Posts by category: Volunteers
May 29th, 2011 | Giving, News, Press, Volunteers
Minnesota Twins Michael Cuddyer, Glen Perkins & Jim Thome were special guests featured at our Cheerful Givers Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser on May 28th at the Chart House Restaurant in Lakeville.
218 attendees learned more about our Cheerful Givers mission and had a chance to ask questions of the players. The Twins generously donated 20 prizes, including autographed shirts, hats, homer hankies, Twins tickets and even a wind-up Michael Cuddyer. Players announced the winners during the event.
A live auction was also conducted by Michael Cuddyer for a bat he had signed by all team members, a framed photo and baseball cards autographed by Harmon Killebrew, and use of the Mauer/Morneau suite for 16 guests.
The event concluded with VIP ticket holders getting their items autographed by these great players. Fox Sports covered the event and there’s a great slideshow now appearing on Thisweek — “Breakfast With Champions and many photos at http://michaelcuddyer.com/photos/?album=2&gallery=2
Thanks to all who attended as well as the Chart House for hosting, Bremer Bank and Thrivent Financial (S. Dakota, SW Hennepin & S. Ramsey Chapters) for sponsoring, and ten great volunteers for helping. Special thanks to Claudia Cuddyer and the players who graced us with their presence. 
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May 15th, 2011 | Birthdays, Giving, Volunteers
Seventy Faegre & Benson attorneys from across the USA and from London took time out of their meeting at the Hilton Hotel in Minneapolis to assemble toy-filled birthday bags.
As a result of their efforts, 1,000 less fortunate children will be having a Happy Birthday!
Thanks to all who participated.
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April 29th, 2011 | Birthdays, Volunteers
Students at the Next Step Transitions Program got together on April 27th to fill the 400,000th birthday bag since Cheerful Givers began in 1994. Because this fantastic group of volunteers take time out of their schedule every day to assemble birthday bags, we thought it fitting that they should also help us fill this milestone bag.
Program Coordinator, Hank Magnuson, noted “the excitement of our students was at an all-time high in filling this special bag. We are so pleased to be part of Cheerful Givers.”
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February 14th, 2011 | Giving, Volunteers
Valentine’s Day is
about appreciating relationships.
And we want you to know
That your support of Cheerful Givers
Is very much appreciated!!
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January 26th, 2011 | Giving, Volunteers
AAA Minnesota/Iowa employees spent part of their recent meeting assembling 500 birthday bags.
Gail Weinholzer, Director of Public Affairs, helped to plan this event and commented “Our staff felt quite good about participating.”
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January 19th, 2011 | Giving, Kids, Volunteers
Every day at the Next Step Program in Cottage Grove, MN, there are eight young adults with special needs who assemble 100 birthday bags. They begin each morning by setting up the gift bags, adding birthday stickers and organizing the toys and items that go into them.
Joanne Koester, Special Education Professional, leads this group of dedicated workers, who she says “love doing it.” They each have their own special job, such as inserting a book into each bag or adding a ribbon, and they also like having a variety of jobs. Their goal is to assemble 1,200 bags every month, and they are well on their way to reaching it. Hank Magnuson, who was also instrumental in setting up this program as part of the South Washington County Schools, said “It’s a perfect project for our kids, and they are very proud of what they do.”
Cheerful Givers is very fortunate to have this wonderful help from such dedicated givers!
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January 17th, 2011 | Birthdays, Volunteers
Sergeant Billy Todd learned about Cheerful Givers during a Timberwolves game at Target Center where he had a table set up for the US Army. He questioned our purpose and said “I like what I heard and read. I’ve heard the old cliché “It takes a village to raise a child,” and I look at Cheerful Givers as being a part of that village.”
“I was the oldest son. I grew-up a lot faster helping my Mom take care of my younger brothers and sister, and I did without many things that most kids enjoyed doing or having. I had many birthdays without gifts, and I believe gifts make a difference no matter how small, since they are one thing that will grant a smile.”
Sergeant Todd has been involved in a number of Cheerful Givers events. He proudly read the Governor’s 2010 Proclamation of Cheerful Givers Day at our annual Mall of America event and helped to assemble birthday bags on Make A Difference Day. The message he would like to send to others is “The organization speaks for itself — be a “Cheerful Giver.”
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December 28th, 2010 | Volunteers
Each year, our Cheerful Givers Board of Directors chooses one individual who we believe has all of the characteristics we look for in volunteers. This year, Nirmala Iyer was selected as our “Volunteer of The Year” in recognition of the outstanding work she has done in addition to her demonstrated passion for our mission.
As Volunteer Manager, Nirmala dedicates 20 hours of her time each week to communicating with both current and potential volunteers. She gathers, maintains, and updates information needed about volunteers, provides direction to volunteers and helps to post new opportunities. And she accomplishes all of this as a virtual volunteer from her home in California.
It is with great honor that we recognize Nirmala with the U.S. President’s Volunteer Service Award for 2010 along with President Barack Obama’s letter of congratulations and a gold volunteer service award pin.
We are extremely grateful for her dedication to our mission.
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November 3rd, 2010 | Volunteers
By Nirmala Iyer
In India, on their birthdays, children wake up at dawn, wear new clothes, touch the feet of their parents and elders as a sign of respect and then visit a nearby temple to take the blessings of God. At school, the birthday child wears colorful clothes and distributes chocolates to the entire class.
I remember as a child in India, from the age of 1 until I was 14, my mother always celebrated my birthday every year by organizing a birthday party, inviting family and close friends in the neighborhood, organizing games like passing the parcel, word games, musical chairs and distributing prizes to the winners. I cut a cake and enjoyed homemade delicacies cooked by my mother & her sisters. I still remember the happiness on my face when I received gifts from my friends and family. The pleasure of a birthday celebration was the presence of friends and family, and their gifts. Continue reading »
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November 2nd, 2010 | Volunteers
By James Kwee
The Chattanooga Cheerful Givers Pilot Program was launched in 2007 in Chattanooga, TN. It serves the greater Chattanooga and North Georgia area. The pilot program’s main team and coordinator is the Hilger Philanthropist Club. This month, we talked to Susanna Downer, 17, a current high school senior and the new president of the Hilger Philanthropist Club and the Chattanooga Cheerful Givers pilot program.
What are your plans for expanding involvement in Cheerful Givers?
Yesterday, I posted about 15 signs around Hilger Higher Learning, informing fellow students and their parents about Cheerful Givers’ mission and requesting donations of toys for our upcoming Birthday Bag Blitz. We will also use the money we have raised to purchase the toys for needy children in Chattanooga. The club members and I hope to put several dozen birthday bags together. We are excited about this program and all the joy it brings to so many families. Continue reading »
