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| GRAND OPENING |
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55 W. Wacker Drive, Suite 1100

On May 26th, staff, Board Members, families and friends of Bear Necessities gathered for a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of the new office at 55 W. Wacker Drive, Suite 1100. We are thrilled to finally be here. Feel free to stop by! |
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| ASSURANCE AGENCY OF SCHAUMBURG |
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Assurance Agency, an independent insurance broker located in Schaumburg has a community program called ACT - Assurance Caring Together. Their mission is to become actively involved and develop meaningful partnerships with charitable organizations in their efforts to improve the quality of people's lives. Bear Necessities was chosen again this year as the recipient of funds from this program. Assurance Agency donated a generous $3,000.00 to the Small Miracle Program in March of 2009, which has gone to provide Small Miracles for six children battling cancer.
Thank you Assurance Agency and the ACT team for your support again this year! |
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| COLUMN NAME CHOSEN - AGAIN! |
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Kathleen A. Casey
President/Founder |
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Thank you to everyone for submitting names for Kathleen's column the first time we asked as well as the second!
Due to "It Bears Mentioning" being the name of the Chicago Bears newsletter, we have chosen "Beartween the Lines" which was recently submitted by Kim Montiel
Beartween the Lines
Not a day goes by that we are not inspired by one of the children we serve which only makes Bear Necessities work harder to bring joy and hope into these children's lives while they take this disease on with amazing courage!
While visiting one of our partner hospitals I had the delightful opportunity to meet Amanda, a young cancer patient. She had recently had her leg amputated and was awaiting her prosthesis so she could learn to walk all over again. We chatted for some time and it was wonderful to hear of her future dreams and a big goal to receive her diploma by walking without assistance across the stage. As I left her room that day she yelled after me asking "do you think I get a deal on pedicures now?"
Amanda proudly walked across the stage on the day of her graduation and has gone on to live her life to it's fullest not letting cancer get in her way.
One example of why we do what we do, why our work is not done and why we are so GRATEFUL for your support!!
Warmly,
Kathleen
President/Founder
Follow me on twitter: www.twitter.com/kathleenacasey |
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2009 TEAM BEAR |
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Run with Team Bear
It is not too late to join Team Bear and run for kids with cancer this summer!
If you are already registered, then all you will need to do is commit to raising $600 by the end of October.
Registration for the 2009 Bank of America Chicago Marathon has closed but Team Bear does have charity spots available. If interested, please contact Susan at smura@bearnecessities.org or 312.214.1200 x23.
CARA is the official training group for Team Bear. Training for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon will start on June 13th. The CARA Super Clinic for runners is this Saturday, June 6th. For more information CLICK HERE!
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WELCOME 2009 SUMMER INTERS |
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Robert Bates is 20 years old and attends the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana majoring in Advertising with a minor in Marketing. Robert's favorite activity outside of school and interning with Bear Necessities is music production; he prefers Hip-Hop and R&B.

Christina Rojas is a 19-year-old resident of Wheaton and has joined Bear Necessities as the Program and Services Intern. Christina attends Rice University in Houston, Texas majoring in Hispanic Studies with a minor in Poverty, Justice & Capabilities. She is also Pre-med. Outside of school Christina enjoys volunteering and working with kids at local hospitals and schools.
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Michael Lim is currently a freshman at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts studying Sociology and Economics. Outside of class Michael enjoys participating in on-campus clubs including consulting and Christian
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| SPOTTED! Wearing The Bear |
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Nancy and Dennis Stephans were spotted wearing the Bear at the Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy! |
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| SAVE THE DATE - WHITE SOX OUTING |
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Save the date for a special Bear Necessities/White Sox outing!
White Sox vs. Angels
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
7:11PM U.S. Cellular Field
More details to follow! |
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| BOOKS FROM THE BEAR GRANT |
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Bear Necessities' Auxiliary Board has developed a small scholarship program in which 3 grants for $250 will be provided for textbooks for college bound/in college students who are currently in treatment for any form of childhood cancer or are a childhood cancer survivor.
If you or someone you know is interested in applying, all information will be on our website shortly. Grant deadline is August 1, 2009! |
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| TWEETER |
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If you tweet....

