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6/09/08

Friends,

I wanted to follow up the auction invitation announcement with some additional information regarding the event. We are really getting excited about this years auction, and hope you all are too. If you have never been, or know someone who hasn't, please come this year! It's very affordable - that's one reason we keep the ticket prices low- so that everyone can afford it. Plus it's FUN!

You will all be pleased to know that the check in / check out has been completely revamped - thanks to a wonderful volunteer who has created the software and donated computers to be used for that sole purpose that evening!

Tickets now have a stub, on which you will fill in your information. Hand the stub along with your $25.00 back to the person who is selling you the ticket. They will then submit all stubs and money to the auction committee who will then enter your info into the system prior to the event. Your ticket number will be your bidder number, so don't lose it ! We have a limited number of tickets, so that makes it especially important for everyone to purchase their tickets ahead of time. There is no guarantee that tickets will be available at the door.

So, how can you help make this years event the most successful ever?

  1. Get the word out and sell tickets! Make sure all your friends and family are aware of the date and time. Download details here. Each host congregation has an auction coordinator who has tickets. The auction coordinators will be at the bottom of this email. If you are not a member of a host or support congregation and you need tickets, please call me. The deadline for ticket sales is 10 am on July 21st!
     

  2. Donate and solicit items to be auctioned! Use your imagination, and ask everyone you do business with if they would like to donate an item. It can be as simple as a gutter cleaning, or as extreme as a ski weekend! The auction coordinators, board members, and BHN office will have the donor receipts you will need for each item submitted. Donor receipts are triplicates, so I can't put them on the website for downloading. 

    Once you have an item and receipt, ideally we want them to go to Canterbury United Methodist Church's reception desk. If you cannot do that, you may take them to your auction coordinator or board member, or here to the BHN office. We must have every item AND donor receipt in our hands by 10 am July 21st!
     

  3. Become a sponsor or solicit sponsorships! We depend on our sponsors, both individuals and corporate, to defray the costs of the auction. Those expenses include B&A warehouse rental, food and beverages, and printing expenses. By having sponsors cover the hard costs of the event, it allows us to put every dollar donated into funding the program. Donor forms are available at the website. Please either mail checks with the form to me, or give them to your auction coordinator. The sponsor will then be mailed their tickets. This deadline is also 10 am on July 21st!

We have four different levels of sponsorship. All levels include tickets and a mention in the auction signage and brochures. You will also receive a receipt for tax purposes, as we are a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt non-profit organization. The levels are:

 

Bronze Level

$125

2 tickets

 

Silver Level

$250

4 tickets

 

Gold Level

$500

6 tickets

 

Platinum

$1,000

8 tickets

The Auction chair is Paula Williamson, paula@kane-steel.com, and co-chair is Lynn Coffey, coffeml@bellsouth.net. If you have any additional questions, they will be glad to help.

Listed below are the auction coordinators for each host and support congregation:

Please pass this information to whoever you need to.

If you need to mail anything to the office, please use our post office box address that is at the bottom of every email I send out, and on our website:

Birmingham Hospitality Network
P.O. Box 531233
Birmingham, AL 35253

Thank you so much for working to make this another wonderful event!!

- Rana Cowan, Executive Director

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5/22/08

Announcing our biggest annual FUNdraiser – our Silent Auction at B&A Warehouse on July 24th.
Download details here.

Also, please consider being a sponsor for this event. Download Sponsorship Form here.

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5/13/08 

Roderick and his mother are former BHN guests - I am thinking most of you will remember how special he was! I told him how proud we are of him, this is just wonderful!! I think of him when I thought I "couldn't" do something.

- Rana Cowan, Executive Director


Two Student-Athletes from Alabama Selected to Attend the 2008 Paralympic Academy in Beijing, China

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Today U.S. Paralympics, a division of the U.S. Olympic Committee, announced that Taylor Troha (Selma, Ala.), age 17, and Roderick Sewell (Fairfield, Ala.), age 16, are two of 25 student athletes with a physical disability selected to attend the 2008 International Paralympic Academy, September 5-11, in Beijing, China.

Sewell has been participating in Lakeshore Foundation programs for more than three years. He is a member of the Lakeshore Lakers varsity wheelchair basketball team and he often competes in the swim portion of local triathlons. Sewell attends John Carroll High School in Birmingham.

