Charitable Gift Giving

We surf the Web to find good products that help out a great cause.

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National Geographic's Inside 9/11 DVD Set

September 10th, 2008 · National Geographic

Commemorative Edition of Inside 9/11 DVD Set
National Geographic has produced this Commemorative Edition of the Inside 9/11 DVD Set.  Produced in 2006, it looks back at what led up to September 11, from the terrorists’ beginnings, to the immediate aftermath of September 11. The documentary has been lauded by the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times as a powerful and visually stunning recounting of the awful events.

In this special “commemorative edition” are also two additional full-length programs. One, called “Through These Eyes” is a recounting of how National Geographic photographer Steve McCurry documented the aftermath of September 11 in the streets of New York. “Witness 9/11” is also a documentary collaboration between six filmmakers taking extraordinary footage of the events.

As horrible as that day’s events were, we owe it to the victims, to our country, and to ourselves never to forget. Never forget how angry you were at the sheer evil and despicable inhumanity of those evildoers who planned and carried out this mass murder. Never forget how unified we were as a country in the days afterwards as we healed as one. Never forget the heroism of our brave men and women in uniform. Never forget the promise you made to yourself in the days following 9/11 to volunteer, to help others, to give blood, and to fight back evil with good.

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Remembering the World Trade Center

September 8th, 2008 · Amazon

world trade center remembered in picturesIt’s hard to believe that seven years have passed since that horrible day that changed everything.

From 1999 to 2001, I worked at 222 Broadway, one block away. For a few years after the towers fell, I refused to visit Ground Zero. I just wanted to remember the World Trade Center as it was. I wanted to remember sitting in the large open space on summer evenings listening to free concerts under the big globe fountain. I wanted to remember my favorite hot dog stand, who kept his stand right at the corner and served the best hot dogs I had anywhere. I wanted to remember my daily routine of going up the escalators on the right hand side of the North tower, walking through the pathway into the South Tower, and walking through the walkway to the World Financial Center, where I’d go to the gym every night. I wanted to remember taking the long escalators down to the downstairs mall area, with the Godiva (where I’d treat myself to a chocolate-covered strawberry every now and then), the Warner Brothers Store, the Borders bookstore…

I’ve finally visited Ground Zero about two years ago. I deliberately kept my eyes closed and could picture everything where it was for one last time, and then once I opened my eyes, the memories started to fade. I remember weeks, even months, after the towers fell, feeling that there was just a big “hole in the sky” whenever I drove the approach to Manhattan from New Jersey. Today, it all looks normal again to me.

This is a book which was published in November 2001. The 72 beautiful photographs were all taken before September, and show the towers from every angle imaginable. It preserves the memories of views of the World Trade Center from all over New York and New Jersey. It’s a perfect tribute book to September 11, but it’s not a picture of planes, or fires, or people running, or people crying. It’s a picture of a happier time, when the City and its skies were still complete.

A portion of proceeds is still being donated to the Twin Towers Fund to assist the needy families of the City’s police officers, firefighters, and other uniformed services.

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The $19.78 Gourmet Hamburger from Mortons that helps the Make-a-Wish Foundation

September 6th, 2008 · Make-A-Wish Foundation

The $20 hamburger from MortonsWant to treat someone to something special? In celebration of its 30th Anniversary, Morton’s Steakhouses are offering this gourmet hamburger made from its top prime sirloin. It’s available only on Sundays and only available to the end of September!

 At $19.78 (in commemoration of its opening in 1978), the burger is not for the faint of heart. But if you’re a burger lover and would like to give yourself that once-in-a-long-time treat, enjoy this one while you can (they end this promotion a month from now).

If you’ve ever driven a $50,000 car, and then went back to driving a $15,000 car, that kind of explains the feeling of eating this burger. It’s no less than amazing. And $5 of each burger purchased goes to the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

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Drink the Fruits of the Rainforests (and save them too)

September 4th, 2008 · Amazon, Conservation

rainforest juicesThe South American rainforests are getting scarcer and scarcer. Here’s a way to help, as well as have a taste of that which you’re helping.

This is a fruit drink that’ll let you taste a unique blend of fruit from South American rainforests. It contains Acai, Cupuacu, and Yerba Mate. Never heard of them? Acai is a delicious dark berry which is packed with vitamins, nutrients, and more antioxidants than from sources you may know of such as blueberries, red wine and even ginko balboa! Cupuacu is a delicious fruit from the Amazon rainforest which is often referred to as “the taste of the Amazon”, and it too is packed with healthy antioxidants, the kinds found in green tea. Yerba Mate is a tea brewed in South America that has been called “the beverage of the gods”, which provides energy.

While others talk about saving the rainforests, by buying this drink, you can not only help save them, but have a taste of what you’re saving. Fruta Vida, which produces the drink, donates a portion of proceeds back to preserve the people and plants in the rainforest, and they only use ingredients produced from socially responsible and ecologically friendly farms.

