tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53535726733790782422024-03-14T00:58:31.337+08:00Michael Jackson Birthday CharityTo commemorate Michael’s birthday on August 29th, fans from all around the world are making a donation to a charity in honour of Michael. In July, fans will vote on which charity to contribute to. In August, we will donate to the chosen charity.Johannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01797511079257338544noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5353572673379078242.post-1724567609050731632014-08-19T04:44:00.000+08:002014-08-23T03:42:26.150+08:00Our charity this year: Saving the Orangutans!Michael’s birthday is coming up soon. Michael would’ve been 56. Earlier this year, I was fortunate to come across a lovely charity that I’m sure Michael would love, and Bubbles would highly approve of! :)<br />
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The <a href="http://orangutan.or.id/" target="_blank">Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation</a> (also known as the BOS Foundation) rescues orangutans that are displaced by farming and habitat destruction, and also apes that were forced to perform in circuses. The BOS Foundation rehabilitates these orangutans before releasing them back into the wild. The foundation’s rehabilitation centres are located in <a href="https://www.google.com.my/maps/place/East+Kalimantan,+Indonesia/@0.996888,116.4310645,7z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x2df14710964d9c91:0xc4abb01d2fe376d7" target="_blank">East Kalimantan</a>, Indonesia, on the island of Borneo.<br />
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The BOS Foundation currently cares for almost 750 orangutans, with the support of 400 staff members. This is never a fixed number because orphaned orangutans arrive very often.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0fLIhhvLCb3oR38rdCLZNlBsJu0gtDzLZjoN99AFkes4wRBgdyE2ku_LQQPq0TUjFxqBUj4gecnXlDIroPiK9JWow9Qhii7QkLVoG4c8qZ04GbCoo2wRC5BMbrrV7vCyS5CTmMh2hrdI/s1600/BOS+Foundation+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0fLIhhvLCb3oR38rdCLZNlBsJu0gtDzLZjoN99AFkes4wRBgdyE2ku_LQQPq0TUjFxqBUj4gecnXlDIroPiK9JWow9Qhii7QkLVoG4c8qZ04GbCoo2wRC5BMbrrV7vCyS5CTmMh2hrdI/s1600/BOS+Foundation+1.JPG" height="250" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Jumbo’s mother was killed. Starving, he wandered into an oil palm plantation to look for food and was caught and kept as a pet.</td></tr>
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Due to habitat destruction (by us humans and our over-consumption), some species of orangutans are now endangered, and some are highly endangered. Orangutans in Indonesia and Malaysia are displaced in great numbers by land clearing for oil palm plantations. The mothers are often killed, leaving the babies orphaned. Read about <a href="http://orangutan.or.id/east-kalimantan-orangutan-reintroduction-and-land-rehabilitation-program-at-samboja-lestari/" target="_blank">how orangutans are rehabilitated and introduced back into the forests</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2vVXfVoBOBg42lmBVFqVkwEkyq9A5zs5cl64qb5FLqWPMGdlKCqYEHdXAbFEgqXt_Phu0TMeKIDRjatk4ECfjEcpa7WjL2OTrzJoBSfKhBBvP4f3x6xYcJBG-vrCu7dUipctQrndIcQw/s1600/BOS+Foundation+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2vVXfVoBOBg42lmBVFqVkwEkyq9A5zs5cl64qb5FLqWPMGdlKCqYEHdXAbFEgqXt_Phu0TMeKIDRjatk4ECfjEcpa7WjL2OTrzJoBSfKhBBvP4f3x6xYcJBG-vrCu7dUipctQrndIcQw/s1600/BOS+Foundation+2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Staff members moving Kent to an acclimatisation enclosure</td></tr>
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The BOS Foundation encourages the protection of Bornean orangutans and their habitat, empowers communities surrounding orangutan habitats, and supports research and education for the conservation of orangutans.<br />
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You can read more about the <a href="http://orangutan.or.id/" target="_blank">Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation at their website</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/BOSFoundation" target="_blank">Follow them on Facebook</a>.<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/opfuk" target="_blank">Follow them on Twitter</a>.<br />
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You might also like to follow this excellent page which has regular updates on orangutan causes and news:<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/FriendsoftheOrangutans" target="_blank">Friends of the Orangutans, Indonesia</a>. (It was through this organisation that I first learned about the BOS Foundation.)<br />
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<u><b>How to donate</b></u><br />
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To support the BOS Foundation in their effort to save orangutans, for US$40, you can <a href="http://adoption.orangutan.or.id/" target="_blank">adopt one of the orangutans</a> for 3 months. Just hover over one of the photos and click "Adopt Now", and proceed from there.<br />
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If you would like to make a regular donation, go to the <a href="http://donation.orangutan.or.id/" target="_blank">BOS Foundation’s donation page</a>.<br />
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1. Fill in your info and choose or fill in the amount you would like to donate.<br />
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2. Fill in your credit card info or log in to Paypal. (For those not paying in USD, you might want to compare exchange rates. If you log in to Paypal, the next page will show you your exchange rate. Paypal had a much lower rate compared to credit cards for me.)<br />
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3. Follow the instructions and complete your donation.<br />
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4. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mjbirthdaycharity" target="_blank">Message me</a> with your donation and receipt number. Done!<br />
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Please follow us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mjbirthdaycharity" target="_blank">Facebook</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/mjbdaycharity" target="_blank">Twitter</a> for updates. Share this post with your MJ friends so that we can carry on Michael’s charitable legacy!<br />
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<i>What about sunrise..<br />What about rain..<br />What about all the things..<br />That you said we were to gain?</i><br />
<i><br />What have we done to the world?<br />Look what we</i><i>’ve done!<br />Did you ever stop to notice<br />This crying Earth, this weeping shore?</i><br />
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<br />Johannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01797511079257338544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5353572673379078242.post-6251371814717777862013-08-30T04:00:00.000+08:002013-08-30T04:03:22.386+08:00Prajwala, India<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlOrfyhAwF6xQhVkHzxRTj2oYw4rapgLTwPkFhda32RovX9R0_058hMTx7KkPNaqUSzTp3wVqNGZQAcexvGtbKuE3tNOhp10QOhUwT_XV3P7VF9mJ2opjupYTDui0mMdrGYUKnNPUndBQ/s1600/prajwala+prevention+programme+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlOrfyhAwF6xQhVkHzxRTj2oYw4rapgLTwPkFhda32RovX9R0_058hMTx7KkPNaqUSzTp3wVqNGZQAcexvGtbKuE3tNOhp10QOhUwT_XV3P7VF9mJ2opjupYTDui0mMdrGYUKnNPUndBQ/s400/prajwala+prevention+programme+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I made a donation to <a href="http://www.prajwalaindia.com/" target="_blank">Prajwala</a>, a charity based in India.<br />
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Prajwala rescues victims of human trafficking, including girls duped or sold into sexual slavery by their impoverished parents. Thousands of young girls from vulnerable circumstances fall into traps of deception by traffickers who promise them a better life. Yearning to escape dire poverty, debt or domestic abuse, these girls—most of whom come from rural villages with no educational background—are easily lured by the prospects of a stable job and the glamour of seemingly prosperous cities. Most girls have no idea they are being trafficked until they reach the brothel where they are sold to a pimp or madam.<br />
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Sex trafficking not only results in a severe violation of human rights but also causes adverse physical, psychological and moral consequences for the victims. All hopes and dreams of a better life are shattered and over time the girls become penniless, mentally broken and affected with serious or life-threatening illnesses such as HIV/AIDS. Today, sex trafficking of women and children is one of the fastest growing areas of national and international criminal activity.<br />
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Prajwala rescues, rehabilites (through providing care and education) and reintegrates children and women rescued from a life of slavery. Some children are repatriated to their own countries. They also carry out community-based prevention programmes. <br />
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Check out their website: <a href="http://www.prajwalaindia.com/">www.prajwalaindia.com</a><br />
Blog (a really good read!): <a href="http://sunithakrishnan.blogspot.com/">sunithakrishnan.blogspot.com</a><br />
To donate, <a href="http://www.prajwalaindia.com/support.html" target="_blank">go here</a>.<br />
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You can also follow their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Prajwala/201410219872533" target="_blank">Facebook page here</a>.<br />
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<br />Johannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01797511079257338544noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5353572673379078242.post-58312381502443658852013-08-29T02:42:00.002+08:002013-08-29T03:37:12.591+08:00Cuore d’Africa, Italy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Morena Cassano</b> from Italy made a donation to <a href="http://www.cuoredafrica.org/en/" target="_blank">Cuore d’Africa</a> (Heart of Africa). This was the charity that we donated to last year. Morena’s donation goes specifically towards <a href="http://www.buonacausa.org/cause/una-stalla-per-il-villaggio-della-speranza" target="_blank">building a barn for the two cows</a> that were donated to their orphanage, the Village of Hope in Machakos, Kenya. The cows will provide fresh milk for the orphans every day.<br />
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Read more about the charity here (<a href="http://mjbirthdaycharity.blogspot.com/2012/08/about-our-chosen-charity-and-how-to.html" target="_blank">our page last year</a>), or at their website: <a href="http://www.cuoredafrica.org/en/">http://www.cuoredafrica.org/en/</a>.<br />
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To donate in memory of Michael, <a href="http://www.cuoredafrica.org/en/?page_id=760" target="_blank">go to their donation page</a> and click on the “Donate via Paypal” box on the right.<br />
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Like their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Associazione-Cuore-dAfrica-Onlus/212031435488106" target="_blank">Facebook page</a> here.<br />
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Thank you, Morena! I hope the orphans get their fresh milk soon!<br />
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P.S. - Fans in Rome, Italy are celebrating Michael’s birthday by unveiling a statue of Michael on the 29th. How I wish I were there! Cuore will be holding a fundraiser there to support their orphans in Kenya, and Morena will be promoting her book, “Michael Jackson: More the Prophet than the Artist: Messages of Love, Harmony and Peace”. All proceeds from the book will go towards Cuore d’Africa. You can <a href="http://www.cuoredafrica.org/en/" target="_blank">read more about the event here</a>. Don’t miss it if you are in Rome!!<br />
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<br />Johannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01797511079257338544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5353572673379078242.post-88062982828172206562013-08-26T02:44:00.001+08:002013-08-29T02:57:20.911+08:00Partners in Health, USA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq1Jars2mmLfp-ddqkolN_jZYiMDyawcjmoiDbjKWh6XvGeNjtQQa95_YxmwuMOCrUXLo9JhQZePFmV2ISZCN_7oacmfb4cnZ-z4MxF-4WO6WWiUDTo22h6e24xzwZ0BnkrT2h6-Xz0gU/s1600/partners+in+health+haiti+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq1Jars2mmLfp-ddqkolN_jZYiMDyawcjmoiDbjKWh6XvGeNjtQQa95_YxmwuMOCrUXLo9JhQZePFmV2ISZCN_7oacmfb4cnZ-z4MxF-4WO6WWiUDTo22h6e24xzwZ0BnkrT2h6-Xz0gU/s1600/partners+in+health+haiti+4.JPG" /></a></div>
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<b>Silvily Thomas</b> from the USA has made a donation to <b><a href="http://www.pih.org/" target="_blank">Partners in Health</a></b>, specifically in aid of <a href="http://www.pih.org/country/haiti" target="_blank">their programme in Haiti</a>. <br />
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“On behalf of the more than 2 million patients we serve in 10 countries around the world, Partners In Health gratefully recognizes a donation in memory of Michael Jackson from Silvily Thomas.<br />
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Partners In Health (PIH) is a global health organization relentlessly committed to improving the health of the poor and marginalized. The dedicated support of our friends and partners enables PIH to save lives in some of the poorest places in the world, while transforming what is possible in global health.<br />
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To learn more about our work, please visit our website: <a href="http://www.pih.org/">http://www.PIH.org</a><br />
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We are honored to be included in the remembrance of Michael Jackson. This gift will help to ensure access to high-quality medical care, while also contributing to the movement to build a more just world for those born into poverty. Please accept our deep appreciation.”<br />
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Thank you, Silvily! :)<br />
