Photo by Michelle Lindsay

Yes I would like to put out a call to all photographers across North America for help — at least I think I do.  You see when I did that on Twitter I got quite a response from people so I must be careful what I start.  But anyway, let me at least move on with the idea.

We have been blessed with four wonderful photographers who have done pro bono work for us.  Mary Kate McKenna, Michelle Lindsay, my friend Amanda (@thenagainphoto) and Tracy Timmester.  These are four incredible ladies and even better photographers.  When they take pictures of the events we have, we bring the color and clarity back to our social media efforts and share with all of our friends.  It really adds a lot of good weight to what we do.  I had a discussion with Mary Kate the other night at our tweetup and she told me that photographers are lucky to come by opportunities like the ones we present.  So my idea is this:  To come up with a national network (even to include Canada too!) of photographers who are looking to do some pro bono work for great causes.  If and when there is a hero from our web site who is hosting an event, that hero would check the “list” to see if there is a photographer in our network near the hero.  If so, then that photographer is sent out to the event and presents the hero with a disk of unsigned images for use in marketing and press releases.

Now that I’ve said that I think I may have bitten off more than I can chew.  My question is how do I know who I am sending out to photograph a hero’s event?  So I am going to send this blog post out to the photographers who have responded to me on Twitter. I sure hope you have some ideas for me. These kids are so deserving and their charities would benefit so much from your work. Thanks guys!!

If you are a photographer and are interested in helping, please leave a comment including your geographical area, web site and other pertinent information. Thanks!!

Casey collects for Pets4Pets

I bet I am not alone in still feeling uplifted by what happened last weekend at Kids Are Heroes Day.  I am seeing pictures posted, comments being made that would indicate that the other parents are still thinking about it too.  My excitement is driven not only by the fact that it was an amazing day, but I also can see how we can use that energy for future events as well.  Kids Are Heroes is all about getting other kids involved.  We have had our share of successes in the past with this concept, but I bet we will impact many more kids much faster if we are able to put on similar events in a larger venue.

Case in point: One of MaryMargaret’s best friends is named Emma.  Emma has joined us on several occasions to help out with whatever we were working on at the time.  Even though she knew what KAH was all about, that was as far as she went with it and that’s totally OK.  We always say we never sell what we do to kids or parents — we just want them to know we are here in case they become inspired by what other kids are doing.

So Emma was there again to help MaryMargaret at her table.  They “scored” the indoor “football” game.  It was a very long day so Emma slept over that night.  The next morning at breakfast I casually asked MaryMargaret if she had thought about her next project. “I’m going to help with the oil spill” were the words that immediately came out of her mouth.  We had been talking about this for a while but weren’t sure if she was passionate enough about it. No sooner had she said that when Emma chimed in, “I want to help!!”  So they talked about it for a while and dubbed their new project “Black to Blue”.  Since then MaryMargaret has been off making an inspirational movie about the subject.  What’s so cool about it is that she has not asked for nor wanted my help.  She used Windows Movie Maker (which I have never even tried) to do it.  The movie brought my wife to tears, so I know it’s going to be a hit.  Her goal is $5000 to help with the cleanup efforts.  So what about Emma?  We hadn’t spoken to her in a few days and were wondering if she was still committed.  Just so happens I saw her mom last night and she told me “Absolutely!”  She has been drawing pictures of pelicans in distress for the fund raisers, and to put on “Black to Blue” T-Shirts to sell.  So it looks like we will be featuring a new hero pretty soon.

