A Few of Our Volunteer Success Stories!
You can also see what our younger volunteers are doing by visiting our Youth Volunteer Success Stories Page. And check out who has dedicated their birthday or special event to the kids by visiting our Parties with a Purpose Recognition Page.
Red Threads Calendar
The 2011 Red Threads Calendar created by Central Ohio Families with Children (COFCC) proved to be a spectacular fundraising success. The calendar features the beautiful faces of children adoptedfrom China as well as authentic Chinese recipes from author and illustrator, Ellen Blonder. Sold locally to COFCC members and nationally online, the calendar was produced by a three-person volunteer team: chair, Tracy Burleson; designer Chris Diebold, of A & D Advertising;and photo editor Michelle Raines of Michelle R Photography. Happily, this winning team is already at work on the 2012 calendar, which will feature award-winning authorand illustrator, Grace Lin.Stay tuned to www.centralohiofcc.com for more information on how you cansupport Half the Sky bypurchasing a beautiful 2012 calendar or follow "Red Threads Calendar" on Facebook for the latest updates.
Chinese Culture Club
Huge thanks to the Georgetown Day School Chinese Culture Club in Washington D.C., which raised enough money from bake sales to sponsor a child. Club member Hannah says fundraising for Half the Sky came naturally to her: “I wanted to support Half the Sky Foundation because I’ve known about it since my mother and her friends went on one of the first builds.” In addition to fundraising, the Club’s goal is to learn more about and honor the rich traditions of Chinese culture. To that end, the Club has hosted two celebrations, the Autumn Moon Festival and Chinese New Year. The Club is working on finding new ways to contribute to Half the Sky and new ways to learn about and celebrate Chinese culture.
Battle of Bids
Allianz China Life chose to dedicate its first ever in-house charitable auction event to helping the children enrolled in Half the Sky’s programs. A 14-member team of volunteers collected 120 donated items from staffers, including a painting by their CEO’s wife, a digital book reader and other items like perfume and other luxury goods. They also promoted the auction using emails, screensavers, videos and posters. On the day of the event, the team decorated the staff canteen and installed a stage for the auction. Food and drinks were served and bidders were enthusiastic. Says event coordinator Ray Ju, “We’re very glad we were able to help HTS.” Huge thanks to everyone at Allianz for their support!
Raising the Roof for Half the Sky
Folk fans and Half the Sky supporters packed the Regent Theater in Arlington, MA for a rollicking concert by celebrated musicians and adoptive parents Jorma Kaukonen, Patty Larkin and Chris Smither, who shared the stage for one night to raise money for the waiting children of China. (Sadly, due to a family emergency, longtime Half the Sky supporter Lucy Kaplansky was not able to perform).
The enthusiastic audience reveled in the musicians’ individual and collaborative performances and their storytelling as well--throughout the concert, each artist took time to tell stories about their families, adoption, and their personal reasons for supporting Half the Sky. As one attendee said, "It was such a wonderful performance for a cause so close to my heart... We didn't expect to hear so much from the artists' personal experience with their children and China. That made it even more special."
Huge thanks to Jorma, Patty, Chris, Lucy and everyone else involved in making the evening a truly special one for the children!
HTS Happy Hour
UCLA grad student Eric Tam teamed up with Ascend San Francisco to host a fun function for Half the 
Sky. The Happy Hour event at Stone Korean Kitchen attracted a number of young businesspersons and others eager to eat, drink and socialize while contributing to a good cause. Huge thanks to Eric and Ascend SF for making the event such a success!
Sweat & Tears
A lot of sweat and tears went into Jen Ji’s latest effort to support Half the Sky. An avid supporter for the last five years, Jen joined 45,000 runners in the 2010 New York City Marathon and dedicated her race to helping Half the Sky.
