Need a Tax Deduction?

Make a donation to A Giving Spirit Foundation by 11:59 p.m. December 31, 2010 to claim as a charitable giving deduction on your 2010 taxes.


Or, get a jump start on 2011 and make a donation anytime!


Select the Donate button to the left and donate online securely today!


Matching Gift Program
Many corporations allow their employees to increase the value of their donations to charitable and other organizations through a matching gift from the company.  Please consider checking with your employer to see if they have a matching gift program when making your gift to A Giving Spirit Foundation.


A Giving Spirit Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization

Autumn Fest 2010 a Success!

Thanks to all who supported A Giving Spirit Foundations' 2010 Autumn Fest.  It was a beautiful day filled with great music, kids running and laughing, food and fun.  


While the final numbers aren't in yet, it looks like we raised over $12,000!  The money will benefit Mothers facing financial hardships due to debilitating diseases as well as research organizations working toward a cure for ALS.


If you weren't able to support us yesterday, it's not too late to Donate.  Make your tax-deductible donation today!

Matching Gift Program
Many corporations allow their employees to increase the value of their donations to charitable and other organizations through a matching gift from the company.  Please consider checking with your employer to see if they have a matching gift program when making your gift to A Giving Spirit Foundation.


A Giving Spirit Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. 

Autumn Fest 2010 is today!

The weather is beautiful in Davidson, NC today!  Come out for Autumn Fest from 4 - 8 p.m. today!


It's not too late - you can still buy tickets online or at the door.  If you buy online after 1:15 p.m. on Saturday, please bring the payment confirmation email.  


For tickets and more information:  http://agivingspirit.blogspot.com/2010/09/autumn-fest-2010.html


It will be an afternoon of fun for kids and adults!  Bring a chair or blanket, sit back, listen to great music and enjoy an afternoon outdoors with good friends.


Come ready to bid in the Silent Auction!  You could win a weekend at a lovely 3 bedroom cabin with hot tub and gas grill near the Virginia creeper trail, fine art (from jewelry to ceramics and more), meals prepared by Betsy Verhy, closet organizing, interior decorating consultation, a week of summer camp at Woodlawn School, sports tickets (Davidson Wildcats and Panthers), plus a "night out" basket with area restaurant gift cards and babysitting coupons.  This is a sampling

Autumn Fest 2010!

Please join the Davidson and Charlotte communities on Saturday, October 23 for the 2010 Autumn Fest! 

It will be an afternoon of fun for kids and adults!  Bring a chair or blanket, sit back, listen to great music and enjoy an afternoon outdoors with good friends.

Music will be provided by local favorites Sunday Union and Billy Jones

Kids will have fun throughout the day playing in bouncy houses & slides, face painting, arts & crafts and other games.

Come ready to bid in the Silent Auction!  You could win a weekend at a lovely 3 bedroom cabin with hot tub and gas grill near the Virginia creeper trail, fine art (from jewelry to ceramics and more), meals prepared by Betsy Verhy, closet organizing, interior decorating consultation, a week of summer camp at Woodlawn School, sports tickets (Davidson Wildcats and Panthers), plus a "night out" basket with area restaurant gift cards and babysitting coupons.  This is a sampling!

Outback Steakhouse is generously providing food for the event.

When: 4:00 - 8:00 p.m., Saturday, October 23, 2010
Where:  Westmoreland Farm;  12806 Westmoreland Farm Road, Davidson, NC

Buy Tickets Now!
Family Ticket - $150:  Provides admission to the event for your family.

Single Ticket - $50:  Provides admission to the event for one person.

Buy online securely or mail your check to A Giving Spirit Foundation (address in footer of web site). If purchasing by mail, please include the following information:
Name
Address
Email Address
# of Tickets Purchasing
# of people attending (if buying a Family Ticket)

**you will not be issued a paper ticket - please check in at the event and your name will be on a list if you purchased online or mailed in a check**

This annual event benefits A Giving Spirit Foundation.
This foundation is guided by the vision of Laura Woodall and her family.  Proceeds from the event will go toward awarding financial support to families experiencing adversity in the face of an unforeseen health challenge as well as research organizations working toward a cure for ALS, such as the ALS division of MDA and Project ALS.

