedom or reprise for her.”

The family, which includes mum Tracey, 43, brother Samuel, 13, and both grandmothers, cooked a turkey at home and brought gravy in a flask to the Leicester hospital.

But when they arrived they discovered there were enough dinners provided by the hospital for the family – despite being told differently beforehand.

Mr Alex said: “You felt like someone was letting you down, because if only we’d known, life would have been a lot easier.

“A charity came in and bought all the children bags of presents and that was fantastic.

“It was by no means the Christmas we would have wanted, but you have to write it off and think of the future.”

Mr Alex launched the sale of silicon wristband, with hope, faith, courage and strength separated by the ribbon written on them, and silver bracelet on his blog site on New Years Eve.

The bracelet has the words – Together we can make a difference – on a heart and the orange awareness ribbon attached to it.

Visit www.vickisstory.blogspot.com for details.

Cause-related marketing is arguably one of the first “fields” that brought the nonprofit and for-profit worlds together for mutual benefit. Appearing at about the same time as microfinance, the first cause-marketing campaign occurred in 1976 through a partnership between Marriott Corporation and the March of the Dimes, a nonprofit that works to prevent birth defects in babies. March of the Dimes’ goal was to increase fundraising for its chapters in the Western U.S., and Marriott’s goal was to generate cost-effective PR and media coverage for the opening of their family entertainment complex, Marriott’s Great America in Santa Clara, Calif. The campaign was a hit. Since then, cause-marketing expenditures by companies have exploded from almost zero in 1983 (when IEG first started tracking cause-related activities in the U.S.) to an estimated $1.57 billion in 2009.

As a member of the Millennial Generation, cause-related marketing seems like plain ol’ marketing to me. It’s commonplace. I’d guess that most of us have worn pink ribbons in October to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a campaign started by the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s Race for the Cure in 1991; or we’ve sported the iconic yellow silicone wristband for the Lance Armstrong Foundation’s LiveStrong campaign launched in 2004; and we’ve probably bought something from Product Red, a campaign launched in 2006, and most notably promoted by lead singer of U2, Bono, to help fight AIDS. But do most of us know what our easy support of these causes has contributed to? And maybe this is the more important question — do we truly care about where our money’s going when we buy into a cause-related marketing campaign or is it just really good marketing?

Well, in terms of hard cash, these campaigns seem to generate a heck of a lot money for their causes. Product Red and its corporate partners such as Dell, Apple and Gap, to name a few, have contributed more than $140 million directly to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (100 percent of the funds go to programs). The pink ribbons for the Susan G. Komen Foundation raise about $30 million a year through 130 corporate partnerships, and Ford Motor Company executives estimate that they’ve funneled more than $100 million to the cause over the past 15 years. And what about those yellow plastic bracelets that only Lance could have made cool for boys to wear? The LiveStrong campaign has raised over $70 million for cancer research from those things. Seventy million sold at $1.00 a piece. (Hmm, I wonder how much space that takes up in a landfill.)

So if we put the $1.6 billion that companies spend each year on cause-marketing and the lesser known $7.6 billion per year that large American nonprofits spend on marketing and public relations, we have a fast-growing $9 billion plus sector focused on getting the attention of consumers through cause-related marketing. I’d say this number is something to think about. What type of return on investment does the $9 billion that goes into marketing “for good” generate for its respective causes? And how are we measuring this impact?

Given the load of well-articulated articles against cause-related marketing or “consumption philanthropy”, including one by Angela Eikenberry published in the Stanford Social Innovation Review over the summer, I thought it would be nice to hear from the other side on the issue. My friend Simon Isaacs heads up the cause-marketing division for ignition Incand works with major corporate (think Coca Cola) and nonprofit brands (think United Nations Foundation) to develop and launch global awareness, fundraising and marketing campaigns around issues such as clean water, malaria, HIV/AIDS and education. In fact, in a few days, Simon’s off to climb Mount Kilimanjaro to raise awareness for clean water with Jessica Biel and Lupe Fiasco in his stead. I thought I’d catch up with him and give him a hard time before he goes on another one of his amazing cause-marketing adventures.

