Yesterday the River of Hope Foundation entered into a contest for a $250,000 dollar grant! The best thing about this grant is YOU! That’s right you have the power to give us $250,000. The organization with the most votes on July 13th gets the grant. Please cast your vote and share with your friends, co-workers, family, and even strangers by clicking support us below.
This short video explains why we think that you should give the foundation $250,000.
You can only vote once, but for every person that votes once and gets a friend to vote as well we are that much closer to the prize! Please don’t be bashful in asking for votes if you believe in our cause.
The Avera Cancer Institute and the River of Hope Foundation have created a new partnership, with the ultimate goal of bringing awareness to cancer as a life-changing disease.
Through this partnership, the River of Hope Foundation will provide six healing environments this summer to nominated individuals diagnosed with cancer. By combining the mission of the Avera Cancer Institute with that of the foundation we will be able to highlight the benefits of integrative medicine programs, such as the healing environments created using water and nature. The Avera Cancer Institute and the River of Hope Foundation are striving to offer a calming and peaceful escape; a place where the healing sights and sounds of nature are displayed.
Patients impacted by River of Hope are featured during the 30 minute “River of Hope” TV show produced by James Dugan, Inc., for the foundation with the help of the medical staff at the Avera Cancer Institute. The program highlights the journey of those affected by cancer, and how water features and landscaped healing areas are incorporated to enhance the quality of life for patients and their families.
River of Hope airs Saturdays on MyUTV at 5:30 pm, and Sundays on KELO at 10:30 a.m. following the weekend TV mass. To check the weekly schedule, go to www.RiverofHopeFoundation.org
Sun, rain, rain, more sun…you get the picture. Saturday was a day filled with many emotions; nervous, anxious, happy, excited, and for some maybe a little tired as well. The day that we would reveal our newest project to Rodney and his family started out beautiful, and then the rain came (along with thoughts of here we go again). The weather prediction would hold true though and by 4:30 the sun was out and the sky was blue. As the cameras were being set up and friends and family began to gather to celebrate you could feel the excitement building. The time for the reveal finally arrived, and I think it’s safe to say that Rodney was surprised to say the least!
It’s days like these that are so encompassing that nothing else seems to matter. The smiles and tears are enough to send goosebumps and hearing the cheers and laughter leave you wanting to get started on the next project right away. You don’t see days like this every day; well not yet anyway, if the River of Hope Foundation gets its way the excitement of a new project to help brighten the day of those affected by cancer will become a regular occurrence. Can you imagine what it would be like if all those going through what Rodney and his family have been through had a place close to home to simply relax and enjoy life no matter what is going on at that particular time? I can, and although it may not happen over night, we are well on our way!
Our projects help to provide a better quality of life for those affected by cancer without the need to leave home. Some days are certainly better than others, but on the days when you just need to get away it’s nice to be able to walk outside and relax. This project would not be possible without the generous help of those who support the foundation. I would like to take a minute to thank Rock Garden Nursery, Artificial Turf and Putting Greens,James Dugan, 44 Interactive and Avera Cancer InstituteThese companies have provided us with tremendous support and resources to continue fulfilling our mission and raising awareness for the foundation. We are truly thankful for all they do! In closing one last thank you to KDLT for this great story allowing you to see the excitement of Rodney’s reveal firsthand. Sioux Falls Man Lives To Enjoy a Big Gift
It’s amazing to see what a little sunshine can do for morale. When we started Rodney’s River of Hope project on Tuesday the sun was shining and there were plenty smiles to go around with the excitement of another project. Within 2 hours those smiles had faded as dark clouds and heavy rain surrounded the area putting the project on hold. Wednesday morning the mood was still somber as we tried to maneuver in the mud and find a way to continue the project. Late morning sunshine brightened the day and work was back to full speed. With great weather Thursday, and a great outlook for Friday we are back on schedule and a breath of relief can now be taken by all.
Now clearly it would not have been the end of the world if we were not able to get back on schedule to finish for a Saturday unveiling, but the looming thoughts of that possibility had a great affect on everyone involved. This really made me think of how a change of weather, and plans can leave us scrambling to find something positive. Now putting that into perspective; imagine getting told you’ve been diagnosed with cancer. There are a lot of similarities. The anxiety and stress, the scrambling to see what can be done next, that instant sinking feeling that everything you have planned in your life just changed. This is exactly why we provide the projects that we do; to try and be the ray of sunshine that can help bring something positive into what can be such a life changing event. Nature, just like cancer, is unpredictable, but if we can find something positive to focus on it just may bring back a smile at the end of the day.
Wow! The River of Hope Foundation has so many wonderful things happening right now. It’s hard to believe that it’s almost June, but with all of the excitement surrounding us the time sure flies. I would like to take a minute and give an update on some of the great things happening right now.
The River of Hope Foundation just had an application accepted for the NAU Grant for Change. This is a great opportunity for you to show your support by simply casting a vote. The Grant for Change will give one recipient a $10,000 grant and is determined by your votes! Simply login at http://www.nau.com/collective/grant-for-change/river-of-hope-foundation to submit your vote and share the link with your friends. This grant will help us provide healing environments to help those affected by cancer to 5 nominated recipients.
We are also finalizing details for the 2010 Parade of Ponds. This event is the primary fundraiser for the River of Hope Foundation and will take place July 24th & 25th. The Parade of Ponds will feature 25 amazing water features around the Sioux Falls area. We have many great sponsorship opportunities for businesses and individuals. Please contact the foundation for info on how you can get involved. This event will also require over 100 volunteers, we would love to have you on board!
