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Make a Difference Day - September 20, 2014

Become an Ambassador Family

July 24, 2014
Macaroni Kid is launching a nationwide Make a Difference Day campaign on September 20, 2014, and Diana and I are excited to bring this movement to our community!  We need YOU to make this happen!

With past events like Bounce & Dream Pajama PartyPaint Your HeART Out, and Costume Swap Day, your local Macaroni Kid publishers are no strangers to community outreach and raising awareness of non-profits. In the past year, we've also been inspired by local families who use garage sales to fund overseas adoptions, organize local races to raise money for SIDS research, and dedicate themselves to monthly service projects like Our Year of Giving.

Diana and I have a vision for Make a Difference Day, and we want to empower local parents and their kids to take on a community service project with our support.  You simply decide to make a difference and to model kindness for your kids.  You can support a local non-profit, express appreciation, or give to those in need.  Really the name says it all, Make a Difference - big or small, grand or subtle.

We are recruiting Ambassador Families who will commit to hosting an event on September 20 (or the week before) - anything from a lemonade stand or garage sale to a diaper drive or ice cream social.

You dream up the idea, and we will help make it happen.  Diana and I will connect you to local businesses who are willing to support our Make a Difference Day vision and your efforts.  

Macaroni Kid Snoqualmie Valley - Issaquah will serve as the media sponsor and handle online promotion. We'll create and send a press release to local news outlets.  Print materials will be designed and distributed. Your event will be listed on our Calendar, and and you can count on a strong social media presence.  All of this will support your plans and encourage participation from other local families.  Together we can make a difference in our communities, and most importantly, we will impress upon our children the importance of kindness, compassion, and volunteering.

You're excited by this idea, right?  Now, how about a little inspiration? {and these are just a few ideas}
  1. Host a clothing, diaper, or formula donation drive for Eastside Baby Corner
  2. Prepare and deliver a meal for a local fire department
  3. Have a card-making party at a frozen yogurt shop and deliver the cards to those living in assistive living or recovering at the hospital.
  4. Organize a family fitness event with proceeds benefitting Relay for Life or American Heart Association.   
  5. Host a playdate to put together goody bags (and collect party supplies) for Birthday Dreams
  6. Get creative at a local art studio to raise awareness and funds for Art with Heart
  7. Follow the example of two local kids who organized a Canvas & Cupcakes event (in February 2013) to raise money for Make-A-Wish Foundation.
  8. Collect wish list items for a local animal rescue People United for Pets
  9. Organize a story time and book drive to benefit Milk+Bookies
  10. Work with a dance studio to plan a Flash Mob at a local venue
  11. Contact Encompass for family-friendly volunteer opportunities
  12. Work with a parent educator to promote an anti-bullying message
  13. Collect donations for Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank, Fall City Food Pantry, Mount Si Food Bank, or Snoqualmie Valley Food Bank
  14. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, which makes it the perfect time to support the Ben Towne Foundation with a garage sale or coin drive, host a Cookies for Kids Cancer bake sale or an Alex's Lemonade Stand.  You could also participate in Alex's Million Mile Run.Walk.Ride.

All that's left is the motivation!  Talk to your spouse, your kids, their grandparents, your neighbors and friends to create a network of support.  You can do this!  We can do this!  Let's Make a Difference all over Snoqualmie Valley!

If you are interested in participating as an Ambassador Family, please CLICK HERE to fill out a very brief form.

If you are a business or non-profit interested in being involved, take a minute to fill out this form!