Q: Simon, as someone behind some of the world’s most famous cause-marketing campaigns, and, more importantly, as the deeply conscious global citizen that you are, tell me more about how you are changing the world for the better through marketing.

A: Wow, that’s nice of you. For the most part, my team at ignition helps large consumer brands to develop and launch cause-marketing campaigns. I am passionate about this work because I believe that consumer brands can serve as catalysts and critical platforms for broad public engagement and support for a cause or organization. But I don’t want to overstate the role of cause-marketing. We will not solve the AIDS crisis through the purchase of a t-shirt or find the cure for cancer in the grocery aisle; but we can use the reach and tools available to us as marketers to spark people to get involved and raise awareness for an issue. Not only is cause-marketing proving effective for causes and nonprofits, it’s also incredibly effective in driving the bottom line for our clients as the consumer brings their social and environmental values to the market place. This work isn’t just about the business of good — but it’s also proving to be very good business. I hope we are changing the world for the better. I know we are trying.

Q: Does cause-marketing always revolve around consumerism? For instance, how do these campaigns help with environmental causes when consumerism is generally bad for the environment? In the past, cause-marketing campaigns have been associated with initiatives by big companies to re-brand their sooty images. Remember BP/Amoco’s $200 million PR and advertising campaign in 2002 where they came up with the slogan “Beyond Petroleum” and tried to make us feel warm and fuzzy with a green, yellow and white sunburst logo? Clearly, BP didn’t change anything about the fact that they remained an oil company through-and-through, deriving the vast majority of their profits from drilling rig to oil tanker to refinery to gas station which clearly has contributed to a global environmental crisis. However, BP did throw money at green groups, including the National Wildlife Federation, which allowed BP to brand itself with NWF toys and logos. In retrospect it seems naïve that a company would think that by associating itself with a nonprofit or a cause that the consumer would be easily conditioned to believe that the company must be good or, at least, not so bad. Thank goodness the consumer was smarter than those campaigns and could see past the marketing! Since then has anything changed in the way a company spends PR and marketing money to associate themselves with causes? How do we know when a company that says they’re supporting a cause is being authentic?

A: We are seeing a major spike in the number of companies and brands integrating environmental or social messages into their corporate communications and advertising campaigns. Too often, these campaigns lack any real credibility. This is what is known as “green-washing” or “cause-washing.” Fortunately, consumers are paying close attention and rewarding those who play by the rules and punishing the “sinners” who don’t. Consumers don’t want to simply be told that a product is “green,” they want proof. Winning in this space demands a deep commitment to “proving it” and being open and honest. Put simply, consumers are demanding transparency and authenticity. Last month, a Chase Bank found itself in a world of trouble related to a Facebook campaign they ran. You can check out the drama here. In addition to consumers, governments are now paying attention and regulating these claims — which is really terrific.

Here are five things consumers need to watch out for:

1. Fluffy Language: Words like eco-friendly or “good for you”, which fail to provide any specific meaning to a claim
2. Silly Pictures: Suggestive pictures to promote an unjustifiable green image, like flowers in exhaust pipes
3. Unproven or Irrelevant Claims: Unproven sustainability claims or playing up one green or cause-related achievement of a company’s operations, while other areas are lacking
4. Fake friends: Made-up third party endorsements and labels
5. Just downright not credible: Promoting the social or environmental benefits of “harmful” products like cigarettes

An authentic and effective cause-marketing campaign is a win-win for the brand and the cause/nonprofit partner. To answer your first question, “winning” for the brand does not necessarily always mean direct sales. It can also be about corporate reputation, brand love or employee engagement, but it does need to connect back to the business.

Q: I definitely see that consumers are becoming more discerning of cause-marketing campaigns. To me, it seems like changes in the way companies approach corporate citizenship are driven by the consumer. Are companies banding together at all to create standards or metrics by which we can measure a “successful” cause-marketing campaign? Are there market leaders — companies that are pioneering a new brand of corporate social responsibility that comes from within the DNA of the company as opposed to being externally motivated (like PR)? I immediately think of the new B Corporation companies, but I don’t believe that any of the multilateral companies you work with are B Corps. Why do you think this is? Can you give me some examples of what you would consider a “successful” cause-marketing campaign?