“I was so excited when I found out that I was going to the Paralympics and I'm looking forward to everything about the trip. Getting to see the competition lets me know, firsthand, what the Paralympics are like and hopefully, this will push me to compete in the 2012 Paralympics in London,” said Sewell.

Troha was introduced to Paralympic sport in 2006 when Lakeshore Foundation staff visited her school; as part of its new initiative to bring sports and recreation programming to individuals with blindness and visual impairment. Since then, Troha has been an active participant in many Lakeshore Foundation camps and special events and she most enjoys the sport of goalball. Troha attends the Alabama School for the Blind in Talladega.

“I’m very excited to be given the opportunity to experience the Paralympic Games in Beijing, especially since I am working so hard to become a Paralympic athlete in the near future,” said Troha.

The 2008 Paralympic Academy Beijing offers a very select group of young student athletes with physical disabilities and coaches to experience the Paralympic Games firsthand. Participants have the opportunity to meet U.S. Paralympic team members in addition to attending ceremonies and competition, gaining an insider’s perspective on the Games.

“Less than five-percent of kids with physical disabilities participate in physical fitness programs,” said Charlie Huebner, Chief of U.S. Paralympics. “The Paralympic Academy Beijing provides us an opportunity to recognize those kids with physical disabilities and programs that promote physical fitness programs and health.”

The first International Paralympic Academy took place at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece. The second event was held at the 2006 Paralympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy.

Student athletes, coaches and program leaders were chosen based on their essay entries focused on how sports have impacted their lives. Entries were judged by an independent panel.

For more information about U.S. Paralympics and its programs, please contact the U.S. Paralympics office at (719) 866-2039 or visit our web site at www.usparalympics.org.

About U.S. Paralympics:
U.S. Paralympics, a division of the U.S. Olympic Committee, is dedicated to becoming the world leader in the Paralympic sports movement and to promoting excellence in the lives of persons with physical disabilities. Visit the U.S. Paralympics Web site at www.usparalympics.org.

About Lakeshore Foundation

Lakeshore Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of individuals with physical disabilities through fitness, recreation, and athletics. These programs help children and adults with physical disabilities maintain healthy and active lifestyles, as well as develop stronger self-esteem and improve independent living skills. For more information, visit www.lakeshore.org.

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4/29/08 

Friends -

Just wanted to update everyone on the continued success of the Homeless China Sale fundraiser held at VHUMC on April 18th. The final tally was $2,949!!!

I would like to give a very big THANK YOU to Cheryl Cobb who had the original idea for this project several years ago. Also to Bromberg's who donated 244 pieces to be sold. And naturally we want to thank all of our friends at Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church who gave the venue, staff, and support which made this a big success once again.

Thanks to all of you who participated!

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4/21/08 

As most of you know, former guests successfully moved into their transitional apartment at the YWCA this weekend. She just came by to say hello, and I asked her if she needed anything for her new home. Below is the list that she came up with:

-broom and dustpan
-mop and mop bucket
-toilet brush
-3 sets of twin bed linens
-plastic clothes hangers
-plastic tubs that will fit under beds, or shelf organizers (the unit has very little shelving or storage space)
-desk lamp

If you have any of these things and would like to drop them off here at the day center, I will be glad to get them to her. She was so sweet, she said when she left St. John's on Saturday she felt like she was leaving family and felt like crying! Thanks to all of you and the wonderful teacher at Redmont, her 10 year old son is back in school there. You guys are so special!

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4/11/08 

Homeless China Sale

Back by popular demand!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When:   April 18, 2008 11:00 AM -1PM
Where:  Fellowship Hall at Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church (2061 Kentucky Avenue)

Hundreds of new, undamaged pieces of fine china and crystal donated by a local retailer will be sold for $5 per piece! Also used, undamaged fine china and crystal sold by piece and by set at unbelievably low prices!

Admission to sale by ticket sold in advance for $5/ticket and at the door for $10/ticket.

All proceeds will go to the Birmingham Hospitality Network-a community response to homeless families.

Got undamaged fine china and crystal you no longer need or want? Donate it for the Homeless China Sale!

Call Cheryl Cobb 967-1366, Lynn Coffey 999-0354 or Nancy Dunavant 979-8494 for pick up of donations and ticket sales.

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3/13/08

We are hiring – click here to for more information.

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Birmingham Hospitality Network
P.O. Box 531233, Birmingham, Alabama 35253
Phone:  (205) 918-0246, Fax: (205) 918-0246
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