Former Arizona Cardinal Levar Fisher

So was this newfound motivation a coincidence for Emma?  What about MaryMargaret?  We are no different than other parents.  We have no magic dust that keeps our child motivated to do such things.  This activity can be hard on kids and parents alike.  It’s a constant battle to raise awareness and donations.  We might be out at a fund raiser in the heat for four hours and come back with few donations.  Many of the parents said this weekend really recharged all of their batteries because it was so inspiring.  I am no different in feeling that sentiment. So what did it?  I believe there were two major factors. First, Levar and Devin put on a wonderful show.  Many people told me they were surprised at how giving they were when it came to personal attention, signing autographs, etc.  NFL players have a reputation of being prima donnas, but definitely not these two.  And Levar’s charisma and natural ability to relate to kids really drew them towards him.  Kids wanted to be in that special group of kids who were deemed “heroes”.  Levar spoke of many of the heroes in his speech.  Kids want to be part of that.  But that wasn’t the only motivating factor.  Later on that day we had a reception for the “hero” families at the hotel pool area.  The kids couldn’t jump in the pool fast enough. They were together for four hours, playing, laughing and cajoling as if they were all best friends.  Emma was there too.  I think she really wanted to be a part of this “club” cause these kids (and what they are doing) are really cool.  And I also know she wasn’t the only one who was motivated that day.

Since Saturday I have added two goals to my list.  The first is to repeat Saturday’s events on a much grander stage.  (Hint hint, Hershey Park!)  What happened Saturday is deserving of national attention.  Second I want to develop a platform where the heroes can collaborate with each other as they grow up.  Many companies offer grants, scholarships and large donations to kids who are doing great things.  Often times it’s about how many votes they can get.  That means it comes right down to how connected they are.  This promotes an atmosphere of competition and resentment.  I want to do just the opposite.  These are the leaders of tomorrow and how much more will they be able to accomplish if they work together and support each other?

So if you have any ideas on how I can get there with both of these goals, I’m all ears.

This video is of the pictures from Kids Are Heroes Day.  The wonderful photos were taken by Tracy Timmester. (Thanks Tracy!!!)

Saturday, June 26 marked the first Kids Are Heroes Day held at Boyd’s Bear Country in Gettysburg, PA.  Heroes from our web site traveled from all over the country (and even Canada) to be there and raise awareness for their causes.  Special guest stars Levar Fisher (ex-NFL star, former Arizona Cardinal) and Devin Wyman (ex Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots) put on a show that both young and old will never forget.  We ended the day with a private reception at the hotel where all the heroes made lasting friendships, (yes, some were even crushes) and the parents celebrated the day by establishing their own bonds.

The Heroes

In attendance were Casey Landahl (MD), Ricky Springer (GA), JT Robertson (NY), Wesley Prankard (Ont, Canada), Bailey Reese (FL), Kennedy Kulish (PA) and MaryMargaret O’Neill (MD).  As many of you know, Levar Fisher has been a partner of Kids Are Heroes for a few months now, but this was the first time I had the privilege of meeting him in person.  It was important to me to have him meet all the heroes and get to hear from their own voices what their passions were.  In doing so I was also hearing some of them for the first time and I admit I was moved to tears when I experienced the focus, determination, clarity and passion coming from these kids who are so young.  Levar did indeed draw inspiration from them as you could tell from his speech.

The Show

We started by introducing the “adult heroes” so that they could in turn give out awards to the younger ones.  Joddie Walker, Founder of the Children’s Advocacy Center, Richard Baumgardner, Commander of the American Legion Post 202 and Officer Mark Landahl gave heartfelt tributes to the kids and Boyd’s had prepared awards for them.  All the kids are so humble and they do not seek out accolades, but that is part of the reason they deserve them.  I had been hearing a lot about the speech Levar and Devin were going to deliver, but nothing can compare to seeing it in person.  It had a great mix of fun and inspiration as the kids were giddy with excitement.  Devin Wyman is a big boy.  His 6’8″ frame boasting 350 lbs can never go unnoticed.  When I shook his hand for the first time I had to look down because I thought he was wearing a catcher’s mitt.  Nope, it was just his hand.  He thrilled the audience by lifting two children up over his head, bent a steel bar with his bare hands while holding it in his teeth, turned a frying pan into a burrito with his hands and exploded a Sprite can all over the heroes to their amazement.  All these “tricks” came with a message made to both teach and entertain.  Levar then spoke about a lot of things, but with great skill took the heroes’ stories and related them with inspiration for both young and old to enjoy.  His sense of humor and eloquence will have a lasting impression on all of those who had the privilege to hear him.