<br />To donate in memory of Michael, go to <a href="https://donate.pih.org/page/contribute/donate" target="_blank">their donation page</a> and click on “In memory of” in the third bar down.<br />
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You can also follow <a href="https://twitter.com/PIH" target="_blank">Partners in Health on Twitter</a>.<br />
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<br />Johannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01797511079257338544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5353572673379078242.post-3224029571328299572013-08-24T23:54:00.000+08:002013-08-24T23:54:02.965+08:00Birthday Charity 2013: InstructionsHey everyone!<br />
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We are doing things a little differently this year. Michael’s birthday is coming up and we are going to remember him by carrying on his charitable works.<br />
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This year, everyone shall pick a charity of your own choice! In honour of Michael, we will choose a charity that Michael would’ve supported.<br />
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The charity that you choose should be one similar to Michael’s interests. Here is a list of charities that Michael supported.<br />
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If you don’t already have a favourite charity in mind, the charities that Michael supported are mainly in the following categories:<br />
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• Children’s causes - ophanages, programmes for underprivileged, abused or disabled children<br />
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• Environmental causes, including endangered animals<br />
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• Medical - hospitals and research centres/grants, gifts and trips for sick children, health initiatives and disease prevention in impoverished countries<br />
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• Education - schools, scholarships or educational programmes for poor children<br />
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• Humanitarian causes - feeding the hungry, disaster relief<br />
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You may also choose one of the charities that we have donated to or nominated in the past. (See “Previous posts” on the right.)<br />
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If the charity is registered in the US, you can look up their credentials at www.charitynavigator.org. In other countries, do please check at the website of your respective government’s registries to make sure that the charity exists. You can check their credibility and efficiency (whether they spend donors’ money wisely or waste it) on your tax department’s website, if available. You can get a tax exemption for a donation to a registered charity in your own country.<br />
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Make your donation (by whatever means you prefer), then send me a copy of your receipt. This can be in the form of an email or screenshot. Please <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mjbirthdaycharity" target="_blank">message me on FB</a> or send me an email at <u>mjbirthdaycharity at gmail.com</u>.<br />
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Please also include a paragraph about your chosen charity, where it is and what they do. I will post it here along with your name (you may include a pseudonym if you wish). This way, you can get extra publicity for your chosen charity as well! (I will not post your receipt, that is just for admin purposes.)<br />
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Alrighty then, let’s get to donating! Please share this widely with your friends. Let’s remember Michael in our own ways and continue his work in making the world a better place.<br />
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<i><b>In Our Small Way</b><br />- by Michael Jackson<br /><br />Maybe you and I can’t do great things<br />We may not change the world in one day<br />But we still can change some things today<br />In our small way<br /><br />Empty words are not enough<br />Where there’s hurt, we’ll be a crutch<br />When there’s thirst, we’ll fill each other’s cup<br />Because we care, we love enough to share<br /><br />In despair, we’ll be the hope<br />And the prayer that frees the soul<br />We’ll be there to share each lonely road<br />Because we love, I know<br />We care enough<br /><br />Maybe you and I can’t do great things<br />We may not change the world in one day<br />But we still can change some things today<br />In our small way.</i>
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<br />Johannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01797511079257338544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5353572673379078242.post-82447935011570094342012-09-09T03:32:00.003+08:002012-09-09T17:43:03.173+08:00Thank you!Here is the card that <a href="http://www.cuoredafrica.org/" target="_blank">Cuore</a> sent to Michael’s family. Thank you, MJ fans, for carrying on Michael’s legacy of love!<br />
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We hope that you will continue to support this charity long after Michael’s birthday. Personally, I love this charity the best among all the ones that we’ve done. It is so rare to find a charity where 100% of your money goes to the recipients. Morena and all the people who give their time and energy to work there are true inspirations!<br />
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For those who just came in, we hope that you will consider donating too. Remember to put “In Memory of MJ” in the remarks line, so they will know it is from Michael’s fans. (<a href="http://mjbirthdaycharity.blogspot.com/2012/08/about-our-chosen-charity-and-how-to.html" target="_blank">Detailed instructions</a> below.)<br />
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Please bookmark <a href="http://www.cuoredafrica.org/" target="_blank">Cuore d’Africa's website</a> or join them on their <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Associazione-Cuore-dAfrica-Onlus/212031435488106?ref=pb" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>.<br />
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Also stay in touch with us <i></i>on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/mjbirthdaycharity" target="_blank">Facebook</a> or <a href="http://www.twitter.com/mjbdaycharity" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.<br />
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<br />Johannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01797511079257338544noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5353572673379078242.post-5639491928877890522012-09-09T03:19:00.001+08:002012-09-09T04:01:25.870+08:00And the winner of the T-shirt is....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ePKuOVE-tWIUXAw7qQQWr9KbWypSZ2gGwOKA1pPw2UWUrNbB-yP0a04wmrYDVXXci10_J8jStOnpB1a32bUQ5sS7B3qYyEg7EHdtwIgWFbfERhOxvIK4cAFOzgAL8armtdMdTewe4Rk/s1600/zz+mj+glove.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ePKuOVE-tWIUXAw7qQQWr9KbWypSZ2gGwOKA1pPw2UWUrNbB-yP0a04wmrYDVXXci10_J8jStOnpB1a32bUQ5sS7B3qYyEg7EHdtwIgWFbfERhOxvIK4cAFOzgAL8armtdMdTewe4Rk/s320/zz+mj+glove.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Cuore has randomly picked someone to be the winner of this T-shirt from <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Blingtastic/135983796517970" target="_blank">Blingtastic</a>, but she has generously asked not to receive the T-shirt, and for the total to be donated to charity instead. She also asked to remain anonymous and would only give her name as L.O.V.E.<br />
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So thank you, L.O.V.E., whoever you are—$30 more has been donated in the name of love! :) And that brings our final total to €557.72 ($740.08). <img alt="smile" border="0" src="http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm113/cookiemonsterpics/smilies/smile1.gif" />
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<br />Johannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01797511079257338544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5353572673379078242.post-1146950486244097632012-09-02T18:28:00.002+08:002012-09-09T17:53:00.516+08:00Here is the student you sponsored<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO92DH07F3Vh_LcfU5fP0Bs0PL7jugvBFxVNqyxGpZ_lWculZxrfUedxL0PHiCqwI00RhAK3E6r9TtjcqJOsHsJIA384H1d0igd4J8JVHjXAWXeiX6RLbAqelEoo3_yXkc2gyPLg6lqOs/s1600/cuore+d%27africa+child+catherine+mueni+musau+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO92DH07F3Vh_LcfU5fP0Bs0PL7jugvBFxVNqyxGpZ_lWculZxrfUedxL0PHiCqwI00RhAK3E6r9TtjcqJOsHsJIA384H1d0igd4J8JVHjXAWXeiX6RLbAqelEoo3_yXkc2gyPLg6lqOs/s320/cuore+d%27africa+child+catherine+mueni+musau+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is Catherine Mueni Musau. She was born on July 23, 1991 in Mbusyani, Kenya. She is the eighth child in a family of nine children. She studies at home by herself because she cannot afford to pay school fees and she has never had a sponsor. She finds occasional jobs in order to pay for the exam fees and she takes care of her old mother. Unfortunately, her brothers and sisters have gone away from home because of the difficult situation they had to face, so Catherine is alone with her old mother and she is her only help and support. Despite all these difficulties, she is one of the best students in her course.<br />
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Thanks to Michael Jackson Birthday Charity and all the fans who
donated to Cuore d’Africa Onlus [Heart of Africa Charity], Catherine can attend school for this
year! She attends the fourth and final year of secondary school, and she has finally realized her dream to complete her education.<br />
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P.S.—It is just a coincidence that Cuore d’Africa chose a girl named like Michael’s mother! Pamela, Cuore’s secretary, has chosen the most needy child who had no sponsor and tonight I told her Michael’s mother’s name is also Katherine!! She is very happy about this!!! ~ Morena/Cuore d’Africa<br />
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Addition, Sept 3, 2012:<br />
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I copy here the message that Father Charles wrote. He is our contact in Kenya. He founded the Community of Hope, a Kenyan organization, which then turned into Heart of Children Foundation, that works with Cuore to assist their children in Machakos.<br />
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Father Charles wrote: “We visited the home of Catherine with Pamela and Fabio during their last visit to Kenya. She didn’t even have a bed to sleep on! We really appreciate the assistance given through Cuore d’Africa from all the fans of Michael Jackson. God bless you all. Many girls in Kenya get married prematurely when the situation is so difficult for them, but we thank God that Catherine has been determined to stay with her old grandmother despite all the challenges.” ~Morena/Cuore d’Africa<br />
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<br />Johannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01797511079257338544noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5353572673379078242.post-39110008852448843342012-09-02T03:04:00.002+08:002012-09-09T17:53:33.238+08:00Thank you!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1XmHu7PNKz8ZD2FMxcevDl9b7LKpjUCNcjg2OLDpwOpI0k6UvrLJ3yu6_bHAgKycRKm1IvSB2Uq_lQP4mWm_V5FM7FE05w1drVvMHQ5hXVq8qqW1OrK5Ioi5_jez5tVq1Mk4NZAukpu0/s1600/michael+jackson+blows+a+kiss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1XmHu7PNKz8ZD2FMxcevDl9b7LKpjUCNcjg2OLDpwOpI0k6UvrLJ3yu6_bHAgKycRKm1IvSB2Uq_lQP4mWm_V5FM7FE05w1drVvMHQ5hXVq8qqW1OrK5Ioi5_jez5tVq1Mk4NZAukpu0/s320/michael+jackson+blows+a+kiss.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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I would like to thank everybody who donated to Cuore d’Africa Onlus [Heart of Africa Charity] for this year’s Michael Jackson Birthday Charity event. We have raised €557.72 ($740.08). This money will be used to sponsor a boy or a girl in secondary school for this year. Cuore d’Africa supports 106 children in sponsorship, but some of them have not found a sponsor yet. Their school fees are a cost for this organization, in the sense that we have to postpone other projects in order to allow all the children to have an education that will lead them to live a better life.<br />
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Over the next days, we will post the Thank you card Cuore d’Africa is going to send to Michael’s family and the biography of the chosen child. Your donations have surely made a difference in a child’s life! This is the best way to celebrate Michael’s birthday, by doing what he has always taught all his life long! Thank you everybody! ~Morena/Cuore d’Africa<br />
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We would like to thank from the bottom of our heart all of you who have taken part in this event! We have found many new friends who decided to support our projects in
memory of Michael Jackson and in accordance with his teachings. We accept with great pleasure your generous contributions! Your love honors the man you have celebrated on his birthday. Thank you all! ~Pamela/Cuore d’Africa<br />
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<br />Johannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01797511079257338544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5353572673379078242.post-45117692889535210722012-08-23T03:16:00.000+08:002012-09-09T17:55:32.928+08:00UpdateTotal donations received: <b>€557.72 (US$740)</b> from 28 donors. <a href="http://s294.photobucket.com/albums/mm113/cookiemonsterpics/smilies/?action=view&current=smile1.gif" target="_blank"><img alt="smile" border="0" src="http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm113/cookiemonsterpics/smilies/smile1.gif" /></a><br />
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Donations received as of August 26, 2012: <b>€352.88 (US$452)</b> from 18 donors.<br />
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Donations received as of August 21, 2012: <b>€250.72 (US$315)</b> from 10 donors.<br />