In the months leading up to the race, Jen trained hard so she could reach her goal of finishing the grueling race in less than five and a half hours. She also worked hard to encourage donations from family, friends, co-workers and fellow Half the Sky supporters using Facebook, email, and old-fashioned, in-person conversations. To spur more gifts to Half the Sky, she offered an Amazon Kindle to the donor whose guess was closest to her actual finish time and also gave away three signed copies of Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas Kristof to her top two donors and the winner of her marathon raffle.
Jen beat her finish line goal by four minutes and surpassed her fundraising goals as well. Thank you, Jen, for all your sweat and tears on behalf of the children!
Watch a short video of Jennifer at the finish line 24 hours before the start of the race. And of her crossing the line (along with a few photos).
Nina's Giving Back Campaign
Jewelry designer and longtimeHalf the Sky supporter Nina Cooper just completed a wonderfully successful “Giving Back” campaign to raise funds and awareness for Half the Sky’s work and to promote her business, Nina Designs. During the first week of November, she donated $1 to Half the Sky’s Infant Nurture and Art programs for every new Facebook fan of Nina Designs. To spread the word, Nina reached out to her customers, friends and family via her blog, her website, and her Facebook page. In the end, Nina Designs added over 350 new Facebook fans. Huge thanks to Nina and her fans!
A Wonderful Day in the Neighborhood
Once a year Steve McChesney’s neighborhood gets a little rowdy… to raise money for charity. This year it was Steve’s turn to host the huge annual neighborhood party and to choose the charity. An avid HTS supporter and adoptive dad, Steve says HTS was a “natural choice.”
To maximize donations to HTS, Steve and his neighbors got people to provide food, drinks, music andall the other party necessities for free. Three months in advance, they sent a “save the date” email and followed up with a series of reminders. They also blanketed their neighborhood with fliers inviting people (and warning them about the music).Because they didn’t require RSVPs, they encouraged p
eople to bring friends and for those friends to bring friends as well.
As they marketed the party, they marketed the cause. They invited people to donate to HTS online or to bring a donation to the party where they had donation mailboxes at the entry gate and several tables.
The party began in the afternoon and catered to a family crowd with a popcorn machine, bubbles and “all the basics for kids to have a great time.” After the kids went to bed, the adults continued to have a go
od time, especially at the booth where volunteers shot goofy photos. Steve jokes that he’s not sure if the sometimes goofy party was an event “to mimic or mock,” but adds: “We had a lot of fun and got to donate to a great cause.” Huge thanks to Steve and his neighbors for “partying with a purpose” for Half the Sky.
A Family Affair
For the last five years, Sandee Koch and her family have been holding an annual yard sale to benefit HTS. The Koch’s garage sale has expanded over the years from a single to multi-family event and draws repeat shoppers as well as new ones every year.
To the delight of their friends and neighbors, the Kochs take donations all year round, storing them in their basement and garage. To the delight of their customers, this year Sandee’s two daughters baked and sold brownies. To the delight of the girls, they got to keep the tips!
To advertise the sale, Sandee places ads in local newspapers, emails her neighbors and the local FCC, and also relies on word of mouth. The Kochs hang up HTS signs, banners, and hand out a HTS brochure to every customer. They also ask if shoppers want to make an additional donation. Some do, including a neighbor who has donated $100 to the sale a few times!
Sandee decided on the multi-year garage sale because: “I have 2 daughters from China, and was so aware of the many that remained in the orphanages. Since we weren't in a position to adopt more, I thought this could be a way to touch those children's lives.” A huge thanks to Sandee, her family, friends and neighbors for finding a fundraiser that really works for them—and for the children!