The Reception

Have you ever dreaded going to a party where you didn’t know anyone?  Well before this weekend we had only met the Landahls as they have attended several of our local events.  You know how sometimes kids can be shy around new kids?  All that went out the window on this wonderful day.  The reception was specifically for the heroes and their families (Levar attended as well) so that they could get to know each other.  It was held poolside at the hotel so the kids could play and have fun. It was scheduled for 6-8PM.  Well we had to leave “early” at 9:45 because we had a 45 minute drive back home and had to tend to our dogs.  The kids simply didn’t want it to end and quite frankly neither did I.  It reminded me that whenever we do this an “after-party” is as important as any other event during the day.  It was so moving it led to an idea.  Many other sites that recognize kids award money to their charities but they have to get votes to get the funds.  It promotes competition among the kids who are just trying to do good for other people.  I think this is the wrong message.  These kids are the future leaders of tomorrow, so why not teach and encourage them to collaborate with each other at an early age?  Non-profits would do better to help each other than to compete.  I plan to develop this idea and incorporate it into our web site somehow.

My heartfelt thanks go out to all the heroes who attended, to Levar and Devin for being so awesome, to my wife Michelle for making it so special, and to Dan at Boyd’s Bear Country for working so hard to support us.

Everything that happened on Saturday deserved nothing less than a national stage.  I can’t remember the last time I have been so moved.  Being involved in a non-profit can be trying and very difficult at times.  This is true for both the parents and the heroes.  Events like these remind us why we do it and recharge all of our batteries.  I think mine’s a little overcharged right now.  I just made an appointment with Christina at the FSK Mall to start planning Kids Are Heroes Day in October.

At Kids Are Heroes we are always looking for opportunities that may further our cause along with those of our heroes.  Here are a few of the “treasures” that come along with being listed on our website:

Kids Are Heroes Day
Our local mall in Frederick, Maryland hosts the Kids Are Heroes Day each October which involves all of our heroes as they are provided a platform to discuss their charities and raise money.   This is a great day of celebration as we bring all the heroes together and recognize them for the hard work they do for others.

Fountain Coin Donation
Each month the same mall donates its fountain coins to one of our heroes’ charities. (Locals only.)

Television Exposure
Our friend Nikki Burdine from our local NBC affiliate has created a monthly feature involving one of our heroes.  Last month Casey Landahl was the subject and Nikki was so enamored with her that she gave her an additional spot. (Locals only.)

Charity Choice Gift Cards
In partnership with charitychoice.org we provide gift cards that support the charities of the heroes that wish to participate.

Social Media Assistance
We have been working in social media for quite some time now and we do it on a daily basis.  We are eager to share our experiences with Twitter and Facebook to help our heroes gain awareness.

Social Media Promotion
Currently we enjoy over 20,000 Facebook fans and Twitter followers.  We are more than willing to share our heroes’ stories with all of them on a regular basis.  In addition, we put our heroes who are involved with Twitter on a list that we encourage others to follow.

Nonprofit Establishment
We recently went through the process of making Kids Are Heroes a nonprofit organization.  This is our second time in doing this and we are happy to share our experiences and assistance in this matter wherever appropriate.

Featured Hero
We have a regular spot on our blog for what we call our “Featured Hero”.  We interview the older kids to give them yet another platform to raise awareness for what they are doing.

Suffice it to say that we are always looking for new opportunities for heroes.  We also recognize that by doing things together we encourage each other and validate each other’s efforts.

So why is this such a big event?  There are several answers to this:

1) This will be our first event where special guest star (and ex-NFL player) Levar Fisher will not only be giving a motivational speech to kids and parents in the afternoon, but he will also be hosting a mini-football camp in the morning.

2) The folks at Boyd’s have estimated there will be at least 500 kids in attendance.

3) There will be 11 heroes from our web site coming from all over the US and Canada.