An Open Letter

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your support over the years for Laura’s League and A Giving Spirit Foundation.  We thought it important to give you an update as to what we’ve been up to and where we’re going.

Four short years ago, Laura Somerville Woodall was diagnosed with a motor neuron disease which falls under the realm of ALS. Upon hearing this news, most people asked “What’s ALS?” Laura jumped into action with the intent to educate others about Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and raise funds toward a cure. First step? Gather 25 friends and form “Laura’s League” and, in her words, “make some difference in the lives of those living with ALS.” 

The League’s first effort raised over $100,000 for the 2007 MDA Stride N Ride.  The original goal was just $25,000 but we found out what could happen when the group banded together and reached out to our generous networks of friends and family.  This made the Woodalls realize that much more could be done to support the tens of thousands living with ALS and other debilitating diseases.

With that thought in mind, and under the leadership of Jim Strodel and Chris Bryant, A Giving Spirit Foundation (AGSF) was formed in October 2008 to help others experiencing adversity in the face of an unforeseen health challenge.  Money raised by AGSF will go toward awarding financial support and assistance to needy and deserving individuals and families suffering from a debilitating disease.  We also plan to continue to support research organizations working toward a cure for ALS, such as the ALS division of MDA and Project ALS.

Since formed, AGSF has awarded over $11,000 in grants to individuals and research organizations.  Nancy Brown of Davidson, NC received a grant earlier this year to help her family of six in the midst of financial issues brought on by three devastating diagnoses .  In 1998 her daughter was born with spinabifida.  Her husband was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2004.  Several years later, Nancy was diagnosed with breast cancer.    

“We've always managed to keep up with, if not ahead of, our medical issues until this last event,” Nancy explains. “A Giving Spirit Foundation reached out to us at a time that couldn't have been more perfect.  We were hard pressed to make the mortgage after a few months and didn't know where to turn for help.  That gift relieved the stress we were under and gave us breathing room to figure out the finances, to locate help. It may not have seemed like much, but when your choices are deciding whether to move or how to afford to feed a family of 6 on $100 a month, it was priceless.”

Nancy’s story exemplifies why AGSF works hard to raise funds and provide grants to families in their time of need. If you know of any family experiencing financial difficulties due to a debilitating disease, please contact us and request a grant application.

AGSF has spent much of the last two years organizing and sorting out the

details of starting a non-profit. We’re energized and ready to move forward in our fight against ALS.  We’re focused on fulfilling the mission of raising awareness of this disease, helping fund research for a cure and helping others facing long term health adversities by awarding financial support to qualified grant applicants. 

All the while, we pledge to never lose sight of the guiding vision of Laura Woodall. She and her family provide daily inspiration to all who witness their courage and hope as they face a life with ALS.

Thank you again for your past support and we hope you will continue to support us in whatever manner you choose. 

Sincerely,

The AGSF Board of Trustees

P.S.  Did you know that you can donate at any time by going to www.agivingspirit.org?  Click on the gold Donate button in the upper left corner to donate securely.  Or, send a check made out to A Giving Spirit Foundation to the address above.

Save the Date:

AGSF’s annual fundraiser

will be held on

Saturday, Oct. 23^rd.  

Thanks to the ALS Association for spearheading this effort.  Please join them in helping make the Senate understand why funding is imperative toward finding a cure for ALS.

Advocate for a Treatment this August

As Congress heads home for their summer recess (mid-August to mid-September), we need your help to double funding for the ALS Research Program (ALSRP) at the Department of Defense. This vital program is specifically designed to find a treatment for ALS.

The House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee recently voted to increase funding for the ALSRP to $10 million, a more than 30% increase over last year! While this is great news, much more must be done. Last year's funding of $7.5 million is expected to only fund four projects. And that’s why we need your help. We want the Senate to double funding to $15 million for the program when they return to Washington in September.

In order to accomplish this goal, ALS Association Chapters and advocates across the country are meeting with Senators throughout the recess to build support for the ALSRP. But your Senators need to hear from you! In fact, your outreach will send a loud and clear message to Senators that people with ALS all over the state need a treatment today. That we don’t have time to wait. That more funding is needed!