Suen-Yi and Jasim's Garage Sale
A California couple, Suen-Yi Meng and Jasim Ahmed, were inspired to organize a yard sale fundraiser after reading about a similar event in our newsletter. Suen-Yi and Jasim loved the idea because it was a “great incentive for us to de-clutter” and no matter how much was sold, they would be able to involve their family and friends. In addition to collecting lots of items for sale, Suen-Yi and 
Jasim baked organic sweets and displayed a large board with information about Half the Sky so folks could read about our work for the children. Though it was their first yard sale ever, Suen-Yi and Jasim raised enough money to take care of a child in a Half the Sky program for one year. They were thrilled with the results as were we: “This event was a rewarding and fun learning experience. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to help out!” Many thanks to Suen-Yi, Jasim, and their friends: Alice Ko & Eddie Lee; Julius Paras & Mae Lee; Lynn & Bob Coon; Paula & Nazeem Noordeen; Sophie & Dick Lee; Teodora Ngo & Jan M. Gronski; Trinka Gillis & Bjorn Widerstrom; and Vinodha Ramasamy.
Teenagers Raise Money with Cookbook
Our intrepid high school fundraisers, Peter and Vivian Li, have come up with yet 
another creative way to raise money for orphaned children—a cookbook chock full of their favorite Chinese Recipes. The book is geared to busy parents and kids alike—there are lots of time-saving tips—and all proceeds go to Half the Sky. You can order Peter and Vivian’s Delightful Chinese Recipes at Amazon. Hao Chi! Check out a few of their recipes. Read more about Peter and Vivian's Raffle Fundraiser.
Love, Adoption & Brownies with Sprinkles
Darlene Friedman and Roger Roth, author and illustrator of Star of the Week: A Story of Love Adoption, and Brownies with Sprinkles, signed copies of their book along with their daughter, Eden, who was the inspiration for the book. The book tells the story of Cassidy-Li, a young girl adopted from China who is about to be Star of the Week at her school. More...
Lindsay's Garage Sale
As summer was coming to an end, I was pondering what I would do for my high school community service. I thought about how my parents sponsored a child through Half the Sky and realized that that was something I would like to do too. I decided to hold a garage sale to raise money to sponsor as many children as I could through Half the Sky and that I run do the even yearly. So I held my first annual garage sale to sponsor a child through Half the Sky on September 19, 2009. I received help from friends and family, which helped make my garage sale a huge success. In just a few hours I had raised enough money for two Somebody Loves Me sponsorships! After the sale, I was so happy that I had the amazing opportunity to run this fundraiser to help two children who are in need. Lindsay Kriz (Pictured above: Lindsay and her sister, Maya)
“Blood Brothers” performed by Dulwich College Shanghai
A group of dedicated drama students from Dulwich College, a high school in Shanghai, decided to perform Willy Russell’s play “Blood Brothers” and donate all the funds to Half the Sky. Instigated and motivated by Joshua David and selflessly supported by the students’ drama teacher, these budding actors gave up their free time for a few months to concentrate on studying and performing this dramatic play.
The students performed brilliantly and were very much involved in raising the awareness of Half the Sky in their community. It was an extremely moving performance and to all the students involved, we say, thank you.
Lanterns of Hope Jubilee for Half the Sky
Thanks to long-time Half the Sky 
supporter Lynn Cobb, South Carolina’s Daniel Island Club hosted a Lanterns of Hope Jubilee for Half the Sky on March 1, 2009. Lynn's friends, Brandon Breaux, Jennifer Roberts, Beth Bush, Debbie Brooks and Caroline Feller volunteered their time, ensuring that all guests were welcomed and that there were bids on all the silent auction items. The menu included local, “low country” fare, shrimp and grits, as well as carved turkey, roasted vegetables and a delicious assortment of desserts. Half the Sky’s Director of Individual Philanthropy Carol Kemble was the featured speaker. “ More...
ARISE: Holding up Half the Sky
Kappa Phi Lambda at Columbia University’s ARISE Benefit Dinner is an annual campus event—a night of cultural food and performance. Each year the event honors a different 
foundation that resonates with the pillars of KPL’s organization--Sisterhood, Service and Cultural Diversity. Last year Half the Sky was honored to be the chosen Foundation. On October 25, 2008, nearly 200 guests (a full house!) attended KPL’s inaugural dinner. Proceeds from this wonderful event, which included entertainment by18 artists and performing groups, went to Half the Sky’s Children’s Earthquake Fund, which was established to provide long-term emotional support for children who were victims of the May 2008 earthquake in Sichuan and Chongqing.