4) This will be our third bear donation event where kids can collect money to pay for stuffed bears at a discount price.  If they donate a minimum of two bears, Boyd’s will let them build an additional bear for free for them to donate or keep for themselves.  All donated bears will be given to the Philadelphia Police Department of behalf of Bears on Patrol, a non-profit that supplies bears to the police so that they can in turn hand them out to kids who are in difficult situations.

Kids Are Heroes Day at Boyd’s will occur on Saturday, June 26th, 2010.   This is truly going to be an incredible day your family won’t want to miss.

Here are the heroes scheduled to appear:

Evan Frank		Harper’s Ferry, WV
	Recently, Evan opted to not receive gifts for his 8th birthday party, but rather asked his guests to make donations to the “Water for Life” project. Evan has planned a Valentine’s Dinner and mini-concert at his church with all proceeds going to the project. At last count, Evan had raised $7000.00. He is an ambassador for the Water for Life project where a goal of $4800 has been set. $4800 is needed to install a complete well and provide clean drinking water for an entire village. Evan has set a goal of 100 wells in his lifetime.
Kennedy Kulish		Lancaster, PA
	Kennedy Kulish started her self initiated service project of “Kisses for Kaeden” in November of 2003 on behalf of her baby brother Kaeden who was born with several heart defects and needing several open heart surgeries before his 1st birthday. Kennedy (who was only 6 at the time) wanted to make a difference in helping other “Kaeden’s” and their families. Recruiting friends, classmates and team mates Kennedy held a fundraiser for Kaeden’s first birthday celebration asking family and friends to bring monetary donations for the hospital that helped Kaeden instead of normal birthday gifts for the already “spoiled” lil Kaeden. Raising over $2000.00, Kennedy was inspired to do more.
Casey Landahl		New Market, MD
	Casey is no stranger to donating. She has grown and donated her hair to “Locks of Love” twice, participates in the annual “Buddy Walk” for Down Syndrome, and helps her elderly neighbors. Many of her guests found it hard to believe Casey wanted to do this. They called and asked if she was serious and thought she would cry when no gifts came for her. Casey continued to say that she wanted to help the cats and did not care about gifts. She had a wonderful time at her party and feels great to have “helped the cats find a new home”. Casey is wise and generous beyond her years. I am so proud to have daughter like her and am thankful her younger sister has such a special big sister to look up to!
MaryMargaret O’Neill		Ijamsville, MD
	MaryMargaret O’Neill is the founder of Kids Are Heroes.  In March of 2008, she asked her dad to build her a web site. “I want to help animals,” she said.  Out of that discussion came the beginning of the Kids Are Heroes organization.  She has been featured on the site three separate times. For her ninth birthday she gave up her gifts for the Defenders of Wildlife.  In the summer of 2008 she and her friends held a lemonade stand which turned into a donation of 80 Webkinz for kids at a local cancer camp.  Her most recent accomplishment was to deliver 250 MP3 players to two area youth hospitals.  She purchased them with money she raised over the course of more than a year.
Wesley Prankard		Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
	Wesley Prankard camped out in the cold for 24 hours during March break. His goal was to raise $2400.00 and awareness for the conditions in Attawapiskat, Ontario; a First Nation reserve on James Bay in which 1,000 of the 1,300 residents are said to be homeless. In the end Wesley raised over $5,800.00! In recognition of his efforts, Wesley was asked to go and deliver the aid in person to the community along with other TrueNorthAid volunteers and workers. While in Attawapiskat, the Deputy Chief presented Wesley with gifts including an Eagle’s Feather to honour him and his fundraising achievements on their behalf.
Bailey Reese		Niceville, FLA
	Bailey Reese was 7 when she founded Hero Hugs in 2004. After a hurricane hit the area where she lives, Bailey noticed people were not thanking soldiers passing out ice and water, but instead complaining about long lines and not getting enough. The soldiers had left the comforts of their homes and families to come help and should have been being thanked! Bailey gathered some friends to make thank-you cards for the soldiers and since has made it her passion to be sure the men and women who serve our country know someone is thinking of them even when we don’t like what they are doing or how they are doing it.
JT Robertson		Cuba, NY
	JT Robertson collects cans and returnables. He then uses the deposit money from those returnables to buy tickets for less fortunate children on the Arcade and Attica Railroad for a trip on Make A Difference Day every October. When JT first started, there was a problem with boarding the train for children with disabilities – especially wheelchairs. So JT continued to collect returnables to fund the trips but also started to raise awareness of the problem. He made a video and asked for letters of support for an Extreme Train Makeover.
Lexxi Saal		New York, USA
	At the age of eight Lexxi started a fundraiser to gather donations for the kids in foster care. Over the years she has received wonderful donations from her supporters. “Lexxi Loves” has inspired some of her peers to join and help support.
Ricky Springer		Dexter, GA
	Eight year old Ricky Springer is not your typical kid. On the outside he is the picture of perfect health, but on the inside his immune system wages war against the most common substance needed for life: Food. Ricky lives with an Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disorder, a distinct disease which affects the gastrointestinal track, rendering the patient unable to tolerate food protein. In 2009 he initiated the Racing for a Cause campaign. As a dirt track go-kart racer, Ricky is using his racing platform to educate everyone he meets about these disorders, as well as raise money to support APFED (The American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders) in educating physicians and the general public about these disorders.