A: I don’t know of any companies banding together on standards. There are, however, cases where companies are creating and publishing scorecards for sustainability commitments. Chevron and Timberland both do a good job here. There are also some efforts to rate individual products. Most of this is on the product or operational sustainability side and less on cause-marketing campaigns and efforts.

The B Corp movement is very interesting. I grew up in Vermont around brands like Ben & Jerry’s, Seventh Generation and Stonyfield Farm. These were some of the original B Corps. Companies, like Coca-Cola, Unilever, Walmart, etc are learning a tremendous deal from these smaller brands. Coca-Cola, for example, has begun their Live Positively sustainability journey that is about redesigning the way they work and live to bring sustainability into the DNA of the company and its brands. To do this authentically, it takes a lot of time and a lot of investment. That’s why there are not any major multinational B Corps. For me, working bit by bit with the bigger guys to weave sustainability into their DNA is more interesting (and impactful) then working with the “super green” companies who already get it.

There are a lot of cause-marketing campaigns that I find inspiring — I don’t know where to begin. I will say, the best cause-marketing campaigns are those that ladder-up to larger sustainability efforts of the brand, relate to the brand and the target demographic, are brought to life through as many channels as possible (e.g. online, on packaging etc.), are authentic, have significant ROI for the cause and partner organization, and, finally, are a bit of fun.

Q: Hmm I can name a couple of new cause-marketing campaigns I’m fond of. How about the Give a Day, Get a Disney Day campaign? That one’s a lot of fun. Beginning January 1, 2010 Disney Parks will commemorate the volunteer spirit with a free one-day admission ticket to a Walt Disney World Resort in Florida or Disneyland Resort in California theme park to the first one million people who volunteer a day of their time. I like that you bring up the concept of ROI (Return on Investment) for cause-marketing campaigns. For this Disney one, it seems pretty straightforward — 1 million volunteers * 1 day of their time = x dollars contributed to the nonprofits involved. Is that what you mean by ROI?

I also think the Summit on the Summit expedition that you’re involved in to raise awareness for the billion people worldwide who lack access to clean drinking water is a pretty cool cause-marketing effort too. You’re off to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro with a bunch of celebrities, including Jessica Biel and Lupe Fiasco, for the cause in a few days. Sounds like a lot of fun and celebrities definitely bring attention to issues. What’s the ROI from this campaign? As a group have you defined some concrete goals for the expedition? I am always curious how much it costs to pull off a big campaign like this versus how much the campaign actually raises for the cause. Have you guys thought about this for Summit on the Summit? How will the group be measuring their impact?

A: The Disney program is beautiful on so many dimensions. It builds upon a growing movement around volunteerism. Yes, the ROI here is huge for ALL who are involved. Disney is creating real value for their nonprofit partners by encouraging their consumers to volunteer, and in doing so, create direct (and hopefully long-term) relationships with those causes. The consumer gets a high level of return by getting something of real value — a day at the park. And, in addition to the overall reputation gains for Disney’s brand, I believe the campaign will channel more people to the parks — as those who’ve volunteered will likely bring others who will pay full price (not to mention the in-park food, beverage, accommodation and merchandise). Finally, I LOVE the Give a Day, Get a Disney Day ads — they are in true brand spirit and fun.

For Summit on the Summit, the return is somewhat different. Hewlett Packard, Procter & Gamble and Microsoft’s Windows are amongst the main sponsors — and each of these brands is leveraging their support for different purposes. In addition to the return that the sponsors are looking to see, I think it is important to look at the campaign as a continued part of an awareness-raising effort around the water issue. That’s really the point here. Water is life — it is vital to our health, to empowerment of children, to the development of economies, but tragically, one-fifth of the world’s population is without clean water. The global community has ignored this problem for far too long. We need to do whatever it takes to raise the bar for awareness on this issue. Through the involvement of people like Jess and Lupe, this issue is popping up for the first time on the pages of mass media magazines such as US Weekly, Okay, MTV, and E! We need to do more of this. When stars started to wear the red ribbon for AIDS awareness at the Academy Awards, there was a massive shift in public awareness and support for the issue, which led to changes in policy and governmental funding for those in need. We need to see the world’s most pressing challenges popping up in unconventional places, from Seventeen Magazine to NASCAR, because only together can we make the difference that’s required to shift the needle.