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There was also another donation sent directly to Cuore’s bank account but they have no idea who it is from. Can the donor please send your info (name and country) to the charity? Email them at <u>info at cuoredafrica.org</u>. Thanks!<br />
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<br />Johannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01797511079257338544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5353572673379078242.post-14882084154027490512012-08-18T03:48:00.000+08:002012-09-09T18:06:23.684+08:00About our chosen charity and how to donate<a href="http://www.cuoredafrica.org/" target="_blank">Cuore d’Africa</a> (Heart of Africa) is a small nonprofit organisation based in Pomezia, Italy. They support poor children in two towns in Kenya.<br />
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In the town of Machakos, they are constructing the Village of Hope, which will house two hostels, a canteen, an office and a plot of land for cultivation. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYTLyT8D086s8aN_JiWpEwbbaJAlxWqB1VlseXB97YWzjpZ4avxwPNGGP26BcmYhmz4lfplzzRfN98Xw-eWQx3I-4iZAzWwS8Hdika9gntpYRtWpWYb9RNzjmNDlk6c0Bs8oFj3PH7BIA/s1600/hostel+sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYTLyT8D086s8aN_JiWpEwbbaJAlxWqB1VlseXB97YWzjpZ4avxwPNGGP26BcmYhmz4lfplzzRfN98Xw-eWQx3I-4iZAzWwS8Hdika9gntpYRtWpWYb9RNzjmNDlk6c0Bs8oFj3PH7BIA/s320/hostel+sign.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The first hostel was completed in 2011 and is now home to 26 children. The children who live here are either orphans or abused by adults in their families. At the Village of Hope Children’s Home, they given an education, clothes, school supplies and medical care. More than that, they now have a safe haven and hope for a future. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmlyIXrXHR5TaUmyT5E4R3mX6y1IQSH1MHYFjGoYGrWnlWpuXeJ8F2DLgMSFjoe4VEJSJde0GzmXlRXkNFkLwZD5ZgcyQHHc5Gei30PQIr_g9tSeeLSOBbc6jHHwewMyG1BwBSPxUnJhY/s1600/hostel+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmlyIXrXHR5TaUmyT5E4R3mX6y1IQSH1MHYFjGoYGrWnlWpuXeJ8F2DLgMSFjoe4VEJSJde0GzmXlRXkNFkLwZD5ZgcyQHHc5Gei30PQIr_g9tSeeLSOBbc6jHHwewMyG1BwBSPxUnJhY/s400/hostel+2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDcfmcaE-XljbR4Uv-eaHnAOUzQu7qTy2dxBpOhEZv4XqCy6AFdO4txkkzTflWQGY5S-MPzp9SCyIU5xg1fwc8CO2u272Ccj_ixLtQUwpjP0BL2nlSqvDgD4YXhA_rmBut9LpM54UG90c/s1600/hostel+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDcfmcaE-XljbR4Uv-eaHnAOUzQu7qTy2dxBpOhEZv4XqCy6AFdO4txkkzTflWQGY5S-MPzp9SCyIU5xg1fwc8CO2u272Ccj_ixLtQUwpjP0BL2nlSqvDgD4YXhA_rmBut9LpM54UG90c/s400/hostel+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The inside of the hostel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The village also provides employment to
the local community - a matron for the children, and a guard for the
village. They are now in the process of building the second hostel. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO1dsTzc96TCWlo5VNi4YpHEk_BDhf3hKptXDgeX4ZCKhuLhENTJzsOa2ix9u1K_0ojxZa-kqF9VfE77UHDhxcNVjZxp6oWgiFjZo3EmF0pdpqg32MzDbzZ3rQYj93eotF_zwQ0y6KEGU/s1600/residents.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO1dsTzc96TCWlo5VNi4YpHEk_BDhf3hKptXDgeX4ZCKhuLhENTJzsOa2ix9u1K_0ojxZa-kqF9VfE77UHDhxcNVjZxp6oWgiFjZo3EmF0pdpqg32MzDbzZ3rQYj93eotF_zwQ0y6KEGU/s400/residents.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the children sponsored by Cuore d’Africa</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Cuore d’Africa also sponsors the education of 106 children. In Kenya, all education is private (there is no free education provided by the government). Many children do not go to school simply because they cannot afford it. The children attend different schools. Some go to school daily from their villages and some stay in a boarding school. Cuore pays for their school fees and buys new stationery and clothes for them every year.<br />
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The cost of supporting a child in primary school is €300 ($US370) per
year, and for a child in high school, €500 (US$620) per year. €25-40
(US$30-50) - what we normally spend in a day (or a minute!) - is enough to feed, clothe and educate a child in Kenya for a whole month.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZpv4_culNLLLRTaSFZPhpvvGc5_b5YONzbK3QmQOV9wXZoYACsHqM2nhjV3UFNb1VZWSLtC7MJPQ_-DkWxX7E7R3eNQ2Q_bdhZyAQMQGAJdblXJoIxCxxioLJex1wXuwUKhOtiaw5emA/s1600/kids+going+to+school.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZpv4_culNLLLRTaSFZPhpvvGc5_b5YONzbK3QmQOV9wXZoYACsHqM2nhjV3UFNb1VZWSLtC7MJPQ_-DkWxX7E7R3eNQ2Q_bdhZyAQMQGAJdblXJoIxCxxioLJex1wXuwUKhOtiaw5emA/s400/kids+going+to+school.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the day-school children sponsored by Cuore</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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At the second site, in the village of Makueni, the owner of an Italian textile factory established the Calosci Sewing School, a vocational school that teaches girls how to cut and sew. Up to fifty students take up a sewing course there for two years, which equips them with a skill to support themselves for life.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFEbc9YytZxqYE6PXvgnxqX7t6pZvYJPgvqvl3tm2KC1Jfv98heBL3S3YLEo9STcadHvbV6hLgY1zmULJBOUunnJmO3tFChI8DeT2CPyAUIVjHxRcMM7U6S_Gad-4MfHYqhWGZxd_oScc/s1600/calosci+sewing+school+in+makueni.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFEbc9YytZxqYE6PXvgnxqX7t6pZvYJPgvqvl3tm2KC1Jfv98heBL3S3YLEo9STcadHvbV6hLgY1zmULJBOUunnJmO3tFChI8DeT2CPyAUIVjHxRcMM7U6S_Gad-4MfHYqhWGZxd_oScc/s1600/calosci+sewing+school+in+makueni.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Calosci sewing school in Makueni, Kenya</td></tr>
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Cuore d’Africa pays the tuition fees for ten girls each year, at €340 / US$420 per child per year. When the girls complete their course, Cuore d’Africa provides them with a manual sewing machine (electricity is still scarce in Kenya) and pays the first few months’ rent to help them get them started in their enterprise, so that they can be self-sufficient for life.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFz8CC9yYp_uyAglaCmsQMPAuPk6btWIYxJgNciRm6kjs6bTY1g_TC91mNubsGNclI7UeTe7MMZ07LnYSHrbADH9aUqUS4BOZxOsOgEe6pzYkzEYuhd5kJXMFtn1e7v4Ig6qYW0GFyCm4/s1600/calosci+sewing+school+students+in+their+class.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFz8CC9yYp_uyAglaCmsQMPAuPk6btWIYxJgNciRm6kjs6bTY1g_TC91mNubsGNclI7UeTe7MMZ07LnYSHrbADH9aUqUS4BOZxOsOgEe6pzYkzEYuhd5kJXMFtn1e7v4Ig6qYW0GFyCm4/s1600/calosci+sewing+school+students+in+their+class.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sewing school students in their class</td></tr>
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Everyone who works at Cuore is a volunteer. Morena from the charity explains:<br />
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“We are a very small organization and everyone who can gives his own contribution for free; this is why the entire amount sponsors pay go completely to the sponsored children. When we organize charity dinners, we don't have any expenses. If people pay €25 to take part in the event, then the entire amount is sent to our bank account. This is possible because our secretary is the owner of the restaurant where we serve the dinner. All the personnel is part of the board or member of Cuore d’Africa, so everyone works for free.<br />
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Also other services are given for free—the business consultant, the photographer, the journalist, the web designer and maintainer and so on. When we organize other events, such as theatrical shows, we ask shopkeepers in our town to give us a contribution in order to pay for all the expenses, so we can use all the money coming from tickets for our projects. We are all volunteers and this is our strongest power—minimum expenses and maximum proceeds! It seems it works!”<br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Associazione-Cuore-dAfrica-Onlus/212031435488106?sk=photos" target="_blank">See more pics at Cuore d’Africa’s Facebook page</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.cuoredafrica.org/larrivo-dei-bambini-al-villaggio-della-speranza/?lang=en" target="_blank">Read more about the children who live there.</a><br />
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Cuore d’Africa is a registered non-profit organisation. You can look them up at the <a href="http://www1.agenziaentrate.it/documentazione/finanziaria/domanda+5+per+mille/2012/motore.htm" target="_blank">Italian government’s Revenue Agency</a>. Click on “Cerca per codice fiscale” (Search by tax code) and enter their tax ID number: 97522400585. You will find this: <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVjlFSqJwEJacUFEAwJR-Vl36aYxO15ppn4b4aoKKpVOW9H1ULEGE4xYAShFZH2_TUFCLULZHuj7A994uL4ZjPI7lMjcWH6LK8NUtsLsSTAOELKfUN31Pc1yfMbjCEXyBEJMdQ9ypXF6Y/s1600/tax+registration.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVjlFSqJwEJacUFEAwJR-Vl36aYxO15ppn4b4aoKKpVOW9H1ULEGE4xYAShFZH2_TUFCLULZHuj7A994uL4ZjPI7lMjcWH6LK8NUtsLsSTAOELKfUN31Pc1yfMbjCEXyBEJMdQ9ypXF6Y/s320/tax+registration.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here is their <a href="http://www.cuoredafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/2011.pdf" target="_blank">financial statement from 2011</a> (PDF). As you can see, they are a very small charity. Their average operating cost is only €50,000 (US$62,000) per year, so whatever we can give would certainly make a difference for them. And remember, 100% of your donation goes to the children.<br />
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<b>How to donate</b><br />
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You can donate from any page at <a href="http://www.cuoredafrica.org/" target="_blank">Cuore d’Africa</a>, or you can go to the page that they have set up specially for us: <a href="http://www.cuoredafrica.org/michael-jackson-birthday-charity-per-cuore-dafrica/" target="_blank">MJ Birthday Charity for Cuore d’Africa</a>. (Thank you for the lovely page, Morena!) Click on a flag at top right if you need a translation.<br />
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Click on this picture on any of the pages...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAa2byAUm7iu0Dx2W9WlRGKs33VIJjvMSF8Vphon6RITcCvvkJcA4VraMzWQgTFfYG7-wOynNFPVQ1HLjqDnG-3_SFxKzjOV739fSygn7N3yrnaOxx3UktCF3xo6hO2719kInTSIBgN20/s1600/donate+pic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAa2byAUm7iu0Dx2W9WlRGKs33VIJjvMSF8Vphon6RITcCvvkJcA4VraMzWQgTFfYG7-wOynNFPVQ1HLjqDnG-3_SFxKzjOV739fSygn7N3yrnaOxx3UktCF3xo6hO2719kInTSIBgN20/s1600/donate+pic.JPG" /></a></div>
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and it will take you to the donation page. (Click to enlarge.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBC1sbmcBAFIJ0BGd1pTnj78nRmhDYEewEnfsesxYQHvL4UmQim68_JYUCSReMf4y3sJb8_8cPv4BY5U8Th5TUBzlbS33DoIrZhChbQw1zEUfiVBVgyl4_Wkdq_1NYExDEw5S4d-9w1s0/s1600/donation+page.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBC1sbmcBAFIJ0BGd1pTnj78nRmhDYEewEnfsesxYQHvL4UmQim68_JYUCSReMf4y3sJb8_8cPv4BY5U8Th5TUBzlbS33DoIrZhChbQw1zEUfiVBVgyl4_Wkdq_1NYExDEw5S4d-9w1s0/s400/donation+page.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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1. In the space for “Purpose”, type “MJ”. To the right, enter the amount you want to donate (in Euros) and click the yellow button to update.<br />
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If you don’t have a Paypal account and want to pay by credit card, go to Number 2 and select your country from the list. The rest of the instructions will change to the language used in your country.<br />
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If you have a Paypal account, go to Number 3, sign in and proceed from there.<br />
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When you are done, you will come to this confirmation page:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjQlUcRvwmwwQBCbGuLQs87S8EIQi-jzztrQU3d5mPZ5GfVo9agd4P72oi5DgcGjQ4eboqVyYIdROQQ-ctbeo8vg7Uy6Aagrbxe9soB-6ilYHzgzm0CLfQHPQwqSdPo8nMMO8nXUtFRUg/s1600/receipt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjQlUcRvwmwwQBCbGuLQs87S8EIQi-jzztrQU3d5mPZ5GfVo9agd4P72oi5DgcGjQ4eboqVyYIdROQQ-ctbeo8vg7Uy6Aagrbxe9soB-6ilYHzgzm0CLfQHPQwqSdPo8nMMO8nXUtFRUg/s400/receipt.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The receipt is sent to your email address.<br />
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Fans in Italy can also use the postal current account (922330555) or bank transfer (Iban: IT68N0760103200000092233055).<br />
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At the end of the donation period, the charity will send a card to Michael’s mother and children to inform them of the donation that we have sent in his memory. Michael may no longer be here, but we can carry on his work in his honour. You have until <u><b>August 29, 2012</b></u> to donate.<br />
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And... a gift for you!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ePKuOVE-tWIUXAw7qQQWr9KbWypSZ2gGwOKA1pPw2UWUrNbB-yP0a04wmrYDVXXci10_J8jStOnpB1a32bUQ5sS7B3qYyEg7EHdtwIgWFbfERhOxvIK4cAFOzgAL8armtdMdTewe4Rk/s1600/zz+mj+glove.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ePKuOVE-tWIUXAw7qQQWr9KbWypSZ2gGwOKA1pPw2UWUrNbB-yP0a04wmrYDVXXci10_J8jStOnpB1a32bUQ5sS7B3qYyEg7EHdtwIgWFbfERhOxvIK4cAFOzgAL8armtdMdTewe4Rk/s320/zz+mj+glove.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Anyone who donates €50 or above will be entered into a raffle to
win this MJ T-shirt from <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Blingtastic/135983796517970" target="_blank">Blingtastic</a>, so start donating! :)<br />
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<i>I see the kids in the street<br />With not enough to eat<br />Who am I to be blind<br />Pretending not to see their needs<br /><br />They follow each other<br />On the wind ya know<br />’Cause they got nowhere to go<br />That’s why I want you to know<br /><br />I’m starting with the man in the mirror<br />I’m asking him to change his ways<br />And no message could have been any clearer<br />If you wanna make the world a better place<br />Take a look at yourself and then make a change!</i><br />