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Great Gift for Teacher that Helps PBS

September 2nd, 2008 · PBS

Here’s a great gift from ShopPBS.Org, the official online store of PBS.

The tree house hand care kit is a great gift set from philosophy. The kit includes an 8 ounce hand wash and a 4 ounce hand cream, both scented as wonderful smelling red delicious apples. philosophy, of course, is well known for its cosmetics and skincare products, so the quality is top notch.

The kit comes in an adorable box that looks like a tree house. philosophy will donate 100% of the net proceeds to PBS and PBS Kids.

It’s a great way to support an organization which has done so much for us with innovative children’s educational television. It’d be a great “apple” themed gift for a teacher too as your child enters school.

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Bid for Gifts from First-Ever MDA Telethon Auction to Support Jerry's Kids

August 31st, 2008 · Uncategorized

Since 1966, every Labor Day has featured the Jerry Lewis Telethon for Muscular Dystrophy. This year, the telethon starts today and will run through Labor Day as usual.

But something brand new this year is the first-ever Telethon Auction. The auction has started already, and it will run until Thursday, September 4, 2008. You can visit it here:

http://mda.org/auctions/

I’ve never seen an auction with such a variety of great items up for grabs. Here’s just a very small sampling of auctions:

  • Autographed photos of everyone from Martina McBride to Bruce Springsteen.
  • Tickets to an Emmy Party sponsored by Entertainment Tonight
  • A handkerchief owned by Joan Crawford
  • A 2009 Harley-Davidson Rocker® motorcycle
  • A Wii, an iPod, and other electronics
  • A Days of Our Lives VIP Package, including a tour of the set and meeting the stars
  • Autographed boxing glove of Muhammed Ali and other sports memorabilia from everyone from Wayne Gretzky to A-Rod to Kobe.
  • Golf Packages in various exclusive resorts around the country
  • Vacation packages to everywhere from Colorado to the Carribbean
  • Too many more to list here

Because this is the first-ever auction, and because they’re all ending at the same time on September 4, chances are you’ll be able to find a great once-in-a-lifetime gift for someone special in your life. And because all of these auction items are donated, you may even be able to get it for much, much lower than the actual price (and in some cases, the items are priceless). And even if you pay a premium, remember that everything you pay over the fair market value is tax-deductible.

Whether you have donated or have always thought of donating for all the years you’ve watched the telethon, here’s a great new way to support this great cause.

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Fun and Unique Ice Cream Bowls that help a great cause

August 29th, 2008 · Amazon, Children's Charities

ice cream bowlsWell, now that you have your Cuisinart Soft-Serve Ice Cream Maker from two days ago, it’s time to serve your ice cream in style!

This is a set of four small ice-cream bowls. Each bowl is glazed a different color on its outside (one for vanilla, one for chocolate, one for strawberry, and one for blueberry), so everyone in the family can have their own bowl. Inside the bowl are cursive letters spelling out other ice cream flavors. The bowls even come in a whimsical box that looks like an ice cream carton.

As pretty as the bowls look, they are durable. Each is made of stoneware, so they’re microwave and dishwasher safe.

A portion of all proceeds will be donated to Childhaven, which is a non-profit organization which helps families and young children in need.

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A Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker in Your Own Home

August 27th, 2008 · Amazon, Breast Cancer

soft serve ice cream makerHere’s an ice cream maker that produces delicious soft-serve ice cream. It’s a great way to cool off during the hot summer months.

The unit will produce 1.5 quarts in as little as 20 minutes. It’s completely automatic—just add the freshest ingredients you can find, and turn the dial. Just like the soft-serve machines you see in restaurants and the deli, you’ll be able to swirl out ice cream into your favorite cones or cups. It comes with recipes for ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbet, and sorbet, and even comes with dispensers where you can put sprinkles (jimmies for those of you in Philadelphia), nuts, candy, chips, or your other favorite toppings. It even comes with a cone holder for regular or sugar cones.

Why serve ice cream out of a box, when you can serve completely fresh homemade ice cream for a fraction of the cost! And with a name like Cuisinart and a three-year warranty, you’re guaranteed many, many scoops of funs.

As you can probably tell by the pink color, a portion of proceeds will be donated by Cuisinart to support breast cancer research. Visit this site again in October during Breast Cancer Awareness Month for many more great products like this.

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Thanks to the US Olympic Team (2008 Summer Olympics Gifts – Day 16)

August 24th, 2008 · US Olympic Shop, USA Olympics

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Throughout the Olympics, I’ve been highlighting gifts from the US Olympic Shop. A portion of all gifts purchased through that great site goes directly to helping present and future athletes training for the Olympics. If you visit the site now, you’ll notice that they’re slashing the prices on 2008 Beijing Gifts, so hurry and grab what you can before it’s gone! One of the products they offer is the official Polo Shirticon as worn by Team USA during the closing ceremonies! And for a limited time, use promo code LKS38LFN to save an additional 15%.

usolympicshop.comAs I write this at 5:30 AM Sunday morning, it’s 5:30 PM Sunday night in Beijing and the last competitions have officially concluded, with France winning the gold medal in Handball, Hungary winning the gold in Water Polo, and the US winning the gold in Basketball and Volleyball in dramatic fashion.