Let’s be honest: It’s Friday afternoon and you’ve probably spent most of the day goofing off on Facebook. So you’ve probably noticed your girlfriends posting colors as status updates, like “Pink!” or “Black and white polka dots!” OK, random … I, for one, had no idea what was going on until I opened a message from a friend:

Some fun is going on for breast cancer awareness … just write the color of your bra in your status. Just the color. Nothing else. Send this ONLY to girls. No men. It will be neat to see if this spreads the wings of cancer awareness. It’ll be fun to see how long it takes for the men to wonder why all the girls have a color in their status. Ha!

Hell’s bells, why do so many “awareness”-raising campaigns for breast cancer have to be so stupid?

I, of course, am supportive of women’s health initiatives in concept, nor do I think there’s anything inherently wrong with the idea of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. But every year it seems like more products appear to supposedly raise money “for breast cancer”—pink nail polish, pink pajamas, bracelets with pink stones. While some of the money probably actually does go towards researchers or women who need it, I always wonder who else is profiting off all this “awareness.” (Marketing critics call this phenomenon “pinkwashing.”) Even when products aren’t being sold, it still seems to me that sometimes people get wrapped up in the idea of “doing something” for breast cancer that could be just anything, instead of doing something that is actually useful.

I realize the Facebook/bra color meme is fairly benign—no one is profiting from it—but it still strikes me as being majorly silly. Pardon me if I sound like a grouch here, but I actually had a bit of a health scare myself earlier this week: At my annual checkup at the gynecologist on Monday, she felt a large lump in my left breast and ordered me to get an ultrasound ASAP.

I kept calm, but my mother was flipping out. Mom particularly freaked when she asked me if I’d felt the lump before and I told her yes, I’d felt it months ago. But boobs are … confusing. Everyone’s nipples are different, you get goose bumps when it’s cold, women get cysts, and boobs are full of fat, anyway! I explained to my mother that I felt the lump in the left breast many months ago but I assumed it was just boob fat.

My mother gave me that Patented Angry Mom Look in return, like she wanted to strangle me.

Thank God, I had the ultrasound on Wednesday and the lump is not a tumor—it probably is just boob fat or maybe a cyst.

Well, I felt like a moron. Maybe I should have gotten my lump checked out earlier, just to be safe, I kept thinking. But then this morning I was chatting with The Frisky’s office manager about my experience and something occurred me: There are lots of pink ribbons and pink nail polish and pink teddy bears, but there’s startlingly littledetailed info out there when it comes to breast health. I do perform breast self-exams regularly and I even keep a “How To Perform A Breast Self-Exam” doodad hanging on my shower nozzle to remind myself. But even I, a reasonably intelligent person, didn’t know what kind of lump should feel “normal” for my boobies and what needed to get checked out by a radiologist.

I mentioned to our office manager how I wish we had been forced to feel “normal” and “troubling” fake lumps in fake breasts back in health class (as well as to learn more about women’s health in general). I wish people wrote status updates like, “Everyone, let’s do a breast self-exam tonight!” I wish there were more breast self-exam spots on TV news. I wish that during breast cancer awareness month, trained professionals were out in public places showing women how to examine themselves properly. And of course, I wish we, as a society, could get over a lot of the shame we feel about women’s bodies and discuss useful details about breasts for our own health.

I guess it’s just less embarrassing, and easier, to say what color bra we are wearing on Facebook.

By Kyle Bonagura

When Pleasanton’s Susan Dawson died in early October after a long battle with breast cancer, the community lost a member whose impact was felt far and wide.

As a way to honor her memory and raise money for breast cancer awareness, several groups from Amador Valley High have teamed up to create a fundraiser. The Kick for the Cure will be centered around a boys soccer doubleheader in which the Amador Valley junior varsity and varsity squads will host Richmond on Saturday, starting with the J.V. game at 11 a.m., followed by the varsity game at 1 p.m.

Dawson became a huge supporter of the Amador boys soccer program when her son, Trevor, played for the Dons from 2004 to 2008.

