PHILAN- PHILANTHROPY
most; we look forward to supporting this cause in the future, making the world a better place, one child at a time. To underline the importance of this cause we should mention that we were not allowed to publish any photos of the children we took to Disney as there are evident concerns for their safety as some abusive parents are looking to find their children and reproducing their pictures could put them in unnecessary danger.
In 1976, a group of community volunteers in South Florida identified abuse and neglect as one of the worst problems confronting our children. At the time, there were very few solutions for these young victims and so, in 1979, KID was founded. Today they are one of the leading non- profit organisations helping children in distress and providing services to those who suffered from abuse and neglect.
KID is well supported by its community and the staff; in particular the development officer, Mrs. Phyllis Bard, is a truly wonderful person, always ready to work hard and go the extra mile for her cause. KID is sponsored not only by the local state and county but also largely by private individuals and companies.
The team at KID is working hard to attract as much attention as possible for their children and they are succeeding with innovative ideas and events that attract people, funds and attention, all by making a good cause not just worthy but also entertaining. To give you an example: every year KID organizes an event called “Duckfest” - in essence a big party for families with live music and games; the highlight of the event is a five hundred metre river race of 20,000 small rubber ducks. We were told that KID raises up to $100,000 per Duckfest as every single duck in the race can be “adopted” for five Dollars and has a chance to win. In 2009, the first prize was actually a car and so not only is it great fun and a bit of a thrill but also worthwhile. There are several events held each month - in the near future the charity have a KID golf tournament or a five kilometer walk or run (if you are feeling energetic!). Each of these happenings is carefully planned to make charity exciting and entertaining for all of those who attend.
When I took the time to speak with some of the staff members at KID, I spoke to one of the administrators who told me a deeply affecting story. One of the little girls that was taken in by KID was riding in a car with a caretaker and was fairly afraid and bewildered. The caretaker asked her why she was afraid, as there was no apparent reason for her behaviour. The little girl explained that the caretaker’s eyes scared her – I had looked into those eyes too, they were caring, gentle (and blue). The caretaker was curious to find out more as there was nothing wrong or special about her eyes. The
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little girl further explained that in the environment she was forced to live in, she was so scared that she never looked anyone in the eyes and the only eyes she did see were those of her mother and other family members, which were all brown. Her life was so restricted that she couldn’t even look people in the eye and had simply never seen blue eyes before – and that scared her.
The efforts of KID and all other organizations like it around the world is noble and most commendable and we would like to encourage anyone to help to the best of their abilities.
To find out more about how you can help Kids in Distress, simply go to www.kidsindistress.org or call +1 954-390-7654.
THE -ELEVATOR.COM THE -ELEVATOR.COM
ABOVE: CHILIDREN
WROTE THANK YOU LETTERS AND DRAW FANTASTIC PICTURES OF THEIR TIME IN DISNEYWORLD
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