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Join us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/mjbirthdaycharity" target="_blank">Facebook</a> or <a href="http://www.twitter.com/mjbdaycharity" target="_blank">Twitter</a> for updates.<br />
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<br />Johannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01797511079257338544noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5353572673379078242.post-22070508329317635572012-08-14T03:26:00.000+08:002012-09-09T18:07:15.155+08:00Our charity for this yearWe have two nominations this year.<br />
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MJ fan Morena Cassano works at <a href="http://www.cuoredafrica.org/" target="_blank">Cuore d’Africa</a> (Heart of Africa) in Italy and nominated this charity last year. Their website was not ready for international donors then, so Morena said she would work on it and I promised I would keep it as one of the charities for this year.<br />
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We also received a suggestion from Pat Peterson for <a href="https://www.fmsc.org/" target="_blank">Feed My Starving Children</a>.<br />
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We only choose one charity from each category as it is unfair to pit similar charities against each other. Since these two charities belong pretty much to the same category, we will save the second suggestion for next year, and this year we will go with <a href="http://www.cuoredafrica.org/" target="_blank">Cuore d’Africa</a>. You can read more about the charity at their website. Click on the row of flags at the top of the page if you need a translation.<br />
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Details and instructions on how to donate coming soon. We will start donating on August 15th. Hope you have set aside some money for this year. :)<br />
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<br />Johannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01797511079257338544noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5353572673379078242.post-2243706676422424022012-08-10T01:34:00.000+08:002012-08-10T01:34:03.894+08:00Nominate a CharityHey everyone! Ready to get going for Michael's birthday this year? We will be donating from August 15th to August 29th, 2012.<br />
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Do you have a charity that you would like to nominate? Is there a charity that you think Michael would be happy for his fans to support? Please let us know!<br />
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Criteria for charities:<br />
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• It must be a cause that Michael was passionate about. (See <a href="http://www.examiner.com/special-needs-kids-in-atlanta/thank-you-michael-jackson-for-your-life-long-charity-work">a list of charities that Michael supported.</a>)<br />
• The charity should benefit people around the world. If not the whole world, then one very poor country.<br />
• The charity must be registered as a non-profit organisation with the government of the country where it is based.<br />
• The charity is not too large (rich) so that our contributions will make a difference.<br />
• They are able to accept online donations from all over the world.<br />
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The charities that Michael supported are mainly in the following categories, so please suggest charities from these areas:<br />
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• Orphanages<br />
• Environmental causes<br />
• Medical - hospital/research/sick children<br />
• Education<br />
• Humanitarian causes - feeding the hungry, natural disasters.<br />
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Please send us your suggestions by <b>August 12, 2012</b>. You can leave a comment below or <a href="http://mjbirthdaycharity.blogspot.com/p/contact_4192.html">contact us here</a>.<br />
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<br />Johannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01797511079257338544noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5353572673379078242.post-84066117995670657692011-09-01T18:00:00.000+08:002011-09-09T15:47:16.655+08:00Thank you!We have received all your info and forwarded it to the charity. Here is the card that they sent to Michael’s children. The picture on the front is one of their favourite photos of the orphans.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEQxJWT5whMZtF17Srn_nC1Tzvfm2KIDFEdZB8_k4p0r1N4D7JONqnoLgEg4HLIBDmfgpqOOnOKC1V4Vgaw7T7J0nMtwIl_rTbZly_EGHH6vHSoglII5dVy8UkP7bge8NnMEKX3qD8zAA/s1600/OL+card+to+michael%2527s+children+1+sml.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEQxJWT5whMZtF17Srn_nC1Tzvfm2KIDFEdZB8_k4p0r1N4D7JONqnoLgEg4HLIBDmfgpqOOnOKC1V4Vgaw7T7J0nMtwIl_rTbZly_EGHH6vHSoglII5dVy8UkP7bge8NnMEKX3qD8zAA/s400/OL+card+to+michael%2527s+children+1+sml.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Front of card</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYoK8YlBqdiWsa56T_ktbvZrVyhe8LPppfbqcggSHuP_pOO1rzL3ZMY_h63Xnv-2fYXZ36Tjee9oufVzT07CxEGWuIwxzQDKZT2PozJ_RQ7ZzIB6F1S7n2WLRJvle8kz68pweC9uoySBU/s1600/OL+card+to+michael%2527s+children+2+sml.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYoK8YlBqdiWsa56T_ktbvZrVyhe8LPppfbqcggSHuP_pOO1rzL3ZMY_h63Xnv-2fYXZ36Tjee9oufVzT07CxEGWuIwxzQDKZT2PozJ_RQ7ZzIB6F1S7n2WLRJvle8kz68pweC9uoySBU/s320/OL+card+to+michael%2527s+children+2+sml.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Inside of card</span></td></tr>
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They have also sent a thank you card to us! This card is from their <a href="http://hopeart.org/">HopeArt</a> collection, which is designed by their orphans.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu53b7qFIghCxn1aBpPeFPzNWmYycBV5F_gER2lixZ9ssOl6pg0qRjleyeDd2ThZhxPq8UKY3QkWopi_SY9PF7sqclAj5DOppLiFsVVB5ycPTH72iWUqO1P0nomMKd1EdjBRur0a6FVVs/s1600/OL+card+to+us+1+sml.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu53b7qFIghCxn1aBpPeFPzNWmYycBV5F_gER2lixZ9ssOl6pg0qRjleyeDd2ThZhxPq8UKY3QkWopi_SY9PF7sqclAj5DOppLiFsVVB5ycPTH72iWUqO1P0nomMKd1EdjBRur0a6FVVs/s320/OL+card+to+us+1+sml.jpg" width="224" /></a></div><br />
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This card comes from <a href="http://orphanslifeline.org/Staff.html">all the wonderful people at Orphan’s Lifeline</a>.<br />
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If you would like to keep a full-sized version of these cards, you can download the PDF file at <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/63791629/Orphan-s-Lifeline-Cards">Scribd.com</a>. (Click 'download' on the grey bar on the right.)<br />
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Many thanks to everyone who donated, supported us and helped to spread the word among your fellow fans and family members. Your contribution will go a long way to help children who have no-one else to care for them. Orphan’s Lifeline’s founder said it best in the card, “Through you, Michael’s love for children lives on.”<br />
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A special mention to BMJ Publishing of Canada - Brenda Jenkyns and Kathy Gerren, the author and illustrator of this beautiful book, have donated a portion of the proceeds in support of our project.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.michaeljacksoneverafter.com/"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijfpDxNa1yCeEMb74PK_VFWS232jXldEvK2358fI4aP2hYKsJsS8-f4hlx3D15l_iMIsTeAtSsxCOpNUUWxr7cTBX2zbZZcaY8QDf1njdG9ik0LHJfHWbzVFU1XX4JeuJvAfnHSRdGIlk/s320/book+ever+after+sml.jpg" width="243" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.michaeljacksoneverafter.com/">MichaelJacksonEverAfter.com</a></div><br />
For every book sold, they donate 20% of the selling price to children’s charities in Michael’s name. If you would like to get a copy of this beautiful picture book, please go to their website above. The book is not sold in bookstores. It makes a wonderful present for children (and adults too!). You can also order a <a href="http://www.imagekind.com/GalleryProfile.aspx?gid=818a49a9-da80-463e-aa90-d0079c3f9366">print or canvas</a> of some of the beautiful artwork to put up on your wall.<br />
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Thank you, Brenda and Kathy, for making such a beautiful book for us to enjoy, and for carrying on Michael’s legacy by supporting charities in his name.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://myjackson.ru/"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxsl9KclxlHYhG71OTrUyibpD2q8Z02nAqP5W6ZFgbelevaxoXVeF31m1r8l25cvy0O5-n5jnrP7kS6oSydnXq65fGbp2BKDsREBgr4U7Ho2hsEDGWLkP9E3I7MOtAi5fAj1xtQFJVc2Y/s1600/logo+mj+ru.JPG" /></a></div><br />
A big thank you to Larisa Krasnoscheck from Moscow, Russia, who donated US$1,000 to Orphan’s Lifeline on behalf of the Russian fan club, <a href="http://myjackson.ru/">Myjackson.ru</a>.<br />
I don't know what to say... just...... <a href="http://s294.photobucket.com/albums/mm113/cookiemonsterpics/smilies/?action=view&current=bowdown4.gif" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm113/cookiemonsterpics/smilies/bowdown4.gif" /></a><br />
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The orphans will know a better future from your kindness.<br />
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The same goes for everyone who donated, including those whose names do not appear in the card.<br />
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And now, for the goodie that we promised you earlier - a print of artist <a href="https://www.facebook.com/#%21/Eliza.L.Lo">Eliza Lo</a>’s beautiful artwork, which goes to one lucky donor who donated $25 or more.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2g7VFBdTOuWpg__0s4SW9iLafCfDJuTeRB9Z1MD2N4bll0g48dXD5pJ4B73zurW_l8HJzCvvh5fvqVH8lnZ2RGgq29ZfQ6MAghGB8RLfd_EMexxzJ0uIOzbHwxNvXnAbY7MaBw9uMlm8/s512/eliza%252527s%252520art.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-s2o1twh9arN3mlUrKtKh0vvLtNfvxubihlyXMaACN0j9FvOuL9KQjO8-C3MGbdRh1AvTTDl9OIlHVWjYXs7uPzvm0Y9N2kfdgV-x6M-QglgJMSW6iHPeeGsuehPmIF6Clu3wtvcW1aE/s200/eliza%252527s%252520art%252520sml.jpg" width="141" /></a></div>The winner was randomly chosen via <a href="http://www.random.org/">Random.org</a>. And the picture goes to... <b>Agnieszka Gocek</b> from Poland! <br />
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Congratulations, Agnieska! Directions are in your email on how to contact the artist.<br />
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If you not the lucky winner but would like a copy of this or other drawings by Eliza, she will soon be publishing a book of her art. Proceeds will benefit children’s charities. You can connect with <a href="https://www.facebook.com/#%21/Eliza.L.Lo">Eliza on Facebook</a> and stay in touch. Thank you, Eliza, for donating a copy of your beautiful artwork for this project!<br />
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Thank you to everyone for your generosity, for carrying on Michael’s legacy, and for keeping his memory alive. It is so heartwarming to see his fans from every corner of the world continue to carry on his spirit to make the world a better place. I hope that together, we can do this for many more years to come.<br />
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If you would like to continue donating to <a href="http://orphanslifeline.org/">Orphan’s Lifeline</a>, you can do so at their regular donation page. Charity does not have to end just because Michael’s birthday is over. You can also continue to write letters to the orphans anytime (details in the post below). They would love to hear from you.<br />
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We hope to see you again - same time, same place next year. :)<br />
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(P.S. - We may be doing a charity art auction in aid of Somalia before the end of the year. We do not have definite plans at the moment, but do please follow us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/mjbirthdaycharity">Facebook</a> or <a href="http://www.twitter.com/mjbdaycharity">Twitter</a> for updates.)<br />
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<i></i>Johannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01797511079257338544noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5353572673379078242.post-32216307496291121272011-08-26T03:54:00.000+08:002011-09-01T01:46:16.802+08:00UpdatesTotal donations received: <b>US$3,608.49</b>. <a href="http://s294.photobucket.com/albums/mm113/cookiemonsterpics/smilies/?action=view&current=smile1.gif" target="_blank"><img alt="smile" border="0" src="http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm113/cookiemonsterpics/smilies/smile1.gif" /></a><br />
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To those who donated via Paypal and live outside the US, the charity said that Paypal did not give them information about which country you're from and it just says "Not in USA". If you would like your country to be represented, please send us the name you used to donate and your country. Leave a comment below or <a href="http://mjbirthdaycharity.blogspot.com/p/contact_4192.html">contact us privately</a>. Thanks!<br />
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Once we send the charity all the required info, they will make the card and we will post it here.<br />
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August 30th: Orphan’s Lifeline is working on creating a card with our names to send to Michael’s children. They are using a card from their <a href="http://www.hopeart.org/">HopeArt</a> collection - cards designed by the orphans. You can buy some of these cards for your own use, instead of buying from the store. There are cards for all occasions and proceeds go towards supporting the orphans. Cards are $1.50 each, with free shipping.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.hopeart.org/" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.hopeart.org/images/img0007.png" xaa="true" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.hopeart.org/">Hope Art Greetings and Gifts</a></div><br />
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August 29th: You can donate through the end of today, wherever you are in the world. The charity will send out a card with your names to Michael’s children first thing on the 30th or when all the cheques have cleared.<br />