Please visit the Advocacy Action Center of our website (http://capwiz.com/alsa/home/) and urge your Senators to provide $15 million for the ALSRP in 2011. And contact them today. While the recess begins this week and will continue until mid-September, don’t wait to email your Senators. Contact them today and help find a treatment and cure for ALS!

Catalina Channel Swim for ALS

On August 5th, three brave people will swim 21 miles across the Catalina Channel in California.  Why?  To raise funds and awareness for ALS.   Please support the team and Project ALS by visiting the crowdrise page:


Cliff says: "Help propel us across the Catalina Channel by donating to the fight against ALS."

It's a good day to support AGSF!

 

Approximately 14 cases of ALS are diagnosed each day. Most who develop the disease are between 40 and 70 yrs of age. The average expected survival time for those suffering from ALS is 3 to 5 yrs.

Any day is a good day to give a donation to A Giving Spirit Foundation.  You can donate by credit card using our secure site by clicking the Donate button in the upper left corner.  Or, mail a check to:

A Giving Spirit Foundation

PO Box 494

Davidson, NC  28036


Matching Gift Program
Many corporations allow their employees to increase the value of their donations to charitable and other organizations through a matching gift from the company.  Please consider checking with your employer to see if they have a matching gift program when making your gift to A Giving Spirit Foundation.


A Giving Spirit Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. 

May is ALS Awareness Month

If you ask someone if they know anything about ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), most will ask if that's the disease Lou Gehrig had.  The answer is Yes, but there's much more to know about this disease:

• Approximately every 90 minutes, ALS  claims the life of one American.
• 5600 people in the US are diagnosed with ALS each year.
• ALS affects 2 per 10,000 people.
• As many as 30,000 Americans may have the disease at any given time.
• ALS occurs throughout the world, with no racial, ethnic or socioeconomic boundaries.

To learn more about how ALS affects people just like you, read "ALS - Anyone's Life Story" on www.als-mda.org. 


There are many wonderful organizations fighting for a cure, a few are listed below.  Please, help raise funds and awareness in May or any other month of the year.

• A Giving Spirit Foundation
• ALS division of MDA
• Project ALS
• ALS Association

A Perfect Mother's Day Gift

A Giving Spirit Foundation benefits the families of Mothers experiencing adversity in the face of an unforeseen health challenge and what a better way to honor your Mother on Mother's Day than giving a donation in her name.   


Mother's Day is May 9 - Donate Now!

Upcoming "Walk to Defeat" ALS Events

Spring is here and everyone is looking for reasons to be outside.  What's a better reason than participating in a "Walk to Defeat ALS" in your area?

• The Walk to Defeat ALS^TM is the national signature event of The ALS Association.
• Approximately 150 Walk events are held across the country each year.
• Over $80 million has been raised through the Walk program since its inception in 2000.
• Each year over 120,000 families, businesses and volunteers participate in Walk events.
• Walk events fund vital patient services programs and cutting-edge ALS research.
• There is no registration fee to participate in a Walk

We've missed some walks this Spring but it's not too late to join up for those in the Winston-Salem, Wilminton and Charlotte, NC areas:

April 17, 2010:

Click here for details about the Winston-Salem, NC event.

Click here for details about the Wilmington, NC event.

April 24, 2010:

Click here for details about the Charlotte, NC event.

Dick Sanderson Driving 4 Life Golf Tournament - 4.22.10

Golf anyone?  Now's your chance to enjoy a beautiful day playing River Run in Davidson, NC and raise money toward a cure.  One of the finest courses in North Carolina, River Run was designed by former Master's and PGA Champion, Raymond Floyd.

The 6th Annual Dick Sanderson Driving 4 Life Golf Tournament will be held on Thursday, April 22, 2010.

Dick Sanderson was diagnosed with ALS in 2004 and since then, through events like these, almost $500,00 has been raised to support the promising research done at the ALS Therapy Development Institute and to lessen the burden of the ongoing expenses the Sanderson family experiences as a result of the disease.