follow Bear Necessities at: http://twitter.com/Bear4kidscancer |
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FUNDRAISING OPPORTUNITIES
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If you are interested in holding an event, here are some ways to get involved and excited about fundraising for the upcoming holiday season or any time into the new year:
- Encourage friends, family, and neighbors to donate online at: http://www.bearnecessities.org/Donate/Index.html in exchange for receiving gifts this holiday season
- Hold a holiday party at your home or work. Everyone bring a dish to pass, donate $5 with the proceeds benefiting BN
- If you own a business or work for a business: donate 10% of your sales for a designated month to BN. This is easy to do and effortless on your part.
- Purchase merchandise at our online store: http://www.bearnecessities.org/Store/Index.html
- Contribute to the needs of the children battling cancer by providing them a Small Miracle. Inquire with Danielle at dvillariswets@bearnecessities.org or 312.214.1200 x25 for more information.
- If your child's school or high school is looking to get involved: Hold a holiday bake sale, purchase an item on the wish list, or contact Kara at knitz@bearnecessities.org for Bearlanthropy information.
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When you purchase flowers and gift baskets online from the FlowerPetal.com website, 12% of the proceeds are sent to Bear Necessities.
CLICK HERE to purchase beautiful flowers for all occassions and benefit Bear Necessities! |
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| VEHICLE DONATION |
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Remember to keep Bear Necessities in mind if you are going to donate your vehicle!
You are eligible for an itemized TAX DEDUCTION of your vehicle's Retail Fair Market Value. The donation service is totally free and includes convenient pick-up of your car, truck, or RV anywhere in the U.S.
Click Here to find out more.
When you purchase flowers and gift baskets online from the FlowerPetal.com website, 12% of the proceeds are sent to Bear Necessities.
CLICK HERE to purchase beautiful flowers for all occassions and benefit Bear Necessities! |
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| LINKED IN |
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Are you Linked In? Join the Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation group through the Linked In networking site: CLICK HERE
Start discussions, share articles, and more! |
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| OFFICE NEEDS |
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We are still in need of a few items. Any assistance you can provide in obtaining or underwriting the costs of the items listed below would be greatly appreciated.
- Office furniture-underwrite cost
- Conference room chairs
Please email Susan at smura@bearnecessities.org or call 312.214.1200 x 23 |
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Please note that the office will be open from 9AM-1PM on Fridays for the summer months.
Please note our new address and contact information. We have moved to:
55 W. Wacker Drive, Ste. 1100
Chicago,IL 60601
Phone: 312.214.1200 (Staff extentions remain the same)
Fax: 312.214.7797
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| VOLUNTEER FOR THE BEAR |
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Small
Miracle Volunteers
We are looking for Small Miracle volunteers
to come into the office once a week to assist
Caroline with the Small Miracle Program.
If you are interested please contact her
at dvillariswets@bearnecessities.org or 312.214.1200
x25.
Hablas Espanol?
Spanish speaking volunteers are need to fill 2 Miracle Maker positions. Please contact Caroline Shields if you are interested in this rewarding opportunity at 312.214.1200 x25 or dvillariswets@bearnecessities.org |
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| THIS WEEK'S SMALL MIRACLE WISH LIST |
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There is a new
way to sponsor Miracles! For those who are
interested in purchasing items for Bear Necessities’
kids; you are invited to check out this list
each week. Bear Necessities will feature 5
Miracles or Family Support Services for donors
to sponsor. It is a great way to get involved
and have a personal connection to the Miracles.
These are all Miracles that kids or families
have requested this week. Your support is
greatly appreciated.
To ensure that only item is purchased,
please call the Bear Necessities office,
before obtaining any items to ensure your
sponsorship Contact Caroline at 312.214-1200
x25 or email at dvillariswets@bearnecessities.org
- $100 Whole Foods gift card
- Cubs tickets
- $50 Target gift card
- Toddler wooden swing for the Adventure Play Sets Pathfinder
- $25 Subway gift card
Please note, if you are interested in purchasing one of the items, you are responsible for buying the item and sending it to the office. All donations will receive proper acknowledgments for tax purposes.
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| "WEAR & SHARE" THE BEAR |
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Show us how
you “Wear the Bear” (tee shirt,
hat, pin, tie, sash, etc.) and submit your
photo to be shared with others on our website.
* Photograph in JPG format
* Text describing where the photo was taken
and people in the photo
Submit photo and text to Susan at smura@bearnecessities.org |
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WEAR THE BEAR MERCHANDISE |
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| Other Important
News from Bear Necessities |
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CORPORATE INVOLVEMENT: Many of you work for companies that have volunteer
grants, matching gift programs, annual giving campaigns
and foundations that will provide grants to charities
like Bear Necessities. Please contact Kathleen if
your company has any of these programs and find
out how easy it is because of your involvement to
make a difference in the life of a child with cancer. |