The closing ceremonies came and went, and they were as spectacular as the opening ceremonies. Like many, I felt a twinge of sadness to see the flame go out.

All in all, these were the most memorable games I can remember for a long time. Team USA certainly did itself proud, from the thrilling performances of the first medals in fencing, to women’s gymnastics, to the surprise run by the water polo team, to the way the men’s volleyball team came back from a tragedy to win gold, to the amazing run by Michael Phelps and USA Swimming, to the way USA track and field started with disappointment but ended with some thrilling victories.

You may notice in the medal count that while the US was tops in overall medals, China completely dominated, for the first time in gold medals. And most experts believe that they are just going to grow stronger and stronger.

Why?

As a totalitarian state, China’s government pours tremendous amounts of money into molding elite athletes, often from childhood, through government-run programs. Ultimately, what the government gets out of it is gaining prestige in the world’s eyes, which China certainly has done with these Games.

In the United States, it doesn’t work that way. We don’t have a government controlling our athletics. Rather, our athletes develop passion and a natural talent in their sport, and they pursue their dreams and achieving individual excellence. Our country is great because of our athletes, not vice-versa.

So how do athletes in the United States compete against other countries where a machine is in place to provide them all the resources they need?

Enter the United States Olympic Committee. The USOC is the non-profit organization that provides training centers, funds, and staff to athletes for the Olympics. It’s been in existence since 1894, and while it’s chartered by the US Congress, it receives absolutely no funding from our tax dollars. It’s funded entirely by corporate sponsors and contributions from individuals like you and me.

When you think about it, corporate sponsors are only going to sponsor those sports which they feel have commercial appeal. So far too often, our gifted athletes in lower profile sports are left with nothing. In most cases, they need to pay their own way for equipment, training, and even travel to competitions and the Olympics.

What can you to do help ensure that Team USA athletes of all sports are provided all they need to succeed in 2010, 2012, and on?

You can always purchase gifts from the US Olympic Shop, particularly gifts to help you remember 2008 Beijing. But more importantly, each year, consider making a generous donation to the USOC, which is tax-deductible. And give our future athletes a chance to keep up the great tradition of victory.

Congratulations to all of Team USA during these Olympics for their spectacular performances, and for making us so proud as a nation.

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Team USA Basketball Jerseys (2008 Summer Olympics Gifts – Day 15)

August 22nd, 2008 · US Olympic Shop, USA Olympics

For the last few weeks, we’ve been highlighting great Olympics souvenirs where proceeds go to support the athletes of the US Olympic Team.

Today is the second-to-last day of the Olympics, and of course, it’s showtime for our USA Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams. This morning, the Men’s team advanced to the Gold Medal final with a win over Argentina, and tonight (tomorrow morning in Beijing), the women play for the gold medal against Australia.

For all the ups and downs they face in the press here in the US, LeBron and Kobe and the rest of Team USA really did their country proud. They were not just participants but also fans, going to the different venues and cheering on fellow USA athletes. Kobe in particular had a public relations coup, being shown mobbed by thousands of adoring Chinese fans and taking it all in stride, being seen speaking fluent Italian to Italian athletes and media (he grew up in Italy when his dad played professional ball there), and even being filmed in the Olympic village eating French Fries with the other athletes.

And their play showed the same kind of level-headedness and selflessness. When they were flagrantly fouled, they didn’t lash back at the other players (despite attempts to incite them by some of the players). They didn’t hog the ball. They didn’t showboat. They showed real sportsmanship and teamwork.

Regardless of the medal count, the real victory of the Olympics is when the athletes show class and unselfish teamwork in their accomplishments.

Celebrate Team USA by wearing their official jerseys–it’s your last chance to get these official basketball jerseys. The US Olympic Shop is quickly selling out of them, but you can still get a LeBron James homeicon and away jerseyicon and a Kobe Bryant homeicon and away jerseyicon as they’re wearing in the 2008 Olympics.

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Here’s an interesting bit of trivia. Do you notice that the letters of the backs of the jerseys are hard to read? The white jersey has white lettering, and the blue jersey has blue lettering.

This was actually done on purpose. Team USA Basketball designed these jerseys this way to drive home the point to the players that their focus should be on the team, and not on any of their individual fame or accomplishments. This is why the “USA” is in bright, clear lettering, and their names are harder to read. It looks like Team USA got the message.

Cheer on Team USA and check back here each day to track their progress on this official medal count widget.

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