Alla's Garage Sale
To meet the Children’s Day Challenge, Alla Zeltser-Fitch, director of volunteers and events at Half the Sky, hosted a neighborhood garage sale to raise 
funds for a Somebody Loves Me sponsorship. After a lot of closet and garage cleaning, a number of families donated items and hosted their own garage sales, donating part or all of their proceeds to HTS. The neighborhood children also gave toys to include in the sale, and also sold homemade treats. Alla and her neighbors were thrilled to reach their goal of raising enough money for a Somebody Loves Me sponsorship.
Sheraton Showdown
In Shanghai, a group of very dedicated fundraisers raised money for Half the Sky’s Children’s Center in Fuzhou. The Sheraton Showdown amateur boxing event was a night to remember, with an incredible 475 attendees all 
supporting our children. The boxers made the commitment to attend training sessions for a year. The inspiration for their challenging workouts was the children. One boxer said: “If it was not for the charity, there would be no way I would be doing this.” The Charity Fight Night was a huge success. The boxers showed phenomenal physical fitness, strong emotional strength, immeasurable courage, and admirable sportsmanship. Because of them, a child somewhere now doesn’t have to fight quite so hard.
Fortune Cookie Fundraiser
Sandi Janusch, Half the Sky’s Volunteer Coordinator in Canada, “cooked” up a fun fundraiser for the children in China by making delicious, gourmet fortune cookies. With the help of some of her friends as cooks and sellers, 
Sandi sold home-made fortune cookies in a project called “Fortune to Fortune Cookies.” Each gold box of cookies was tied with a red ribbon, and contained eight flavors (including chocolate, jasmine tea, orange, lemon, and maple) as well as an insert with information about Half the Sky’s work in China. Hundreds of boxes were sold in only a few weeks and people donated funds in addition to buying cookies. The fundraiser was so successful that Sandi has decided to make it an every-other-year event and hopes to recruit more cooks and sellers for next year’s effort. Sandi's fortune cookie recipe...
Friends Meeting Friends
In May, my 16-year-old daughter, Nora Tai-Xiu Groves, and I held our fifth annual Friends Meeting Friends Ladies Springtime Potluck Luncheon. Initially, I started this as a backyard gathering at my Los Angeles home, just to get my various sets of friends together. But three years ago, one friend said: "If you've got 70 neat women together, why not turn it into a fundraiser?" More...
On Top of the World
Running the last few hundred strides energized by the encouraging yells of other participants, turning into the ancient stone square hearing my name, “Molly Kuk…….”, from the announcer, and being decorated with my marathon medal has been one of the highs of my 25 years. More...
Idaho Yard Sale
To help raise money for Half the Sky’s Children’s Earthquake Fund, Idaho Families with Children 
from Asia (IFCA) held an extremely successful yard sale, lemonade stand, and bake sale that even got coverage on evening news stations and local newspapers. These IFCA families and a newly-formed youth group helped raise awareness for China’s earthquake relief efforts, adoption in China, as well as Half the Sky. The children had a sorting and pricing party the night before the yard sale and with their parents, worked the day of the sale, doing their best to sell as many items as they could for their brothers and sisters still waiting in China.
The Global Runners take on Shanghai for Half the Sky
It started off with a couple of “overworked bankers” at HSBC’s Hong Kong office, who wanted to “run for fun, run for fitness and run for good causes.” That small group grew into the “Global Runners", three teams of runner-fundraisers who completed the Shanghai Half Marathon last November. More...
If you run an event, please let us know! Please send a paragraph describing the event and, of course, a photo as well.