This poster will be displayed in CTA's booth at the Expo.

Besides what this partnership means to Kids Are Heroes and CTA, I really want Ricky to be able to enjoy this.  He deserves to just be a kid for once.  Because of his disease he has never flown before, as many more complications that you would never think of enter into the equation.  His mom related to me just this morning that she will have to get special permission to take his special formula on board the airplane, as it cannot be checked and he must have it.  She told me that he cannot even have regular Tylenol, that he must get a special kind so she is grateful that CTA put her up in a hotel next to a Trader Joe’s, which is a store she can readily purchase the special things that Ricky requires.  I smile when I think of the wonder in his eyes as he enters the expo seeing all the huge displays and new devices.  Knowing how much he has suffered in his life at such a young age, I am excited to hear about all the fun he will have, being the star of the show demonstrating CTA’s latest technologies.  If you plan to be at the Expo meet Ricky in person at CTA’s booth which is #4500.

UPDATE 5/29: Up until now I have been unable to tell you what it is exactly that Ricky will be demonstrating.  Now that the press release has been issued I can tell you.  Ricky will get to demonstrate CTA Digital’s brand new Inflatable Race Kart for Wii!!  That is one of the main reasons that Ricky is so perfect for this opportunity.  And let me tell you how excited he is to be one of the first kids to try it out.  CTA is really happy to have him as their ambassador for this event.

So Ricky now has a schedule that rivals many other jet-setters.  From June 15-17th he will be in Los Angeles at the Expo, only to return to racing the following weekend.  Then the week after that he and his family will pack up the car and head to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania for Kids Are Heroes Day at Boyd’s Bear Country on June 26th.  We really look forward to meeting he and his family at that time.

From his dad:

“…on behalf of the Crohn’s/Colitis Foundation of America – Jacob was asked to represent Maryland on World IBD Day in seeking the co-sponsorship of the IBD Research & Awareness act (S.981, H.R.2275) up for vote this summer. This provides $35B in IBD research over a 5 yr period to include a key focus on pediatrics.  He spoke with the offices of Sens. Cardin (D-MD), Mikulski (D-MD), Rep. Dan Maffei (D-NY) and E. Cummings (D-MD) – after his speech, there wasn’t a dry eye in the place – we are SO proud of him and his brother Alex who couldn’t have represented us better!  In fact, Rep. Maffei’s office asked for a copy of the speech to show to constituents in support of the bill.   Feel free to write your legislators in support of the bill!”

Here is the video of Jacob giving his speech.

From his mom:

“As you may know, our son Ricky suffers from an Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disorder (EGID) called Eosinophilic Colitis(EC).  This disease, which only affects his colon, renders his body unable to tolerate many food proteins.  For Ricky, his symptoms are like that of a lower GI virus when he eats foods that his immune system has decided are “invaders”, like a virus would be.  He experiences non-stop abdominal pain and cramping as well as diarrhea.