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Donations received as of August 25, 2011: <b>US$2,731.00.</b><br />
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Please send in your donations to reach Orphan’s Lifeline by <b><u>August 29th</u></b>. If you are sending a cheque or money order, please allow for time for the cheque to clear.<br />
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We have also just received a request from Orphan’s Lifeline -<br />
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"The children are WAITING for letters, please take a minute of your day and write to them!! Email your letter to <u>orphanhomes@lifelineofhope.org</u>. Our Orphan Aid staff will send your letter to the director of a children’s home who will then read them to the children."<br />
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Please write in English. (It doesn’t matter if it’s not perfect!)<br />
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A letter doesn’t have to be fancy and you don’t have to write a long letter. Tell the children about yourself - they will be so curious! Tell about your family, your pets, your house, your yard. What does it look like? Tell them what you did this weekend - did you work on the house? Go on a hike? Read a book? Watch TV? Visit with family? Describe the event and don’t forget the smallest details: they probably won't have similar experiences, so they wouldn’t be able to imagine it unless you give a lot of details. What about your work? What do you do? What is the name of your best friend? Your children? And of course, send your LOVE, and support!<br />
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Donations received as of August 18, 2011: <b>US$1,342.00.</b><br />
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Donations received as of August 11, 2011: <b>US$916.00.</b><br />
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Donations received as of August 3, 2011: <b>US$695.00.</b><br />
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<i></i>Johannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01797511079257338544noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5353572673379078242.post-31382641781199585332011-07-29T15:57:00.000+08:002011-08-28T16:48:06.789+08:00How to DonateIf you just came in, MJ fans around the world are coming together to send a gift to a children’s charity in honour of Michael on his birthday. We took a vote earlier and the chosen charity is <a href="http://orphanslifeline.org/">Orphan’s Lifeline of Hope International</a>.<br />
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Orphan’s Lifeline supports 20,000 orphaned and abandoned children in Russia, India, Pakistan, Uganda, Kenya, Philippines, Mexico and Haiti (<a href="http://orphanslifeline.org/Countries.html">see pics</a>). They are also just starting to work in Sri Lanka. They provide orphanages with food, clean water, clothing, medical care, educational fees and supplies, and much more.<br />
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Before they started working with the orphanages that they now help, the children were leaving the orphanages at the ages of 15-17 and ending up back on the streets where they became involved in crime, prostitution or gang activities. Many died within a couple of years due to starvation or because they had been murdered. Now the children in their homes are finishing high school and going on to college or trade school, and the circle of abandonment and poverty is being ended in their lives. Some of the children they began helping more than 10 years ago are now studying to become doctors, nurses, teachers, social workers and government workers.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwxJeQAQNKyqowDAhrhsIxy5WOob64p2AyylCrFuSQeBKgERHV-OU_xZyodr_05-remwWWKww9l0vLNeftlssQQax5_H8ONytk7wE6ergesxTGTXXG2z7zgvxXxFkVQSLHMsRZWlsz_q4/s1600/OL+orphans+in+india.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwxJeQAQNKyqowDAhrhsIxy5WOob64p2AyylCrFuSQeBKgERHV-OU_xZyodr_05-remwWWKww9l0vLNeftlssQQax5_H8ONytk7wE6ergesxTGTXXG2z7zgvxXxFkVQSLHMsRZWlsz_q4/s400/OL+orphans+in+india.JPG" t$="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Orphans in India putting on a performance in their new clothes</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>The charity has kindly created a special page for us to donate at. Your donation for Michael’s birthday <i>must</i> go through this page so that it can be added to the total for this project. (Please do not donate from the main page because their regular donation form does not have a space to specify “In Memory Of”.)<br />
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How to donate:<br />
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1. Go to <a href="http://orphanslifeline.org/mjbirthdaycharity.html">http://orphanslifeline.org/mjbirthdaycharity.html</a>. Choose your donation method at the bottom of the page.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjmyOghdm-4UVAWPeFmOj1G9gQJrlqy9IkGHmPmb4H4hG4XPccZOj5l5oiOZe6TS08tr1CNt2NVfTd8OhQqISRq-S8Zj-9UYk6c0iRtMz2QrcOMPQnV-Sa2xh5feAwftt4UJul6V0b2Zk/s1600/OL+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjmyOghdm-4UVAWPeFmOj1G9gQJrlqy9IkGHmPmb4H4hG4XPccZOj5l5oiOZe6TS08tr1CNt2NVfTd8OhQqISRq-S8Zj-9UYk6c0iRtMz2QrcOMPQnV-Sa2xh5feAwftt4UJul6V0b2Zk/s400/OL+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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2. If you choose Credit Card or E-Check, you will be redirected to a secure donation page. Enter your information in the form. Please note that the donation amount should be in US dollars. If you wish to remain anonymous or use another name on the card to be sent to Michael’s children, for example, the name of your group ("Susie and friends"), organisation or company, or family ("the Jones family"), please specify so in the Comments box.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYZA02zL6iqt9QxA15p5UE0jrbcHMlbNsMmfnXGV1R4AwyGE8e460bBPTPIIm8tPE0Gn8qBUquliysoH8rB4hLi05wsIiPVDM1NA_MnAZhvI67f9HRCz8LUsF1G9IcY1qhNycFfSzaA50/s1600/OL+2+credit+card+and+e-check.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYZA02zL6iqt9QxA15p5UE0jrbcHMlbNsMmfnXGV1R4AwyGE8e460bBPTPIIm8tPE0Gn8qBUquliysoH8rB4hLi05wsIiPVDM1NA_MnAZhvI67f9HRCz8LUsF1G9IcY1qhNycFfSzaA50/s400/OL+2+credit+card+and+e-check.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
3. When you are done, click Submit. <span style="color: red;"><b>Very important:</b></span> Please note that this is the final submit button. There is no confirmation page after this, so please look over the information that you have entered and make sure everything is correct. After you click Submit, you will get this thank you message:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO0bSL-kbWMfqBho2AiqUNrhuSP4CVD7cqDf55GIfzmTDfc1m5jUZQyxOmsZIUkbgMzjYofp7bjI5SAhsu5t1I3-k_WJTSRKPYNFCQxtFeYRgY8AP3gMrJaxJJdjZDbXuCQ0H-eJ4pPC0/s1600/OL+3+thank+you.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO0bSL-kbWMfqBho2AiqUNrhuSP4CVD7cqDf55GIfzmTDfc1m5jUZQyxOmsZIUkbgMzjYofp7bjI5SAhsu5t1I3-k_WJTSRKPYNFCQxtFeYRgY8AP3gMrJaxJJdjZDbXuCQ0H-eJ4pPC0/s400/OL+3+thank+you.JPG" t$="true" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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If you cannot or don’t want to donate online, you can donate by mail. You can send a cheque or money order, or charge the amount to your credit card. Choose “Mail My Donation” (3rd button) or “Money Order” (4th button) from the <a href="http://orphanslifeline.org/mjbirthdaycharity.html">main page</a> and you will be taken to the page below. Fill in your information and mail this form along with your cheque or money order to the address at the top of the page. (Cheques and money orders are not recommended for those living outside the US as the fees will be rather high.)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw8_5sjQY7bpuq2aGdcNCMehG6Dpylfb295Mg2KxlXD3wzoW73iW784fcE8TM5Qvj-WEuxH-abw-JMwDsy2ht74iXAAfarByca2n1VvDKQ_BUGgqmIC8-moJBa037tEodBhY7WNSz_Uvw/s1600/OL+3+mail.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw8_5sjQY7bpuq2aGdcNCMehG6Dpylfb295Mg2KxlXD3wzoW73iW784fcE8TM5Qvj-WEuxH-abw-JMwDsy2ht74iXAAfarByca2n1VvDKQ_BUGgqmIC8-moJBa037tEodBhY7WNSz_Uvw/s400/OL+3+mail.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Donate by mail</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Alternately, you can use Paypal. Please note that accounts using a currency other than US Dollars will be charged a small fee in addition to Paypal’s regular fees. Click on “Paypal” (5th button) on the <a href="http://orphanslifeline.org/mjbirthdaycharity.html">main page</a>, and you will be redirected to Paypal’s secure payment site.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYKyyrIbEm43au_fUCiDZaPQaAIY5XyKp6t3M6SZNfD7pmrUqgYOvhjZTsEsc5S6yfGRryYfXap85oTioHvB9vsXZxZgX9MLx_RX8bWlgVGaHxjpPtTlqLDVjIa8W2WHXS6xk3hwan9Qg/s1600/OL+4+paypal.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYKyyrIbEm43au_fUCiDZaPQaAIY5XyKp6t3M6SZNfD7pmrUqgYOvhjZTsEsc5S6yfGRryYfXap85oTioHvB9vsXZxZgX9MLx_RX8bWlgVGaHxjpPtTlqLDVjIa8W2WHXS6xk3hwan9Qg/s400/OL+4+paypal.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
After your transaction is complete, Paypal will email you a record of your transaction.<br />
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For those who sent in your donations online, after your donation has been processed, the charity will send you a receipt at the email address you provided.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLVhgrXpVAUl4rzUiqP1fVBt3Y9Yn-brVCA73uNf9Ttlll-ugULVOzXOIXJ6rRVx5ho4Mtdn6uwn_gcsFkLP77F8EABfD1qlu166mzOeOOYuQmqhl6Y_Z1K5k9tjycLAGDLuCgHUjwBx0/s1600/OL+5+receipt.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="357" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLVhgrXpVAUl4rzUiqP1fVBt3Y9Yn-brVCA73uNf9Ttlll-ugULVOzXOIXJ6rRVx5ho4Mtdn6uwn_gcsFkLP77F8EABfD1qlu166mzOeOOYuQmqhl6Y_Z1K5k9tjycLAGDLuCgHUjwBx0/s400/OL+5+receipt.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <br />
If you are a US resident, your donation is tax-deductible. Please keep your receipt in a safe place.<br />
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That’s it!<br />
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This year, we also have a special treat for everyone. Artist <a href="http://www.facebook.com/Eliza.L.Lo">Eliza Lo</a> has generously donated a beautiful piece of MJ art for our project:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2g7VFBdTOuWpg__0s4SW9iLafCfDJuTeRB9Z1MD2N4bll0g48dXD5pJ4B73zurW_l8HJzCvvh5fvqVH8lnZ2RGgq29ZfQ6MAghGB8RLfd_EMexxzJ0uIOzbHwxNvXnAbY7MaBw9uMlm8/s1600/eliza%2527s+art.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2g7VFBdTOuWpg__0s4SW9iLafCfDJuTeRB9Z1MD2N4bll0g48dXD5pJ4B73zurW_l8HJzCvvh5fvqVH8lnZ2RGgq29ZfQ6MAghGB8RLfd_EMexxzJ0uIOzbHwxNvXnAbY7MaBw9uMlm8/s400/eliza%2527s+art.jpg" t$="true" width="283" /></a></div><br />
Eliza has a whole bunch of beautiful Michael drawings and she is now compiling them into a book and having it published later this year. The proceeds from the sale of the book will be used to help underprivileged children.<br />
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Anyone who donates <b><u>US$25 or more</u></b> will be automatically entered into a lucky draw to win a print of this beautiful drawing. The winner will be randomly chosen by computer and announced at the end of the donation period.<br />
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The charity will give us an update of the total received at the end of every week. We will post updates here and on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/mjbirthdaycharity">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://www.twitter.com/mjbdaycharity">Twitter</a>, so if you are a member at either site, please come join our group!<br />
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The donation period ends <b><u>August 29th</u></b>, so let’s start giving! Please invite your friends and family members to join you, and spread the word to other MJ fans at forums or fan groups that you hang out at.<br />
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After our charity drive is over, Orphan’s Lifeline will send a card to Prince, Paris and Blanket to inform them of our gift for Michael’s birthday. The nice people at the charity are working on making a personalised card for us right now.<br />
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Please donate generously. Make a difference for orphans around the world!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggEhLkdXdPvcPUH6ZRO3yG4EDg_YhSuSiQ2nTvCPByn0AjMv-9gja8tyLmjaG_UbV9AOLGoOA1mjTxR59rw9G42_nehWVEz4faHQsEaHzPD1PiT07xrxxma69wejRV91IPErIdR_WY7_o/s1600/orphanage+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggEhLkdXdPvcPUH6ZRO3yG4EDg_YhSuSiQ2nTvCPByn0AjMv-9gja8tyLmjaG_UbV9AOLGoOA1mjTxR59rw9G42_nehWVEz4faHQsEaHzPD1PiT07xrxxma69wejRV91IPErIdR_WY7_o/s400/orphanage+5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happiness is making others smile :)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Update: Someone asked why Orphan’s Lifeline only has a 3-star rating (out of a possible 4) by <a href="http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=10946">Charity Navigator</a>. This is the reply from their admin:<br />
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<i>“Charity Navigator now has us listed as a 3-star charity. They are implementing new changes to their site, and the new version will most likely restore our 4-star rating.<br />
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As for reasons for the 3-star rating, if you look at our finances, we received four stars for our financial disbursement, but 3 stars for capacity. We used to employ a guy to go to every country to check up on all the homes. As you can imagine, that was quite expensive since he was from the US. After ten years of doing what we did, we decided that we have built great relationships with the directors in each country, so we hired childcare coordinators in place of one man. Because of standards of living, it reduced our costs significantly. We can employ five additional coordinators for half of the price of one man from the US!<br />
