Simply Beadiful Gives Back

Simply Charitable

As many of our great customers know, Simply Beadiful is always interested in helping out and giving back to the community. In our first year of business, we have joined up with two great local groups to help raise money and bring awareness to much needed causes.

Our latest endeavor in 2009 is selling these cute bangle bracelets for $6 plus tax. We will give all the proceeds from the sale of these bracelets to the Shriners Hospital for Children. They need our help desperately. There are 6 shriners hospitals throughout North America that are in jeopardy of closing due to the state of the economy and Springfield is one of them! We want to help out!

Update July 8th, 2009: Shriners Hospital for Children in Springfield, MA will remain open. Hooray!!! We have received an amazing response to our “Beadiful Blooms” fundraiser bracelet for Shriners. Call us today to put your name on the list for 1 or more. Every order helps Shriners!!!

On September 17th, 2009 I presented Shriners Hospital for Children in Springfield, MA with a check for $2478.75. Up until September 17th we had sold over 650 “Beadiful Blooms” bracelets, and we are still on a roll and selling these until the end of 2009.   As of 12/31/09 Simply Beadiful has sold a total of 844 bracelets and has donated over $3100 to the hospital.  Stay tuned for our next fundraising adventure.

I also would like to thank all of our volunteers that have either come in to help us assemble bracelets or are out there spreading the word to everyone they know. In just one month, we have sold over 450 bracelets and have far surpassed our goal! Thank you also to all the companies that have come on board to help us promote the “Beadiful Blooms” bangle bracelets!

Thank you to everyone that helped make this years “Rays of Hope” day a great success. We surpassed last years donation and had a great time supporting this cause.

Special guest artist Julia Goldberg was here featuring her lampwork, pmc, and fused glass items, along with information about what/how she makes her products. Much jewelry making/beading was happening.

In October 2008 we joined in helping a local team raise over $250 for Rays of Hope with our “Take a Chance for Hope” campaign shining awareness on Breast Cancer research, and in November/December 2008 we sponsored a Giving Tree for the National Children and Youth Services program. The results for both programs were awesome and now we are embarking on a new campaign….

First, a little background….My Dad, Bob, has been a Shriner for as long as I can remember. (Heather and I have probably gone to more parades by the time we were teenagers then many people will see in their lifetime, but back to my story.) I am always amazed by the magnitude of the Shrine and what those grown men riding on tiny minibikes can do for children to improve their lives.

2009 – My Godfather, Ron Gagnon, has now been installed as the Potentate (we call him Grand Poohba) of the Melha Shrine in Springfield. As everyone knows, the Shriners and many Shriner’s Hospitals and Burn Centers do amazing things to help children. All their care is free of charge!!! So, my Godmother, Sally Gagnon (First Lady), has decided to make “Reach out and Read” her campaign for the year that Ron is Potentate. By collecting new and gently used children’s books for the local Shriner’s Hospital located on Carew Street in Springfield, Sally will share her love of reading with others.

Simply Beadiful would like to help out. We are asking that anyone interested can bring in a new or gently used children’s book and we will join together with Sally in making her campaign a success. As always, monetary donations can always be made to Shriner’s Hospital for Children referencing First Lady Sally Gagnon’s “Reach out and Read” program. In addition, Simply Beadiful will make a monetary donation based on the number of books turned in here at the store, to Sally’s “Reach out and Read” program. Check your children’s book stash (that’s book stash not bead stash) or stop by the local book/toy store and pick a few new books up and help us to help Sally make a difference in the lives of Shriner’s Hospital patients.

You can visit www.shrinershq.org/Hospitals/Springfield for more information about the Shriner’s Hospital right in Springfield, MA. Remember to cheer on all those Shriners you see at the next parade you attend. They are amazing volunteers.

You can also visit http://www.reachoutandread.org for more info about this program. Help promote childhood literacy.