Driving 4 Life is a multi-million dollar campaign supported by World Golf Hall of Fame Golf Member Tom Watson. Watson's long-time caddie, Bruce Edwards, was diagnosed with ALS in 2003. Edwards succumbed to the disease in 2004. The mission of Driving 4 Life is to find a cure for ALS by funding progressive research. Proceeds from the Dick Sanderson Driving 4 Life sponsorship and participation will benefit the ALS Therapy Development Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

For more information on participating or sponsoring, please visit www.dicksandersondriving4life.org/

Move for ALS - 3600 miles, 2 bikes, 1 cause

Augustin Quancard says it best: "ALS is a terrible disease: no one deserves to suffer it. But with your help I believe we can make a significant impact on the search to find a cure."


That's why events like Move For ALS are so important.  These are just two guys who have decided to make a difference by cycling across the United States while raising money for a cure and awareness of this disease.


The journey starts on May 15 but you don't have to wait until then to show them you support what they're doing.  Go to www.moveforals.com to learn more about them, Tony Judt (the inspiration for the ride) and to lend your support - either moral or monetary.

Thanks for your support!

Thank you to everyone who contacted their Representative to help increase funding for the National ALS Registry. 


According to Kristy Koon with the ALS Association, thanks to your outreach, nearly 40 Representatives signed the letter to the House Appropriations Committee urging them to increase funding for the Registry. That's 10 more Representatives than last year, a year in which Congress increased funding for the Registry by 20%! Your outreach is making a difference!

Please Contact Congress Today: Less Than 48 Hours Remain to Sign Dear Colleague Letter

Thursday, March 18, is the last day your Representative can sign onto the ALS RegistryDear Colleague letter , which requests Congress to continue funding for this vital research program. Please contact your Representative today and ask him/her to sign onto the ALS Registry Dear Colleague letter. You can contact your Representative from our website here: http://capwiz.com/alsa/home/. 

The National ALS Registry is a critical tool in the fight to find what causes ALS and how it can be treated and ultimately cured. And while Congress has funded the Registry in the past, our success this year will depend in large part on the number of Representatives who sign the ALS Registry Dear Colleague.

So please, contact your Representative TODAY and urge him/her to sign the Engel-Terry Dear Colleague letter. Let Congress know that people with ALS, who have no effective treatment option available, can't afford to wait.

Thank you!!

ALS Registry Dear Colleague letter
https://ssl.capwiz.com/alsa/attachments/2_ALS_Registry_Dear_Colleague__FINAL_.pdf

Additional information about the implementation of the National ALS Registry
https://ssl.capwiz.com/alsa/attachments/2_ALS_Registry_Update__March_2010_.pdf 

A Giving Spirit Foundation appreciates your efforts in helping to finding a cure for ALS!

2010 Mario Palumbo ALS Research Gala

There are many amazing organizations around the world whose mission is to find a cure for ALS.  Mario Palumbo ALS Research  is just one of them.

If you're in the Charleston, WV area on Saturday, March 13, we hope you'll attend!



The 2010 Mario Palumbo ALS Research Gala is being held March 13, 2010 at the Berry Hills Country Club in Charleston, WV. This event will include cocktails, hors d’ oeuvres, and both silent and live auction items donated from West Virginia businesses and music entertainment by pianist Bob Thompson.

This year the Mario Palumbo Ethics Award is being presented to Jed Smith. All proceeds from the Mario Palumbo ALS Research Gala will be applied to the funding of research efforts into finding effective treatments and a cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease).

Sponsorship Opportunities:
Title - $10,000
Gold - $5,000
Silver - $3,000
Bronze - $1,500
Individual Tickets - $100

For more information, please call the MDA office at (304) 344-9807.

It's a good day to support AGSF

Approximately 14 cases of ALS are diagnosed each day. Most who develop the disease are between 40 and 70 yrs of age. The average expected survival time for those suffering from ALS is 3 to 5 yrs.

Any day is a good day to give a donation to A Giving Spirit Foundation.  You can donate by credit card using our secure site by clicking the Donate button in the upper right corner.  Or, mail a check to:

A Giving Spirit Foundation

PO Box 494

Davidson, NC  28036