“She was a tireless worker for the Amador Valley soccer team and a great community volunteer,” Amador Valley boys J.V. soccer coach Joe Carlucci said. “At her services, a couple of us from Amador were standing around talking and (assistant varsity coach) Rob Flores said we should play a game in her honor.

“We didn’t want to play a game and just say, ‘This game is in her honor.’ We wanted to do something that was meaningful.”

Carlucci, Flores and several others formed a committee and got to work.

Adidas donated pink jerseys and wrist bands for the Amador players to wear during Saturday’s games, and pink sweatshirts for the program to sell. Pleasanton’s MadeToOrder donated pink Kick for the Cure bracelets, which will also be on sale.

Carlucci said the three goals of the event are to honor Dawson, promote breast cancer awareness and help raise money for the ValleyCare Health Library and Ryan Comer Cancer Resource Center in Pleasanton. Book angels, which help the library, can be purchased in memory of someone who was lost to breast cancer.

“The library helps newly diagnosed breast cancer patients get information they need,” said ValleyCare Library Resource Nurse Mary Prishtina. “Some books will be given away to new patients, and the fundraiser will also help us keep the library current by putting new books on the shelves.”

Carlucci said they wanted to donate money to an organization that will benefit the community, which led them to ValleyCare.

Nearly 100,000 people have used the library since it was founded in 1991, and it serves approximately 600 people per month, according to the ValleyCare Health Library fact sheet. “I’m humbled by the continuous support of our library,” Prishtina said.

Students from the Amador Valley leadership program and girls soccer team will be helping run the event on Saturday, which is shaping up to be a great day.

Admission is free, but donations are encouraged. Anyone who wishes to purchase a book angel for the library can mail a $10 donation to ValleyCare Charitable Foundations, c/o ValleyCare Health Library Book Angel Program, 1111 E. Stanley Blvd., Livermore, CA 94550.

ALUMNI GAMES RAISE MORE THAN $6,000: The seventh annual Ryan Gordon Foothill-Amador Valley Alumni soccer games took place Sunday and raised more than $6,000 for the boys and girls soccer programs at the two schools. The games featured nearly 80 participants and alumni from as far back as 1978.

The game was originally started to honor the memory of Ryan Gordon, but is now more focused on keeping the rivalry between the two schools alive. Foothill won the women’s game 4-1, while the Amador men won 3-1.

By Shanna Shipman

“He touched so many lives in such a short time. He was a fighter until the end. He will be remembered forever in the hearts of all that loved him. …” — Julie Locke, posted Wednesday on caringbridge.org

“I can’t say thank you enough to everyone who has helped us … the thousands of people who are truly making a difference out of the sheer goodness of their hearts. Imagine the wonderful things their children will do for others.” — Julie Locke, posted Tuesday on caringbridge.org

WASHINGTON — During his short life, Dax Locke inspired an outpouring of love that lit up a community and stretched far beyond it.

Dax passed away early Wednesday morning, just days after the Christmas holiday that the 2-year-old loved but was not expected to see.

His year-and-a-half-long struggle with a rare form of leukemia and doctors’ prediction in October that he had just weeks to live left Dax’s parents, Julie and Austin Locke of Washington, devastated yet determined to make the most of their remaining time with their only child.

Upon a suggestion from a friend, they hung their Christmas lights early, vowing to celebrate each of Dax’s remaining days as a holiday and bring joy to their son despite his illness.

Neighbors in the Trail’s Edge subdivision in Washington soon followed suit, recognizing an opportunity to silently show support for the family in a way Dax could enjoy: with Christmas lights.

The movement gained momentum, as families, schools and businesses joined in. A “Decorate for Dax” Web site was established in response to a flood of well-wishers and a collection of shared photo images of decorating efforts.

As central Illinois was lit up brighter and earlier than usual, media coverage ranging from local newspapers to CNN brought Dax’s story national attention, and the local phenomenon inspired by a little boy quickly garnered international participation from individuals who posted photos of their decorations online.

The Web site, www.decoratefordax.com, became the source countless messages of love and hope, and the photos allowed Dax to smile at the sight of sparkly lights even after drives through the neighborhood with his parents became impossible.