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Anyways, when doing so, it lowered our program expense growth, which according to Charity Navigator, must be no less that 6.7%. We grew like 4.7%. So there is a penalty. Secondly, they wish for you to have at least 1 year’s worth of additional operating expenses on hand, which means that they would like us to basically not spend a dime and put away 1.6 million dollars, which when you are responsible for providing food for 20,000 orphans, is really not possible. So we got docked a star until September, when they issue updated ratings under the new system. The way we spend our money is up to their standards, but they also feel they should be able to set standards on how much we grow, which is not in our control, but in the control of generous people like you.”</i><br />
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You can also find Orphan’s Lifeline listed in the <a href="http://www.irs.gov/app/pub-78/search.do?indexOfFirstRow=10&isDescending=false&state=MT&dispatchMethod=search&city=Kalispell&country=USA&nameSearchTypeAll=false&indexOfFirstRow=0&sortColumn=name&names=life+line+of+hope+&resultsPerPage=10&nameSearchTypeStarts=false&deductibility=all">IRS’s registry of charities</a> under their original name, "Life Line of Hope A Non-Profit". See also their <a href="http://www.orphanslifeline.org/irsdeterminationletter.pdf">IRS determination letter</a> (PDF).<br />
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<i></i>Johannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01797511079257338544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5353572673379078242.post-35628673137556672012011-07-25T17:00:00.000+08:002011-07-28T18:28:17.963+08:00The fans have spoken!Here are the results of your vote:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSty4wVN6qnPSPVYV3uc8nmVTIEjLTEJG-_Yrdr5gsdx7ZpWqbvBRdOEy3aMw-b7wLJj7CVqbJ4TA3N7d71EQNE8nSd1vP4fI4pQMcASJ5i8s0jpR9HdWjIjBGJEPvzq9dNMLtPoZmDdQ/s1600/results+2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSty4wVN6qnPSPVYV3uc8nmVTIEjLTEJG-_Yrdr5gsdx7ZpWqbvBRdOEy3aMw-b7wLJj7CVqbJ4TA3N7d71EQNE8nSd1vP4fI4pQMcASJ5i8s0jpR9HdWjIjBGJEPvzq9dNMLtPoZmDdQ/s1600/results+2011.jpg" t$="true" /></a></div><br />
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(You can see the results page <a href="http://poll.pollcode.com/0k4_result?v">here</a>.)<br />
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The chosen charity is <a href="http://www.orphanslifeline.org/">Orphan's Lifeline of Hope International</a>.<br />
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We will post instructions soon. In the meantime, save up your money! <br />
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<i></i>Johannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01797511079257338544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5353572673379078242.post-48876989496168543242011-07-10T18:21:00.000+08:002011-08-22T15:29:22.159+08:00Vote for your favourite charity!Ok, we have narrowed it down to three charities. Phew, that was really tough! All the charities fulfilled these criteria:<br />
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• It is a cause that Michael was passionate about.<br />
• It benefits people around the world.<br />
• It is reputable and uses donations efficiently.<br />
• It is not too large.<br />
• They are able to accept online donations from all over the world.<br />
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Here are the three shortlisted charities (in alphabetical order). All of them are based in the US but operate internationally.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazonconservation.org/"><b>Amazon Conservation Association</b></a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSEaZhYOZNKBdtZcSDLyKxI-glt2kOYRq3jXF7CALAu_TS_gekPKvHdqT1aFIf62VIQzjRcG2jIqzEln5TFPXkRXVgfCE42f4tFcRinllhbbyt0nWqCvXzmna5FnDgLbM2gTYR8zAF8s4/s1600/amazon+conservation+logo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="62px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSEaZhYOZNKBdtZcSDLyKxI-glt2kOYRq3jXF7CALAu_TS_gekPKvHdqT1aFIf62VIQzjRcG2jIqzEln5TFPXkRXVgfCE42f4tFcRinllhbbyt0nWqCvXzmna5FnDgLbM2gTYR8zAF8s4/s200/amazon+conservation+logo.gif" width="180px" /></a></div><a href="http://www.amazonconservation.org/">The Amazon Conservation Association</a> (ACA) comprises of a group of experienced tropical ecologists and conservationists who are working to conserve the biodiversity of the Amazon rainforest. Road construction, logging and large-scale land clearing for agriculture are endangering the health of the rainforest.<br />
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The ACA works in the headwaters of the Amazon basin, where the Amazon forest meets the Andes range in southeastern Peru and northern Bolivia (<a href="http://www.amazonconservation.org/ourwork/index.html">see map</a>). This area has long been recognised as one of the most biologically rich regions on earth - home to 10-15% of all the bird and butterfly species in the world. Here, the Amazon wilderness is still largely intact and extends for thousands of miles without interruption, providing habitat to jaguars, tapirs, giant river otters and many other species facing extinction elsewhere. Protecting the slopes of the eastern Andes provides a safe haven for rare species in times of rapid climate change.<br />
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However, pressure to log and to colonise this region grows daily. The protected areas are weak and, in some cases, exist only on paper. Highways in the Amazon typically lead to widespread deforestation, rampant burning, illegal logging and waves of immigration. Large areas of state-owned habitats remain without protected status and face an uncertain future.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2oxKJgqIkEXSX-pswLZYmg36fn9MQ4QfweYTDONmwK3yQ1GHqyiw8cXXJ7STl52jiM1nveKTeW6o5z2_S-N28hbdHAQYSt7JMRueVZglAfDA4KkIc8t0vqxkosX9ZdOhD7FmSJ7Fr1KU/s1600/amazon+threats+mining.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2oxKJgqIkEXSX-pswLZYmg36fn9MQ4QfweYTDONmwK3yQ1GHqyiw8cXXJ7STl52jiM1nveKTeW6o5z2_S-N28hbdHAQYSt7JMRueVZglAfDA4KkIc8t0vqxkosX9ZdOhD7FmSJ7Fr1KU/s400/amazon+threats+mining.jpg" width="400px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The effects of mining in the rainforest (See the man in white?)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
See more pictures of <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/AmazonConservationAssociation/ACAWebPhotoGalleryThreats?authkey=Gv1sRgCNawvKGIyoePIQ&feat=flashslideshow#5221819588643162178">threats to the Amazon</a>. <br />
<br />
The ACA aims to protect the forest by saving habitats and rare species. To do this, they study the ecosystems by establishing research stations, provide scholarships to university students for conservation studies, develop conservation programmes to protect the land, replant forests, train local people to manage and support their forests, and help local communities to find alternative sustainable livelihoods. The ACA works with local partner organisations to implement their programmes.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVk4fQIQAIqDf10bL6rQEk7dgvJGO6QtglKjEMe1QWQ4uH_DvBGcPhC89fWPYnSxOHwfsVxXiAuFjBe2CHAFWpu_9V4gNE2pJMI6WtVbKVSaB7sSo8ZoN9_3QNRA1tTuStwBy2qTBLnVs/s1600/amazon+reforestation+project+in+sunchubamba%252C+peru.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="273px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVk4fQIQAIqDf10bL6rQEk7dgvJGO6QtglKjEMe1QWQ4uH_DvBGcPhC89fWPYnSxOHwfsVxXiAuFjBe2CHAFWpu_9V4gNE2pJMI6WtVbKVSaB7sSo8ZoN9_3QNRA1tTuStwBy2qTBLnVs/s320/amazon+reforestation+project+in+sunchubamba%252C+peru.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Reforestation project in Sunchubamba, Peru</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5B_6KzNNgMM-OC6MxbqJ8bra_6dX4g0JZLEjpCMpsOhctk7ZqQxNIsmsqu5Vd_KjiHmUxww3Iox2pqLlOSS7xa6Xo3eW8e3ds8hVLyGOS7O3whl4T8Tm2Dmje4Q2oQX_Mz7qq07E_80Q/s1600/amazon+children+education+at+CICRA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5B_6KzNNgMM-OC6MxbqJ8bra_6dX4g0JZLEjpCMpsOhctk7ZqQxNIsmsqu5Vd_KjiHmUxww3Iox2pqLlOSS7xa6Xo3eW8e3ds8hVLyGOS7O3whl4T8Tm2Dmje4Q2oQX_Mz7qq07E_80Q/s400/amazon+children+education+at+CICRA.jpg" width="266px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Schoolchildren on a field trip to the Los Amigos Biological Station (research centre)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">learning about Brazil nuts harvested from the surrounding forest</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Read more about <a href="http://www.amazonconservation.org/ourwork/index.html">their programmes in Peru and Bolivia</a>. (The links on the left have very good information.)<br />
<br />
<i>What have we done to the world?<br />
Look what we</i><i>’</i><i>ve done...<br />
Did you ever stop to notice<br />
The crying Earth, the weeping shores?<br />
What about nature</i><i>’</i><i>s worth?<br />
It’s our planet</i><i>’</i><i>s womb<br />
What about forest trails?<br />
Burnt despite our pleas....<br />
<br />
- Michael Jackson, ‘Earth Song’</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtFQviEqaMQ7G3x8bArMu-tvBgoDqKuKMVb53Sm4gVViPfWRqysL-AA08mXir4443nbeqfnigCBpbbo_lC5kME-RibBgbtTgFqilocE8spMC1zolxKDg4Twu0nsxp8Xa1VJT7Jg-mSLP8/s1600/earth+song+1+edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtFQviEqaMQ7G3x8bArMu-tvBgoDqKuKMVb53Sm4gVViPfWRqysL-AA08mXir4443nbeqfnigCBpbbo_lC5kME-RibBgbtTgFqilocE8spMC1zolxKDg4Twu0nsxp8Xa1VJT7Jg-mSLP8/s320/earth+song+1+edit.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
Go to the <a href="http://www.amazonconservation.org/">Amazon Conservation Association's website</a>.<br />
See their <a href="http://www.amazonconservation.org/about/index.html">annual report (2009)</a>.<br />
See their <a href="http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=7141">charity rating</a>. (See also <a href="http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=35">How does Charity Navigator rate charities?</a>)<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://mycharitywater.org/p/signin">MyCharity: Water</a></b> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.charitywater.org/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="105px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5AFLhUL6jqec16RzBNzqLNHlzkNlK3aWNDGPiuAnGCv9-XZzppmOGa9bu96mkfkPKrZfDdpkew5_lg4jDfmYZJimAHagPzuYF3ko6uFt8Cr2Xkzg1W8UELnyA2zwxUvJlmXHfRfuuTsg/s200/mycharity+water+logo+2.jpg" width="154px" /></a></div><a href="http://mycharitywater.org/p/signin">Charity Water</a> aims to provide clean drinking water for everyone on the planet. Right now, 1 billion people in this world have no access to safe, clean drinking water. Unsanitary water is the main cause of many preventable diseases in poor countries. Charity Water works with <a href="http://www.charitywater.org/projects/partners/">local partner charities</a> to provide technology for clean water like hand-dug wells, drilled wells, rehabilitations (repairing broken or abandoned projects), spring protection, rainwater catchments and BioSand filters.<br />
<br />
Together, they operate in 19 countries around the world: In the Americas - Haiti, Bolivia, Guatemala and Honduras. In Asia - Bangladesh, Cambodia, India and Nepal. In Africa - Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Uganda. Countries were chosen which had limited access to a safe water, high rates of water-related deaths and which had good local partners to carry out the projects. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBNp08ENGDppOk4RB5n__YXp66Xa4_IeJA_ING4WURYx2fOWyQUaSZgngFIja0ZfMWBLw5QCv1NInfkLSwNvDkbUMGY76MYJaXpANA0PDF0WsNg0v9mRQEoNHGsO_mSTvOUqQP7cuqCdo/s1600/mycharity+water+rainwater+project+in+haiti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBNp08ENGDppOk4RB5n__YXp66Xa4_IeJA_ING4WURYx2fOWyQUaSZgngFIja0ZfMWBLw5QCv1NInfkLSwNvDkbUMGY76MYJaXpANA0PDF0WsNg0v9mRQEoNHGsO_mSTvOUqQP7cuqCdo/s400/mycharity+water+rainwater+project+in+haiti.jpg" width="400px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Rainwater project in Haiti</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_PLPWiXlj7BcoxRt_88udD25PZrkoouieQfsVJmyTFlu4VUW0Z-_RjBWIJCdiY3c-ToDv7OCYitDSltxpdOSpcwcGZgUEpuw0v0kvqr4ClCNiXeeXJmOcn7jythfovYGeesK_gDG7DuY/s1600/water+ethiopia+drill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_PLPWiXlj7BcoxRt_88udD25PZrkoouieQfsVJmyTFlu4VUW0Z-_RjBWIJCdiY3c-ToDv7OCYitDSltxpdOSpcwcGZgUEpuw0v0kvqr4ClCNiXeeXJmOcn7jythfovYGeesK_gDG7DuY/s400/water+ethiopia+drill.jpg" width="400px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Drilling a well in Ethiopia</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
100% of your donation goes directly towards water projects - to purchase materials, build the projects and train the locals to maintain them. (A group of private donors have covered the administrative costs. The credit card fee from your donation is also sponsored, so 100% of your donation goes to people in need.) One water project costs about US$5,000 and can serve a community of 250 people.<br />
<br />
Check out their blog for <a href="http://www.charitywater.org/blog/">the latest happenings</a>.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcqQ7teP2m6ulfdGPIBrbqgJ4LGO0_tgXDLghGsgUNbZ9DzeTSm7sjluBiCFE6QF8B4YcSd7KAD6Ysew81J6yxPpNAY8UE-cSg-aWt-73D22FfIh6Lomw1bKSkx_PtMCmb8V1mwHO3BO4/s1600/biosand+filter+in+cambodia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcqQ7teP2m6ulfdGPIBrbqgJ4LGO0_tgXDLghGsgUNbZ9DzeTSm7sjluBiCFE6QF8B4YcSd7KAD6Ysew81J6yxPpNAY8UE-cSg-aWt-73D22FfIh6Lomw1bKSkx_PtMCmb8V1mwHO3BO4/s400/biosand+filter+in+cambodia.jpg" width="400px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Biosand filter in Cambodia</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
If we collect US$5,000, we can sponsor a water project of our own. Each project takes approximately 18 months to complete. When it is completed, you can look it up on <a href="http://www.charitywater.org/projects/map/">Google Maps</a>. You will also receive <a href="http://www.charitywater.org/projects/d2p/example_report.html">a completion report</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUV4TI_RJSbuqRYMXNsmyozdFmWtmx8hJOwOUxigEvKhnMvyUZxodHKhRrAUfr_XUQWmJRjqCqcA0ITKYXSkvOZqogHJ_kOsZVFTGZbCiMBvOSzAIINMFlYFyLDrkdSZ-gWDFhbAcsZvg/s1600/we+are+the+world+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUV4TI_RJSbuqRYMXNsmyozdFmWtmx8hJOwOUxigEvKhnMvyUZxodHKhRrAUfr_XUQWmJRjqCqcA0ITKYXSkvOZqogHJ_kOsZVFTGZbCiMBvOSzAIINMFlYFyLDrkdSZ-gWDFhbAcsZvg/s400/we+are+the+world+4.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><br />