We are in the final stages of production for our next episode of “River of Hope” set to air May 29th and 30th. Make sure to keep your eyes open for the promos, and clear 30 minutes of your schedule to see Tammy’s amazing story of hope and strength.
Beginning June 1st we will break ground on our next project and begin filming for episode 5 of “River of Hope”. These projects take a tremendous amount of time to coordinate and complete so we are definitely staying active! Please be sure to let our generous sponsors know how big of an impact they are having on the lives of those affected by cancer.
I told you there was a lot going on, but there can always be more. If you would like to get involved with a project, sponsor a recipient, or make a contribution to help keep the foundation growing; please contact the foundation today!
Until my recent plunge into the nonprofit world it was easy to see a need, but the opportunities to become involved were not quite so clear. Although we come across many needs on a daily basis often times we move on with our day to day activity unable to identify how we are impacted, or better yet, how we can make an impact. In my personal life it often takes a tear jerking story, or an unfathomable statistic to stop me in my tracks and dig a little deeper into how I can make a difference. Prior to the unbelievable information overload that’s referred to as online presence We may go months without running into something of this nature. Now, if we make it a day without something tugging us in so many emotional directions that our head begins to spin it’s very uncommon.
With so many inspiring organizations, and stories flashing before our eyes how do we single out the ones that we should, or will get involved with? I think it’s best said in the words of Bill Connor “I’m willing to defend the things that I really believe in, and abandon the things I don’t”
So, when we find something that we believe in how hard do we have to search to find a way to get involved? I like to think that in the case of the River of Hope Foundation that we make every opportunity available through the use of technology and sharing openly with our supporters, but it’s clear that that’s not always the case. The more I see from others making the case for why you should believe in them, the more opportunities I want to make available. While my main objective is to further the mission of the River of Hope Foundation, and secure it’s future of providing healing environments to those affected by cancer. My goal for today is to ask you to look at what inspires you, take hold of what you believe in, and move past seeing the need to grab on to the opportunity.
Well it’s safe to say that a little rain could not keep us from making this a day that our newest recipient of a River of Hope Foundation project will not forget. Although I must admit, there was a brief discussion for a backup plan, but the rain let up just enough to allow us to continue almost as planned. Tammy’s “River of Hope” was unveiled to her with about 40 friends and family members present, and it was a very emotional and joy filled day. Of course none of this would be possible without the generous help of our partners and individual donors, and we thank you all for helping us spread our mission.
Thanks to great weather, and some real hard working people, I think it’s safe to say we are on schedule! The path is finished, and so is the majority of the patio. The pond is dug and mostly rocked, we should be filling by lunch time. This morning the focus will be on the streams, and this afternoon on planting. Looks like the weather will continue to be favorable, we have been very blessed. Thank you for checking in. Feel free to ask any questions you may have.
Sod removal, digging, and hauling in a lot of dirt made for a great first day of primarily prep work on site. We are currently in full attack mode for the project that was started for Tammy Doering, our newest recipient for River of Hope. We have a great week of weather ahead, and a great group of people ready to get an early start Tuesday morning. It always amazes me to see the transformation happen before our eyes, and this project will be no different. As we get ready for day 2, a day in which everything will really begin to take shape, I just wanted to take a minute to thank Rock Garden Nursery for providing us with the materials and workers to make this happen.
Since we are doing a “reveal” for Tammy on Friday the posts will be fairly vague, and I will not be posting progress pictures until after the completion. I would hate to ruin all the hard work that the James Dugan video team went through to make sure that it is a complete surprise. Brian was out on Monday covering the windows to make sure that at least if curiosity got the best of Tammy she would have to go out of her way to peak. I promise come Friday night I will begin showing some before, during, and maybe even a hint of after pictures, but those of you who are curious will have to check out the final product in May when the show is released…I know, we are so secretive! Thanks for checking in and stay tuned for more updates.
The words of Charles Caleb Colton “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” have stood true since the 1800’s. Here we are in 2010, and although now this is most prevalent in the form of “Re-Tweet (RT) is the sincerest form of flattery” the basic concept is still the same.
I certainly believe that for most of us it’s not only the fact that someone agrees with us so strongly that they would repeat what we have said, but also the thought that they took the time to read (or listen) and then the time to share it with others. This is happening more and more in today’s world of technology and although Twitter, Facebook, and other social media sites make it very easy to share, what about those who actually take the time to put the information together in the first place. This ever evolving form of writing called the “Blog” has given us a wonderful platform for our stories to be told, and heard. Countless stories of human interest, inspiration, humor, and the world we live in are now placed in front of us with the click of a mouse. This is where the real flattery lies, the true measure of your story being told by you, or by someone else (in my case) to be shared and imitated around the world.
Now that we’re all caught up to speed on my perception of the evolution of imitation, here’s the reason why I’m bringing this up, and why I even had these thoughts this morning. I have just finished reading the Cinco Vidas Blog post about the River of Hope Foundation. The fact that Britta Aragon would take the time to not only learn about the foundation, but then take it a step further and ask her staff to follow up with an article has me humbled and flattered. Now it is up to me to ask you to show your sincerity by taking the time to read this amazing post. http://bit.ly/c4Gy9X It’s now up to you to continue the flattery.
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