Since the day after Thanksgiving, Dax’s illness left him hospital-bound, but support continued to pour in via donations to St. Jude, which provided for Dax’s extensive treatment at the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., and the Childrens’ Hospital of Illinois at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, where Dax was resting comfortably when he died.

He held on to live twice as long as predicted in the fall.

Now, an extended community mourns the loss of a little boy and attributes to him a greater appreciation for the lives they lead.

“Dax has had such an impact on how people view their lives and cherish their families,” said Trish Hurtgen, a neighbor and friend of the Locke family.

She said Dax’s story is one of “generosity” and of “a phenomenal family’s strength and hope.”

His parents, Julie and Austin Locke, gave him everything possible emotionally and physically, Hurtgen said. They were both donors for Dax’s two bone marrow transplants, she said, and they cared for him without rest, day and night.

“They wouldn’t close their eyes,” Hurtgen said. “They didn’t want to miss anything.”

And now, upon his loss, “they are still in shock,” she said. “Even though they knew this day would come, you can’t ever prepare for so great a loss as your child … and they never gave up hope.”

Hurtgen, who accepted the roles of coordinator and spokesperson for the Decorate for Dax effort so that the Lockes could focus on their son, said the displays of lights and other signs of support have brightened the family’s days “significantly,” have given them strength in their efforts to care for Dax and are greatly appreciated.

Hurtgen also shared the Lockes’ story of one trip to the hospital to fight an infection when, along the way, Dax showed his own delight in the lights. “Even in that time of great pain, it brought joy to his heart to see the lights,” she said.

“Across the community and across the country this has generated a need, a want, to share,” she said, “and what a beautiful time for it, at Christmas …”

Dax’s story is one of many children struggling with childhood cancer, and it is his parents’ wish that the support generated for their son will raise awareness and continue to benefit other children in need.

One way to help is by donating blood to the American Red Cross; blood transfusions like those that prolonged Dax’s life are in constant jeopardy due to a blood shortage.

Well-wishers are also urged to make donations in Dax’s name to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, in support of its mission to provide the very best care available to children with cancer, regardless of their families’ ability to pay.

On a recent post to the Caring Bridge Web site chronicling Dax’s story, his mother estimated a total of more than $44,000 had been donated to St. Jude in his name. Dax’s loved ones hope to reach the $1.4 million mark, the total needed to run St. Jude programs for one day.

Supporters can still make donations or buy T-shirts and bracelets online at www.decoratefordax.com as a reminder to live the words that are printed on the bracelets and have become a mantra for those who love Dax: “Cherish every moment.”

BY TOM YANCEY

STAFF WRITER

Greene County this year has collected more than $15,000 for the statewide organ donor awareness program, placing this county among the top 10 in the state in that category.

“We’re extremely thankful for everything that Greene County Clerk David Thompson has done to continue the support of organ and tissue donation, through the one dollar contribution,” said Jennifer Jenks, public education coordinator for Tennessee Donor Services.

Jenks went on to say, “We would also like to thank all of the individuals who have donated, and to thank you for your understanding of the importance of organ and tissue donation.”

Jenks presented a plaque to the Greene County Clerk’s office last week, noting that this county is among the top 10 Tennessee counties in 2009 in terms of collection of voluntary $1 organ donor awareness contributions by individuals purchasing or renewing vehicle tags. Tennessee has 95 counties.

Thompson thanked Jenks for the recognition, and said, “We, too, are thankful for the donations we received from the citizens of Greene County.”

He added, “I’m proud of my staff for being willing to ask about the dollar donation” when vehicle owners renew their tags, or register new vehicles.

Thompson said employees in the office now take pride in being able to collect more money, through voluntary contributions, than most counties in the state, and are excited about trying to collect even more money through voluntary contributions next year.

CAMPAIGN PROMISE

“When I ran for office in 2006, part of the platform was to be a bigger promoter of organ donation,” Thompson said. “This is proof of that, and we want to continue to collect donations, and next year to be in the top five, with the ultimate goal of being number one” in the state, he said.

“I do believe in the program, and so does my family,” he said, noting that his wife, Becky, also promotes donor awareness. “We practice and promote organ donor awareness in our everyday lives, as well as our work lives.”

