250 Underprivileged Kids Get New Bikes From Phoenix Charity
Phoenix, Ariz. (PRWEB) December 8, 2007 -- Despite the economic downturn this holiday season, the McKenna Youth Foundation of Phoenix, Ariz., still plans to give away 250 new bikes to underprivileged children, just as it has the last six years.
The bike giveway is the highlight at the foundation's annual holiday party from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 8. But recipients and their families will go home with more than just a new bike. Eighty families will also receive food boxes and clothes.
Hosted by Aunt Chilada's Squaw Peak restaurant, the children will also be treated to lunch, face painting, caroling, visits with Santa, holiday photos and a prize raffle.
The McKenna Youth Foundation is a non-profit organization founded 20 years ago by Michael Damiani, Terry Dunn and the late Tony Cerkvenik, a former Arizona State University basketball standout, to help disadvantaged children in metropolitan Phoenix. The Foundation provides academic scholarships, sends kids to summer camp and assists children with medical needs. The foundation is administered by Michael and Terri Damiani.
The holiday party is their largest event. With the help of donations from individuals and local corporations each child attending the party receives a new bike.
The children are selected for the donations by local school counselors based on need, integrity and scholarship.
"These counselors have the pleasure of selecting the right child and his or her family to attend the holiday party and receive the donations," said Candice Nagel, owner of Aunt Chilada's.
About 75 volunteers will distribute the bikes and serve lunch. Santa is a local orthopedic surgeon who donates his Saturday because he believes in the work of the foundation.
"Those involved with the foundation ask for no recognition," Nagel said. "They are a bunch of guys who have been doing this for years and years and years. Some are wealthy, others do what they can. It is not about ego it is about love. It is truly a labor of love."
The clothing drive will include not only donated clothing from volunteers, but also new clothing collected by Southwest Gas employees. The clothes are sorted by size and the families select what they need.
Michael Damiani, McKenna Youth Foundation administrator, said there is no greater joy than seeing the looks on the faces of the children when they get their new bike, and most are more excited about the food donations.
"Last year, 10 families from Sacaton arrived by van and truck to the holiday party," he said. "They were so grateful for the donations, that they sent packets of photos of the children at home riding their bikes and the parents cooking their holiday dinner."
###
Related Articles:
Golf Tips For Driving Longer
You are a frustrated golfer. You cannot seem to get a long drive on your shot. You have consulted numerous golfing magazines, sports shop pros, and even the book Golfing for Dummies. As embarrassing as that was, it didn't even work. In fact, nothing seems to work. What should you do?
How to Become a Successful Real Estate Investor
Many folks dream of becoming real estate investors, but not everyone has what it takes. If you're dreaming of becoming an investor, here are several important questions to consider, long before you buy your first investment property:1) Why would a homeowner sell a house at a bargain price?Many things happen in people's lives that make their home suddenly become a burden.
In a Real Estate Down Turn, Consider a House as a Savings Account
The inability to unload alligator properties (those with negative cash flow that if you don't feed, they eat you) makes this a financially draining situation in real estate for many investors who bought in the last couple of years.
Online Collector Car Trader.com to Relaunch Site Under the Domain California Collector Cars.com
Online Collector Car Trader.com, a rising star on the collector car trading scene, is re-launching the website under the domain California Collector Cars.com to avoid a legal battle with the Auto Trader organization.
Prudential Locations Releases New 2007 Year-end Report For Oahu Real Estate
The report provides insight on trends for Oahu's single-family home and condominium markets.
Keller Williams Realty Grows to 72,618 Associates in Shifting Market; Real Estate Firm Strengthens its Lead as the Fourth-Largest Real Estate Franchi
Founded in 1983, Keller Williams Realty Inc. is the fourth-largest real estate franchise operation in North America, with nearly 600 offices and 72,618 associates in the United States and Canada. The company's agent-centric culture emphasizes access to leading-edge education and promotes an economic model that rewards associates as stakeholders and partners. Keller Williams Realty, which began franchising in 1990, is growing by more than a thousand agents a month. Keller Williams Realty Associates place high value on professional education and a full-time commitment to real estate sales. For more information, visit (http://www.moving-careers.com).
All-Star Weekend Puts Strain on Las Vegas Premium Hotels -- New Website Launched to Aid Travelers
Las Vegas prepares for the biggest weekend of the year.
Return to Value – Real Estate Author Adds Another Free Article to Web Site
Robert Clyde Affolter, author of From Paint Rags to Riches: Becoming A Real Estate Millionaire, announces the addition of his most recent article on the current real estate climate, "Return to Value."
Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort Launches Redesigned Web Site Per Consumer Feedback Complete With User-Friendly Attributes
Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort has launched a new Web site, www.sandestin.com, offering users first-hand accounts, true-to-life photographs, and enhanced versions of existing features including virtual tours for each section, special packages, photo libraries and an interactive events calendar.
Visit Santa Barbara California
Ninty some miles north west of Los Angeles lies the lovely beach city of Santa Barbara, California where you will find some of the cleanest and best tended beaches on the west coast.The city of Santa Barbara which includes Hope Ranch and Montecito has a population of approximately 90,000 (not counting the students who reside at UC Santa Barbara.