Ricky suffered in horrible pain for the first 21 months of his life.  We took him to 14 pediatricians, 2 gastroenterologists and 2 allergists, and none of them could tell us what was wrong.  We got answers like “This is just the way he poops”; “He’s just a miserable baby”; “You must be giving him something to make him sick”.  I was accused of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy (a form of child abuse in which a parent induces a real or apparent symptoms of a disease in a child) and poisoning my child.  He looked fine.  He looked healthy.  Yet he was not fine, or healthy.  It took my resorting to spending WEEKS searching the internet, trying to figure out what was wrong with him, to come up with a plausible explanation.   Fortunately, thanks to the help of The American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders (APFED), I was able to locate a doctor at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital who was willing to figure out what was wrong with Ricky.  And finally in June 2003, Ricky was diagnosed with EC.  For the next 1 1/2 years Ricky would live off of an Elemental Formula, that he could drink or receive through a feeding tube in his stomach.

Today, Ricky is doing GREAT!  We are at the point that unless he has issues, we no longer need to visit Cincinnati every three months like we did for years.  He is eating a full range of foods, and can even eat out, at Longhorn or Outback!!!

In October 2009, our oldest son, Rusty, was diagnosed with Eosinophilic Esophagitis, the same disease Ricky has, but for Rusty it affects only his esophagus.  Rusty’s  symptoms mimic that of Reflux, causing pain so severe in his upper body that he feels  like he can’t breath, or is having a heart attack.  Reflux medicines do NOTHING to help, as it is not stomach acid as with true reflux causing these symptoms, but actually his immune system reacting to food proteins. Fortunately for Rusty, I had the knowledge to suspect that he was suffering from the same disease as Ricky.  Still though, our own pediatrician argued that he could not have EE and tried to dispel my concerns.  We immediately took Rusty to a very knowledgeable GI in Greenville, SC.  After extensive testing, we were able to come up with a list of foods that appeared to “trigger” his immune system.  We have since removed all of those foods from his diet and he is doing better.   It has been rough emotionally though…dealing with a teenager and telling him he can no longer eat tacos or pizza—NOT because of the acidity, but because they contain his “triggers” like  soy, corn, bleached wheat flour, etc.  However, we are blessed to know what foods set off his  immune system and he did not need to suffer like Ricky did.

Because of my desire to see NO other mother struggle like I did to get answers, I have worked as a volunteer for APFED since Ricky’s diagnosis.   And Ricky, whose passion is that no child should suffer like he did, initiated the Racing for a Cause campaign, where he uses his racing as a platform to educate others.  It is our family’s passion to make a difference for others who are suffering with this disease and trying to get an accurate diagnosis and treatment.

Sincerely,

Julie A. Springer”

]]> http://www.justgabe.com/2010/05/20/overcoming-adversities/feed/ 1 http://www.justgabe.com/2010/05/13/please-vote-for-james/ http://www.justgabe.com/2010/05/13/please-vote-for-james/#comments Thu, 13 May 2010 18:19:03 +0000 Gabe http://www.justgabe.com/?p=2332 There are many contests that are going around these days, especially with the proliferation of social media.  ”Vote for me!! Vote for me!!” cries are heard all too often.  But sometime they results can have powerful repercussions.  And sometimes an individual merits the rewards that are being vied for.

I truly believe that such is the case with our hero James Brooks.  His passion is to save the gorillas of the Congo and people trying to protect them. In his own words:

I am James and I am 13 years old and I really hope you can vote for me for the 2010 “Youth in Action ME to WE Award.” I am one of three finalists in my category and the winner will be decided by an on line vote from May 13-27, 2010.

I have done all I can to help apes and the people who live near them. My 1000classrooms project gives an income to widows of Park Rangers who have been killed protecting gorillas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; feeds hungry children; protects endangered gorillas; and saves their rain forest habitat. Also, it educates 1000’s of Canadian kids about the threats to people, animals, and the environment in Africa. You can read more if you visit www.1000classrooms.org.
I really want to win this award because there will be a $5000 donation to a charity of my choice and the widows, kids, and gorillas REALLY need our help. Also, it will get more attention to the horrors in the Congo and raise even more money. Your vote could save lives! Also, I think ME to WE is a great organization.

