HANCOCK STREET PUB CRAWL OF QUINCY MA Fundraiser
October 23, 2010 - Check back to Register Online!

COLUMBIA HARLEY OWNERS GROUP (CHOG) FUNDRAISER
SEPTEMBER 12, 2010

Save the date! CHOG's 4th annual Poker Run will be Sunday, September 12th - we'd love to have you join us at the "after event" at 1:00 following the Poker Run! The band, Rocked & Loaded will once again be playing the the after event - and once again, donating their time for Daena's Run!

Looking to make a donation in honor of Daena's Run? Click here.
Looking to ride but don't own a motorcylce. Email us
Looking to register? Visit www.daenasrun.com

LITTLE HEARTS 14TH ANNUAL PICNIC - SUNDAY, JUNE 6, 2010
2010 picnic slideshows are now online! Please visit our PICNIC page to see photos of those that joined us in our slideshow - including Sam who was featured on ABC's Boston MED. Our 2010 "Heart Kid Video" is currently being edited and will be online around July 15th!

LITTLE HEARTS 2nd ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT - Monday, June 20, 2011 AT THE APAWAMIS CLUB, RYE, NEW YORK
Our Inaugural Little Hearts Golf Tournament was a huge success! Many thanks to our new Board of Directors, Kelly Molloy and all of her wonderful volunteers and to Megan Busenbark for our press releases! Photos from our golf tournament are now online to enjoy.

SUPPORTING LITTLE HEARTS THROUGH DONATIONS IN HONOR OF OR IN MEMORY OF A FRIEND OR FAMILY MEMBER.

Does your child have an upcoming birthday or did you recently lose a loved one? Ask friends and family to make donations to Little Hearts, Inc. in their honor or memory. They can be made online through our online secure website or with our letter. Each donor will receive a thank you letter from us and the individual in whose honor or memory the donation was made in, will be added to our website. Visit the DONORS page of our website to see what members did in 2009!

LOOKING TO ORGANIZE A FUNDRAISER FOR LITTLE HEARTS?

Here are a few suggestions that members have done for us over the years -

1- Do you work? Organize a dressdown fundraiser.
2- Are your children in school? Organize a loose change fundraiser or contact your local high school and share Little Hearts with the students and their clubs.
3- Are you a golfer? Organize a golf outing
4- Are you a runner? Organize a 5 mile run.
5- Are you or a friend part of a band? Organize a concert to benefit Little Hearts.

SUPPORT LITTLE HEARTS THROUGH PAYROLL DEDUCTIONS THROUGH UNITED WAY
OR YOUR EMPLOYER

CAR MAGNETS, lanyards, hats & more - visit our online store.

ARE YOU LOOKING TO TALK WITH ANOTHER HEART PARENT? WE CAN PUT YOU IN TOUCH WITH SOMEONE TODAY

In the 1990's, we had established support group meetings in eight states. While some took off well and continued for a few years, others fizzled out. Why were some successful in having monthly meetings while others weren't?

Our experience has shown it comes down to having the time to commit. Running meetings can be time consuming and for the parents who have their hands full with their children, it can be very challenging. Rather than to continue to establish new sites for meetings, we decided to go back to what we originally set out to do and that was networking families. Now, whenever we have a new member or family who is looking for meetings or looking to talk with another parent, we provide them with contact information of several members living closest to them. Once they receive that information, they can phone that parent and set up their own little meeting and sit down and talk. They no longer have to wait for a scheduled meeting! Our organization has over 1,900 members throughout the United States.

EXPECTING A BABY WITH A CHD? HERE'S SOMETHING TO RESEARCH - CORD BLOOD STEM CELLS MAY HELP REPAIR BABIES' HEART DEFECTS

"Umbilical cord blood, rich in stem cells, may provide raw material to repair the hearts of thousands of babies born each year with defective heart valves, according to researchers. Cardiologists at the University Hospital of Munich say they are 5 to 7 years away from transplanting new heart valves into children with faulty hearts, derived from the children's own cord blood". Read entire article online. Check out the update from "The Stem Cell Source" regarding possibly reversing heart damage from a heart attack.

USE OUR PR TOOLKIT TO BRING AWARENESS TO THE #1 BIRTH DEFECT

Looking to bring awareness by contacting the media? Use our PR Toolkit to help in getting your story out there. Remember, once your story has been published, share your accomplishment with us! CHD Awareness week is in February but feel free to bring awareness year round!

ADDITIONAL CHD AWARENESS SUGGESTIONS AND TOOLS

We have flyers and promotional items to help you. Feel free to print off our flyer for your pediatric cardiologists office. For fundraisers, we have our Loose Change Fundraiser for school - our Loose Change Fundraiser for work and our "Jeans Day" dressdown fundraiser for work. For a display, use our CHD Awareness Flyer or our CHD Fact Sheet or contact us for brochures.

Does your PC display our brochures at their office? If not, contact us with their mailing information and we'll send them a supply! CHD Day can be whatever you'd like it to be! Do whatever works for you. The above suggestions are just a few that members have done and have been successful. Some members have written a Letter to the Editor of their local newspaper about their heart child and experience. Read in our October 2009 newsletter to see what one member wrote!

Bring awareness year round with our wristbands, lanyards, awareness t-shirts, car ribbon magnets, window clings and more. Visit our online store for more ideas.

Whatever you do - let us know and share it with us! Take photos and we'll share in our newsletter or our website!

CONGENITAL HEART FUTURES ACT (CHFA)

On Sunday March 21, 2010, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3590, The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, by a vote of 219-212. The bill included the CHD patient registry and NIH research provisions from the Congenital Heart Futures Act (S. 621/H.R. 1570). President Obama officially enacted the CHFA law with his signature on Sunday. This is a significant milestone towards a CHD registry and increased research in CHD!

Lobby Day was April 22, 2010 and CHD organizations attended to request funding for the CDC registry and NIH CHD research. Little Hearts was a sponsor of Lobby Day and those who attended saw our Awareness Logo on the buses transporting the CHD families!

CONGENITAL HEART DEFECT AWARENESS WEEK - FEBRUARY 7-14, 2010

An international coalition of families, individuals, non-proft organizations, support groups, and health professionals participated in a campaign to increase public awareness of Congenital Heart Defects and Childhood Heart Disease. For additional information about CHD Awareness week participants and activities, please visit www.tchin.org/aware.