When employees in the County Clerk’s office renew a vehicle tag, or issue a new one, they ask customers if they would like to donate a dollar to promote organ donation. If the customer says “yes,” one dollar is added to the cost of the tag. If the customer declines, nothing further is said.

“The important thing is asking,” Thompson said.

Customers are usually offered some kind of tangible reminder after they donate.

In the past, the Greene County Clerk’s office has given away ball-point pens, bumper stickers, refrigerator magnets, pencils, balloons, donor awareness bracelets, even candy.

Thompson noted that money collected from Greene Countians purchasing or renewing vehicle tags helped make up the $285,521 total collected by county clerks across the state.

“Tennesseans have given generously when renewing vehicle tags and helped educate more people than ever on the importance of organ donation and ‘Saying yes’ when applying for your driver’s license,” Thompson said.

The Tennessee County Clerks Organ Donor Awareness Foundation provided the funds for the development, implementation and public launch of the “Donate Life Tennessee” registry.

The Foundation collects money to support statewide education through its program that gives Tennesseans the opportunity to “Donate a Dollar” for organ and tissue donation when they visit a county clerk’s office to renew vehicle tags.

More than $2 million has been raised through the program since its inception in 1996, according to a press release.

It was Halloween night and a group of junior high girls were trick-or-treating in Woodinville. Their route took them on 75th Ave SE, a road without street lights and sidewalks.

Though the group was brightly dressed and carrying glow sticks, the driver of a car coming down the road didn’t see them until it was too late.

While the majority of the group was able to get out of the way in time, two of the girls, Melissa Robles and Hailey Vileta, were not so lucky. Both ended up in the hospital with serious injuries and little recollection of the accident.

Melissa broke her leg in two places, sustained fractures in her skull and bruised her liver. Hailey was left with a broken leg, lacerated liver, skull fractures and damage to her eye.

Both girls spent a week in the hospital before being sent home in wheelchairs.

Hailey is currently walking around on crutches and Melissa will soon follow. Full recovery is expected to take another year to year and a half.

The driver who hit them was not cited and alcohol did not play a role.

“It was an accident, plain and simple,” explains Jeff Vileta, Hailey’s dad. “And it could have happened to anyone. We’re just grateful that the girls are going to be OK.”

Both Melissa and Hailey are ninth graders at Leota Junior High, who normally enjoy soccer, tennis, ice skating and other athletic pursuits.

“It’s a bummer because I can’t do sports and I’m going to miss the snow season,” says Hailey. “But, that really doesn’t matter because we’re just lucky to be alive.”

Rather than focus on their injuries and harp on the negatives, the two teens, with help from their parents, have begun a safety campaign called “Stay Alert … Stay Safe.”

The campaign promotes the need for both pedestrian and driver awareness. “We’ve made bracelets and a green traffic sign with our slogan,” says Melissa. “And we’re teaching safety tips to pedestrians.”

Hailey adds, “We realize that there was a lesson to be learned in all of this and we wanted to let others know what happened to us so that it wouldn’t happen to them. It’s so important to be aware of your surroundings and to take steps to make sure you can be seen by drivers at night. And drivers need to be extra careful in unlit areas that don’t have any real sidewalks. People may be walking right next to the road because there is nowhere else to walk.”

The girls hope that the campaign and related events, such as the recent silent auction and dinner organized on their behalf, will raise money to help defray the cost of their medical bills.

While insurance will cover some of the medical payments, the families will struggle with deductibles, co-pays, ongoing therapy, lost work time and unrecoverable expenses while they care for their girls.

“There’s a $25,000 gap in the insurance in what it will cost for Hailey’s rehab,” comments Jeff. “We’re very appreciative of the community and the support they have shown for us during this time of great financial need.”

The girls also hope that maybe they will be able to raise enough money to sponsor a streetlight and/or signs along the road where they were hit.

They recently brought the campaign to their school where an assembly was held to call attention to the need for kids to practice pedestrian safety when out walking on their own.

“It’s all about raising awareness of our choices, both as pedestrians and drivers,” adds Jeff. “We all need to take responsibility for our safety and realize that the choices we make can and will affect others.”

For more information about “Stay Alert…Stay Safe” or to make a contribution, visit www.stayalertstaysafe.com.