<i>“[Michael] used to say to me, ‘I know I can’t heal the whole world, Mother, but I can at least make a start.’ ”<br />
<br />
- Katherine Jackson</i><br />
<br />
Go to the <a href="http://mycharitywater.org/p/signin">MyCharity: Water website</a>.<br />
See their <a href="http://www.charitywater.org/about/financials.php">financial history (2006-2010)</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.orphanslifeline.org/"><b>Orphan’s Lifeline of Hope International</b></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.orphanslifeline.org/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="107px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcbiktKht2BRbDv6ra7UdJD8kUTvRvltjqsEuWg4B-YBuJm9GCKLHN9w3WspJPtn54VSoYQDdbMkDFYrGylXhzIt8QTca1kHKzAVxXBrheU8wZbASKPcdOsgoHZITeEGuEURiY676WsJE/s200/orphans+lifeline.png" width="200px" /></a><a href="http://www.orphanslifeline.org/">Orphan’s Lifeline of Hope</a>’s first aim is to provide orphan children with what they need most - shelter, adequate food, medical care, love and nurturing. After the children's basic needs are met, they are then given a good primary education, as well as access to counseling and mentoring. Wherever possible, the children are also taught agriculture, animal husbandry, sewing, baking, woodworking and metal working to equip them with additional skills to make the home and community more self-sufficient. When they are older, the children then proceed to higher education, vocational training or enter the workforce based on their individual abilities and achievements.<br />
<br />
In this safe and nurturing environment, the children have an opportunity to grow up to become productive members of society. Their communities also benefit - there are fewer orphan children on the street, there is less crime, the community is involved in caring for its own and the orphanage provides employment opportunities for the locals. Lower crime, better economies and healthy young adults contributing rather than detracting from the world society means that the programs are literally changing the world, one child at a time.<br />
<br />
(<a href="http://www.orphanslifeline.org/About_Us.html">Read more about what this orphanage does</a>.)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwCmd1E2SBF41LhNdW2Ta1Q0XpjezTJ5HrFEK4p9vt0qNDCH3FGSGbF0oFMRntFawbWiYeNNYSvT5_0bkztbOFN4LHwgmoJoarIfYHKV8Mp_KFNqNYK6R7jLiLT8Aj8G9aZNu6h1Y41Sk/s1600/orphans+lifeline+classroom+in+india.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwCmd1E2SBF41LhNdW2Ta1Q0XpjezTJ5HrFEK4p9vt0qNDCH3FGSGbF0oFMRntFawbWiYeNNYSvT5_0bkztbOFN4LHwgmoJoarIfYHKV8Mp_KFNqNYK6R7jLiLT8Aj8G9aZNu6h1Y41Sk/s400/orphans+lifeline+classroom+in+india.png" width="400px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Orphans in India now get a decent education instead of living on the streets</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQybZHtglZ7hVXSZwaoSnrmyYm81QSd66mShzDJmphc2gK7c9G6f-rTc0McsZwyao1lmtdWXdjbU9OPhgbQVKv2UdzSNNaR-qCtKLnSEB8bKllt3Ry6Ahd9cn_PVfQ_CLKq6HXJGs_tRA/s1600/orphans+lifeline+farm+in+russia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="282px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQybZHtglZ7hVXSZwaoSnrmyYm81QSd66mShzDJmphc2gK7c9G6f-rTc0McsZwyao1lmtdWXdjbU9OPhgbQVKv2UdzSNNaR-qCtKLnSEB8bKllt3Ry6Ahd9cn_PVfQ_CLKq6HXJGs_tRA/s400/orphans+lifeline+farm+in+russia.jpg" width="400px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Children in Russia tending to the farm at their orphanage</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Orphan's Lifeline supports orphanages in several of the poorest countries in the world: Haiti, Mexico, Russia, the Phillippines, Pakistan, India, Kenya and Uganda.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN3hH0q85hpdmsQ8REG78VlM2bZTnW19FnmPEKUznJk3ILahFBEsLifuqQQnjnP5FSEpdp66KrFFQGgHG-9bwiR9Qo-4ay6X-X_cq9ui6Izis-LQE4-gs42bv225P1es-Clam0g3N-sHk/s1600/orphanage+in+pakistan+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN3hH0q85hpdmsQ8REG78VlM2bZTnW19FnmPEKUznJk3ILahFBEsLifuqQQnjnP5FSEpdp66KrFFQGgHG-9bwiR9Qo-4ay6X-X_cq9ui6Izis-LQE4-gs42bv225P1es-Clam0g3N-sHk/s400/orphanage+in+pakistan+2.jpg" width="400px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bright smiles and full tummies in Pakistan</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Click here to <a href="http://www.orphanslifeline.org/home_15.html">see photos of all the homes</a> and how your money will be spent. Check out their blog to read stories of <a href="http://orphanslifeline.wordpress.com/">what goes on in these orphanages</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVrqYkfuEVcgxMX1lHq-u4qwC_dRtl8njptPmemcScbs-JzcMk5BrY56JSV9-8Fsw2w6kRI8msoOK-I9pbNBIE97iL6snG-7shTwWpTjYfQmsOhRO3gos4FQx6mEz2zdsp8K2eY0dpU4Y/s1600/orphanage+15+edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="287px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVrqYkfuEVcgxMX1lHq-u4qwC_dRtl8njptPmemcScbs-JzcMk5BrY56JSV9-8Fsw2w6kRI8msoOK-I9pbNBIE97iL6snG-7shTwWpTjYfQmsOhRO3gos4FQx6mEz2zdsp8K2eY0dpU4Y/s400/orphanage+15+edit.jpg" width="400px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Michael giving presents to children at a school for the blind in Thailand, 1996</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<i>“[Michael] had the biggest heart of anybody and really really did care about improving the human condition, especially for children, and that was part of his mission. While he was on tour, he always wanted to know what he could do in each place, so that when he left, he left a place better, having been there.”<br />
<br />
- Kenny Ortega, director of ‘This Is It’</i><br />
<br />
Go to the <a href="http://www.orphanslifeline.org/">Orphan's Lifeline of Hope website</a>.<br />
See their <a href="http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=10946">financial history and charity rating</a>. (See also: <a href="http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=35">How does Charity Navigator rate charities?</a>)<br />
<br />
<br />
These are three chosen charities. Which one would you most like to donate to, in Michael's memory for his birthday?<br />
<br />
Please cast your votes now. (Only one vote per person, please.) Your collective votes will determine which charity we all donate to in August. Voting ends <b>July 25, 2011</b>.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, save up your money and bookmark or follow us (links at top right). Don't forget to check back at the end of the month and donate!<br />
<br />
Cast your vote and share this with your friends!<br />
<br />
<form action="http://poll.pollcode.com/0k4" method="post"><table background="http://pollcode.com/images/bg/blue_stars.gif" bgcolor="#eeeeee" border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" style="width: 320px;"><tbody>
<tr><td colspan="2"><span style="color: #fafafa; font-family: Georgia;"><b>Which charity would you most like to contribute to?</b></span></td></tr>
<tr><td width="5"><input name="answer" type="radio" /></td><td><span style="color: #fafafa; font-family: Georgia;">Amazon Conservation Association</span></td></tr>
<tr><td width="5"><input name="answer" type="radio" /></td><td><span style="color: #fafafa; font-family: Georgia;">MyCharity: Water</span></td></tr>
<tr><td width="5"><input name="answer" type="radio" /></td><td><span style="color: #fafafa; font-family: Georgia;">Orphan’s Lifeline of Hope</span></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"><br />
<center><input type="submit" value="Vote"></center></td></tr>
<tr></tr>
</tbody></table></form><br />
<br />
<i></i>Johannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01797511079257338544noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5353572673379078242.post-89854547462598851082011-07-02T20:20:00.000+08:002011-07-07T02:47:46.054+08:00Thank you for your suggestionsThank you everyone, for your wonderful ideas. We'll have to stop taking suggestions now, otherwise we'd never get a move on! Here's a list of all the charities that are up for consideration:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.2300makeapact.com/">2300 Make A Pact</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk/aids-africa">Aids in Africa (SOS Children)</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazonconservation.org/">Amazon Conservation Association</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.bookaid.org/">Book Aid International</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.cambodianchildrensfund.org/index.php">Cambodian Children’s Fund</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.centerforgreatapes.org/">Center for Great Apes</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.cuoredafrica.org/">Cuore d'Africa (Heart of Africa)</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.healtheworldforchildren.org/">Heal The World For Children</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.orphanslifeline.org/">Orphan’s Lifeline</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.wish.org/">Make-A-Wish Foundation</a><br />
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<a href="http://mycharitywater.org/p/signin">MyCharity: Water</a><br />
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<a href="http://peacewindsamerica.org/">Peace Winds America</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.raysofsunshine.org.uk/">Rays of Sunshine</a><br />
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<a href="http://thewyliedraperfoundation.com/">Wylie Draper Foundation</a><br />
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We will narrow it down to three, then everyone can take a vote on your favourite charity!<br />
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<i></i>Johannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01797511079257338544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5353572673379078242.post-65421763845730540072011-06-23T17:54:00.000+08:002011-07-01T16:08:39.899+08:00Got suggestions?Do you have a charity you would like to suggest? Is there a charity close to your heart that you think fans should support? Please share your ideas with us!<br />
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Criteria for charities:<br />
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• It must be a cause that Michael was passionate about. (See <a href="http://www.examiner.com/special-needs-kids-in-atlanta/thank-you-michael-jackson-for-your-life-long-charity-work">a list of charities that Michael supported.</a>)<br />
• The charity should preferably benefit people around the world.<br />
• The charity must be reputable and uses donations efficiently.<br />
• The charity is not too large so that our contribution will make a difference.<br />
• They are able to accept online donations from all over the world.<br />
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The charities that Michael supported are mainly in the following categories, so please suggest charities from these areas:<br />
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• Orphanages<br />
• Environmental causes<br />
• Medical - hospital/research/sick children<br />
• Education<br />
• Humanitarian causes - feeding the hungry, natural disasters<br />
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Please send us your suggestions by <b>June 30, 2011</b>. You can leave a comment below or <a href="http://mjbirthdaycharity.blogspot.com/p/contact_4192.html">contact us here</a>.<br />
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<i></i>Johannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01797511079257338544noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5353572673379078242.post-71702499656699506482011-05-10T23:45:00.000+08:002011-07-02T20:29:13.693+08:00Sign up!We'll be doing the same thing for Michael's birthday again this year. We will start soon after the anniversary, so bookmark this page, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or via email to stay up to date! (Links are on the right.)<br />
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Invite all your MJ friends!<br />
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<i></i>Johannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01797511079257338544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5353572673379078242.post-8361894091330426922011-01-01T03:36:00.000+08:002011-08-22T02:44:18.841+08:00CURE has added Michael’s name to the list of people that they have received donations in memory of:<br />
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<a href="http://www.curechildhoodcancer.org/donors/donations-in-memory/">http://www.curechildhoodcancer.org/donors/donations-in-memory/</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmNbTPCG3ZRV9jcHFVk8UW8SI9AD0faMmHZqTKNIawEZmvtuMCCZO9tOFLU8jYPQoYzGwwEipKP9_KnOiXO7oI2JF9EeIeehGLy_V34f_9WDWuHjx_RcMi1OValg5lDyk94AmQ1ZmL7OA/s1600/cure+donations+in+memory.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmNbTPCG3ZRV9jcHFVk8UW8SI9AD0faMmHZqTKNIawEZmvtuMCCZO9tOFLU8jYPQoYzGwwEipKP9_KnOiXO7oI2JF9EeIeehGLy_V34f_9WDWuHjx_RcMi1OValg5lDyk94AmQ1ZmL7OA/s400/cure+donations+in+memory.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<i></i>Johannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01797511079257338544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5353572673379078242.post-38182937623990942092010-09-01T13:18:00.000+08:002011-06-29T17:32:01.327+08:00UpdateAll your gifts are in! Here is the letter that CURE is sending to the family.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6oAt10jejfRveP5KR9nfe6qbQf6dY4BRRZZqNECr-aMQ61JAZKe9PLtaiuOpqoQlGjUeYwhBvFBeL5A_2OC2KHmNplIkNzkHoRS4VFLjav3OVkJfBtIgdli97Rscr066qxdn1XUN6Wuk/s1600/letter.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511631120604985570" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 294px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6oAt10jejfRveP5KR9nfe6qbQf6dY4BRRZZqNECr-aMQ61JAZKe9PLtaiuOpqoQlGjUeYwhBvFBeL5A_2OC2KHmNplIkNzkHoRS4VFLjav3OVkJfBtIgdli97Rscr066qxdn1XUN6Wuk/s400/letter.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />(Click to enlarge.)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Thank you to everyone who participated, and for keeping Michael's memory alive. He would be proud to know that you are all continuing to make the world a better place!<br /><br />P.S. - If you want to continue donating to the charity, you can certainly do so. Just follow the same instructions, and add the name and address of whoever you want the card sent to. Charity does not have to stop just because Michael's birthday is over. Do leave a comment below and let us know if you donated!<br /><br /><br /><i></i>Johannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01797511079257338544noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5353572673379078242.post-65948386729967552212010-08-26T00:19:00.000+08:002011-07-05T01:15:25.624+08:00Matching DonationsGood news from CURE! -<br />