Thank you for considering voting for me. PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS WHO MIGHT VOTE!

So please take a moment and support James and what he is doing.  He has been working hard at this for quite some time, and I truly believe he deserves it.

Here is the link to vote!

As many of you know it was an interview that Charlie Rose conducted with Sir Richard Branson in February of 2008 that was one of the the initial catalysts to get Kids Are Heroes started.  It had a profound affect on me. He spoke of social entrepreneurship, which is not charity. It is using knowledge, skills and determination to solve world issues instead of throwing money at a problem.  Many social entrepreneurs are just that, entrepreneurs.  Tom’s Shoes is a great example of this concept.  For every pair of shoes sold, one pair is given away to someone that needs it.  Although they perform acts that could be considered charitable, they are not a charity.  This was the model that we started to build when Kids Are Heroes was formed.  We began with KidsAreHeroes.com because quite frankly, I was trying to create a job for myself.  Nothing would make me happier than to make this my life’s work, but since I am not independently wealthy I cannot do that without somehow generating income for myself. So that is why it started as a “.com” organization.

We started building the web site, created marketing materials, banners and the like.  The more we did that the more the “.com” part of our site became ingrained in our marketing.  Then in July of 2009 it was time to form a corporation.  This is not usually how things are supposed to be done.  I have read many articles suggesting the corporation and the 501(c)(3) application be completed before anything else begins.  However, if you know me you know that I don’t always follow a trail.  Before I spent money on the organization I wanted to make sure it was viable.  By July of 2009 it was time.  We asked for legal help because I didn’t want to mess this up. It was too important. My lawyer suggested we form a non-profit corporation, as he felt we would have more of a chance of being funded.  I realized he was correct, because for over a year the “entrepreneur” part of the equation wasn’t going so well.  We weren’t making any money nor were there prospects of making any.  The reason for that is there was no focus whatsoever on being profitable.  We were so convinced that what we were doing was the right thing to do we concentrated on building the organization through social media and other channels.  We wanted to recognize more heroes. I have discovered that true wealth doesn’t come in the form of money.  I have gained wealth through this organization, its heroes and their families.  I have gained wealth from all the new connections we have made because of the organization.  This kind of wealth will never pay for a yacht or even a cracker for that matter, but this kind of wealth is far more valuable to me.

So we formed a non-profit corporation and a few months later applied for our tax exempt status.  We received that in March of 2010.  So now we have a 501(c)(3) charity that is a “.com”.

Luckily for us we claimed the “.org” domain name a long time ago.  As a matter of fact if you type it in it will go to our web site.  But to make things less confusing, we will be slowly changing over to “.org”. Then all will be right in the world.  Please pardon our dust as we make this change.

At the same time we will be changing from Kids Are Heroes™ to Kids Are Heroes®.  We recognized early on that Kids Are Heroes has the ability to become a huge organization one day. I wanted to make sure we got the name trademarked so no one else could snatch it up.  That was a bit of a bumpy ride, but we made it.  We overcame all the obstacles now we are just waiting for the mark itself.  One of the “bumps” was that a company accused us of focusing on the word “Heroes” as in our logo the words “Kids Are” are much smaller.  They were afraid that we would eventually drop the “Kids Are” portion of our name.  That couldn’t be further from the truth.  We will always focus on kids and we will always be “Kids Are Heroes”.  I had never noticed that before they mentioned it, and they were right.  We did some work on the logo to preserve MaryMargaret’s original artwork yet enhance the words “Kids Are”.  The new site will feature this slightly altered logo. Here’s a sneak peek:

So that is the long-winded answer why we are a “dot com” right now.  Now we go back to doing what we do best, and that is featuring new heroes.

UPDATE: We’ve been busy over the weekend and now our web site does end in “.org”.  We have lots of marketing materials to update, but at least we are on our way.