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“<a href="http://www.curechildhoodcancer.org/">CURE Childhood Cancer</a> is thrilled to announce that we have received a challenge from dear friends Tom and Chris Glavine, Michael and Lauren Gearon and John and Ellen Yates, active philanthropists to the organization for many years. On August 16, 2010 Don Campbell, President of the CURE Board of Directors announced the 2010-2011 CURE Challenge to potential new donors and current friends and family. “The CURE Challenge will match <i>dollar for dollar</i> any <i>new gifts</i> and <i>increased gifts</i> from our current friends to the Annual Giving Campaign for this fiscal year. We are very grateful to the Glavines, Gearons and Yates families for their extraordinary commitment to CURE! With friends like these, we are confident that childhood cancers can be cured in our lifetime!”<br />
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How to participate:<br />
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Give a new gift to CURE's Annual Campaign and the gift will be matched dollar for dollar up to $125,000.<br />
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For current donors, give a gift to CURE's Annual Campaign of an amount higher than last year's gift and the increase will be matched dollar for dollar up to $125,000.<br />
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All money raised by the CURE Challenge will support the establishment of the Carlos S. Alvarado, M.D. Pediatric Cancer Research Fund and directed to life-saving pediatric cancer research deemed scientifically promising by CURE's Scientific Advisory Council.”<br />
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Read more about the CURE Challenge <a href="http://www.curechildhoodcancer.org/2010/08/cure-announces-2010-%E2%80%93-2011-cure-challenge/">here</a>.<br />
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This means that if you haven't donated and you donate now, the donors above will match your donation dollar for dollar.<br />
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If you have already donated and you donate again, your gift will also be matched dollar for dollar.<br />
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So start giving, or give again!<br />
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To have your gift matched, on the donation page -<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf-VG2olmSgvyIHiWqeemXR4DTHqhLjcuJWNoo6qfKFFeRby4GYyqZlTlCiFWwEcs0ZMY0bM3BAq6_X9isw8JOmZqq7eYG7hSHOlIpqBCbiTDbW9g51dAW2nHzvauAfQPhSGNv8z1Brlw/s1600/donate+page+1_2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509385731577859426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf-VG2olmSgvyIHiWqeemXR4DTHqhLjcuJWNoo6qfKFFeRby4GYyqZlTlCiFWwEcs0ZMY0bM3BAq6_X9isw8JOmZqq7eYG7hSHOlIpqBCbiTDbW9g51dAW2nHzvauAfQPhSGNv8z1Brlw/s400/donate+page+1_2.jpg" style="float: left; height: 291px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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under "Program Area", choose the first option, "Annual Campaign/CURE Challenge". If you are a first-time donor, detailed instructions are in the post <a href="http://www.mjbirthdaycharity.com/2010/08/birthday-gift-for-michael.html">below</a>.<br />
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We have a few days left to donate. Please make sure you get your donations in by <b>August 29th</b>!<br />
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It’s all for L.O.V.E.!<br />
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<i></i>Johannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01797511079257338544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5353572673379078242.post-4178882052820746612010-08-02T23:52:00.000+08:002011-07-05T01:15:37.227+08:00Birthday Gift for Michael - How to Donate<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimZCvPFWuG9Uqaz975ZsZypDO8Q7tMHrjhsuigwZFB1g0pBKat5fVHJUwzJna7Az6XY8UYxzZS5zhyphenhyphenBu42_TBGo_ojeMeD4c3GThzWhENdUyu4GX_9rRZCRDZ4PJJqjyxzx0u-PqDVriU/s1600/baby+sml.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500861953496362962" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimZCvPFWuG9Uqaz975ZsZypDO8Q7tMHrjhsuigwZFB1g0pBKat5fVHJUwzJna7Az6XY8UYxzZS5zhyphenhyphenBu42_TBGo_ojeMeD4c3GThzWhENdUyu4GX_9rRZCRDZ4PJJqjyxzx0u-PqDVriU/s200/baby+sml.JPG" style="float: left; height: 143px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>Alrighty, we are all set to go!<br />
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If you just came in, MJ fans around the world are coming together to give a gift to a children's charity for Michael's birthday. We are going to honour Michael by remembering him for all the humanitarian work that he had done, and to support one of the causes closest to his heart. (For an explanation, see: <a href="http://www.mjbirthdaycharity.blogspot.com/2010/07/charity-project-for-michaels-birthday.html">Charity Project for Michael's Birthday</a>.)<br />
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<a href="http://www.mjbirthdaycharity.blogspot.com/2010/08/results.html">By popular vote</a>, the charity that you, the fans, have chosen is <a href="http://www.curechildhoodcancer.org/">CURE Childhood Cancer</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5olInZ8PXgX47XU5O7nEczUPD9aSwlYFmu1RbGEgg27ExkZQFri2_4DgwlXN9oPDon2BkNWBxOB0RDnMCbbvDz7LN8cLOQNqNh1Nb7TLBoAmS1qihl6GDvbFiC8mCPafpmk0JNIPGRYY/"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5olInZ8PXgX47XU5O7nEczUPD9aSwlYFmu1RbGEgg27ExkZQFri2_4DgwlXN9oPDon2BkNWBxOB0RDnMCbbvDz7LN8cLOQNqNh1Nb7TLBoAmS1qihl6GDvbFiC8mCPafpmk0JNIPGRYY/" style="float: right; height: 200px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 136px;" /></a> <i>“The first time the Jackson 5 did a benefit at a children’s hospital, Michael came home and cried all night at the memory of all those sick children lying in beds, some not even able to move their hands to clap. That is when he became actively involved in communicating with these kids. He corresponds with youngsters his own age in hospitals all over the country. These are not letters dictated to a secretary by a superstar, but letters written in Michael’s own hand during breaks in recording or rehearsing or even in school.”<br />
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- from “The Jackson 5 Really Changed!” article</i><br />
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As an adult, Michael visited sick children in hospitals wherever he went, invited them to spend time at Neverland, quietly gave them cheques for their medical bills, and made countless donations to hospitals and cancer charities around the world.<br />
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Today, we will be donating to CURE Childhood Cancer, to help fund research into finding a cure for children's cancer, and to support those affected by it.<br />
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I highly recommend that you visit CURE's <a href="http://www.curechildhoodcancer.org/">website</a> and read about <a href="http://www.curechildhoodcancer.org/default.asp?contentID=2">what they do</a>. See the <a href="http://www.curechildhoodcancer.org/default.asp?contentID=3">research initiatives</a>, <a href="http://www.curechildhoodcancer.org/default.asp?contentID=4">patient and family support programmes</a> and <a href="http://www.curechildhoodcancer.org/default.asp?contentID=99">educational programmes</a> that your donations will be used for.<br />
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Some fans have asked whether this is a legitimate charity. Before you give any money to anyone claiming to be a (US) charity, check them out on the IRS database first: <a href="http://www.irs.gov/app/pub-78/">IRS search for charities</a>. You will be searching IRS's list of organisations eligible to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions. (Click picture to enlarge.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcWfj8BuFY59h6QVDDyLvzgHczI-8GZdLvcrp63QYTwlLfWG7vHQgS0AzLqQLp_ebnxgaZrq2igLd4yBCBe8_UEVMjcg9q-f_2gJpvam4psrO4hA3ou8EW6kE7PDQBmLrwwJlKJ_6EPEk/s1600/IRS+cancer+charity.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509389518449323666" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcWfj8BuFY59h6QVDDyLvzgHczI-8GZdLvcrp63QYTwlLfWG7vHQgS0AzLqQLp_ebnxgaZrq2igLd4yBCBe8_UEVMjcg9q-f_2gJpvam4psrO4hA3ou8EW6kE7PDQBmLrwwJlKJ_6EPEk/s400/IRS+cancer+charity.jpg" style="float: left; height: 288px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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The charity that we are donating to is "Cure Childhood Cancer Inc., Atlanta, GA, USA". They are registered as a tax-exempt organisation with the IRS, which means that they are a legitimate charity.<br />
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You can also check up on their <a href="http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=5477">charity rating and finances</a> at Charity Navigator. This will tell you whether your donation will be spent responsibly.<br />
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(If you have any other questions or concerns, please post them in the comments form below.)<br />
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Ok then, here are the instructions on how to make a donation.<br />
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Go directly to <a href="https://www.givedirect.org/give/givefrm.asp?CID=2037">the charity's donation page</a>. You can also reach this page by clicking the "Donate" button from <a href="http://www.curechildhoodcancer.org/">the main page</a> or any of their pages.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ghsJMdKHccpQqoVjkQhyphenhyphengx-coKLKcYPBRVJ2Ytokm70y5yJnJHbUhmgOKHCVPEUyzgc4f6jxFzg8IvTrGpRR3tbLvk5NwMfePDxF3Lf7LX9uKKW-Rl_4lIa2TMxh6x2zWFu8X28pfFQ/s1600/donate+page+1.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509388831149892258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ghsJMdKHccpQqoVjkQhyphenhyphengx-coKLKcYPBRVJ2Ytokm70y5yJnJHbUhmgOKHCVPEUyzgc4f6jxFzg8IvTrGpRR3tbLvk5NwMfePDxF3Lf7LX9uKKW-Rl_4lIa2TMxh6x2zWFu8X28pfFQ/s400/donate+page+1.JPG" style="float: left; height: 290px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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1. Be sure to check "My donation is In Honor of someone." If you click "My donation is In Memory of someone", that's ok too. Same thing.<br />
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2. Under Program Area, select the first option, "Annual Campaign/CURE Challenge". This ensures that your gift will be matched dollar for dollar. (Click here to read about the <a href="http://www.curechildhoodcancer.org/2010/08/cure-announces-2010-%E2%80%93-2011-cure-challenge/">CURE Challenge</a>.)<br />
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3. Under "My gift is in honor of", for "Name:", type <b>MJ</b>. This is <i>very important</i> for your donation to be added to the group total for Michael.<br />
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You do not need to enter the information in the other fields. I have made arrangements with the charity to send one card for all of us (instead of hundreds of cards) on the day after our donation period ends (August 29th). The card will state the total amount donated and will be sent to Katherine, Prince, Paris and Blanket Jackson. I have already given them the address, so you don't need to re-enter it on the donation form here.<br />
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Check your details before you click submit.<br />
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Your donation has been submitted and this is your receipt.<br />
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An email will also be sent to you at the address you provided, with a copy of your receipt:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0nlklNXrYUkjps10ap-hoWwINrjsT1ZOpL3OHf-JP3Ymj4SwLaiafyVaTKbtZIx2PE7TuBOS-6uatQeH6eU6VgnPob5lUYzB9f8fnVbdSuXPSXEmHdZRWP2esjpkBYxP2UK4EsqYJA4M/s1600/donate+email.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502327722374926722" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0nlklNXrYUkjps10ap-hoWwINrjsT1ZOpL3OHf-JP3Ymj4SwLaiafyVaTKbtZIx2PE7TuBOS-6uatQeH6eU6VgnPob5lUYzB9f8fnVbdSuXPSXEmHdZRWP2esjpkBYxP2UK4EsqYJA4M/s400/donate+email.JPG" style="float: left; height: 256px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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If you are a US resident, your donation is tax-deductible, so be sure to keep your receipt in a safe place.<br />
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That's it!<br />
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The charity has agreed to give us a total at the end of every week (Friday). I will post updates here and on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/mjbirthdaycharity">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/mjbdaycharity">Twitter</a>, so if you are a member at either site, join the group!<br />
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Please invite your friends and family to join us as well. Spread the word to other MJ fans at the forums or websites that you hang out on. The donation period ends <b>August 29th</b>, so let's start giving!<br />
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<i>... Let us realise<br />
That a change will only come<br />
When we stand together as one<br />
<br />
We are the ones who make a brighter day<br />
So let's start giving<br />
There's a choice we're making<br />
We're saving our own lives<br />
It's true, we'll make a better day<br />
Just you and me....<br />
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</i>Johannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01797511079257338544noreply@blogger.com4