A Year of Charity, Accomplishments, and Fun
Many like to know what Kars for Kids actually does. Here’s a brief outline of the year 2014 for you. It’s exciting to see things that took off, seeing the impact, and recalling lots of memories.
Activities for Kids Back in January it was freezing and even sub-zero weather in many parts of the country. We came up with some fun, creative and even educational activities to do when not in school. Did you ever see a bottle of water freeze with just a tap of a finger?
Kars for Kids Jingle Infamy As always our jingle generates much feedback and we try our best to keep the fun and sometimes crazy conversations going. One jingle fan tweeted that he’d love to make a t-shirt depicting someone hearing the Kars for Kids jingle and proceeding to hang himself. Pretty dramatic huh? Kars4Kids decided to go along with this fun and sent a specially made t-shirt to Nate and we had a very happy camper.
One morning an exasperated yet fun-loving mother of a few little chirpy kids tweeted Kars for Kids that her day started off with a breakfast table competition who can sing the Kars for Kids jingle better or louder. We responded in kind with our own with our puppets! We even threw Jimmie Fallon into that mix as well for a few more laughs.
We were very excited this fall to present our very first TV version of the Kars4Kids commercial on stations across the country.
Charity Work In March Kars4Kids had the opportunity to join together with America Responds with Love in sponsoring pillows and books to Safe Place of Austin, TX. These items will help provide some comfort to children from abusive and traumatic atmospheres.
As the summer came rolling to an end it was time for school preparation. Kars for Kids along with Senator Gustavo Rivera of Bronx, NY distributed free school supplies, uniforms, and backpacks emblazoned with the Kars4Kids logo assisting over a thousand children from all ethnicities for their upcoming academic year.
April Fools Day Kars4Kids joined hundreds of other corporations around the world with a winning April Fools prank. We designed a completely new website along with live customer service and online chat service for anyone to donate their kids! Thousands of people around the country heard with shock when the infamous jingle was changed for the first time in our organization’s history! People took a double take when they actually paused briefly to contemplate the message of the commercial. We had lots of online visitors, callers, and emails from excited fans who had a nice comic respite on a regular work day with all of this April 1st fun.
The message behind this stunt was for parents across all cultures to contemplate the impact that all of the electronic devices have on kids. Attention communicates love, importance, and esteem to each child. Sitting together on the couch, a trip to the grocery store together, or a baseball catch together can be a world of a difference for a child.
Mother’s Day In preparation for Mother’s day Kars for Kids dedicated a campaign to share expressions of love and likeness to one’s mother. A $200 certificate from StubHub was offered as a raffle prize for one winner to be able to take their mom out and spend some time together.
Our referrers One day we were delighted to get a referral from none other than the U.S. Postal Service. One of their clerks saw our large amounts of mail and referred us to someone who expressed a desire to get rid of their car. Even in the upper echelons of the U.S. government as high up as President Obama himself has showed support for Kars for Kids.
Safety for Kids Throughout the spring and summer we feverishly worked round the clock to combat a vital and tragic cause that needed a lot of attention in the United States. That is the unfortunate and tragic recurrence of Forgotten Baby Syndrome by being left behind alone in cars. The Kars4Kids Safety App was designed to provide a free reminder to anyone in childcare to install this free app on their smart phones which will automatically sound an alarm when the car is shut off.
The free app was installed all over and posters and flyers decorated the halls and bulletin boards of childcare centers, pediatric offices, and hospitals across the US.
CelebritiesLate in June we were honored when the famous musician Frankie Muniz decided to donate the van that he used to transport his musical equipment to Kars4Kids! We were very grateful and out came our famous puppets with a clutch little show and expression of gratitude to the celebrity.
During the summer the tragic news that the iconic movie star and comedian Robin Williams passed away. Robin Williams was not only a source of joy to millions of Americans and those all over the world; he was a source of joy and pride to Kars for Kids. In fact he actually performed our jingle on one of his comedy shows on television.
Towards the end of the year Saturday Night Live featured a hysterical mock interview between “Charlie Rose” and two “psychologists” who creatively came up with the various controversial torture techniques employed by the CIA on terrorists. The psychologists were very happy to provide their techniques including those they’ve employed for various companies and even non-profits around the country. The clincher was their live rendition of the infamous Kars for Kids jingle! Kars for Kids loved this and decided to respond in kind with a parody of its own. Boy that was fun.
During the year, 1,500 mentor partnerships worked together on weekly basis whether over the phone, skype, or in person. Over 1,000 kids both boys and girls attended our summer programs in TheZone. Throughout the fall and winter months each weekend at about 40 locations were gatherings of learning, relaxation, mentorship, and fun with over 1,000 children both boys and girls attending. For the children and their families 6,000 holiday packages were sent out 3-4 times over the course of the year. Additionally, there were about 8 various weekend and holiday retreats which had both campers and families in attendance totaling in about 4,500 during the course of year.
All in all Kars4Kids really had a great, successful, and fun year of 2014! We couldn’t have done this without the support of our devoted donors across the United States. The importance of education, graduation, and emotional health resonates throughout our dialogue with our various donors. We hope that this coming year 2015 will be an even more successful year, with more graduations, more kids learning well, and of course lots of health, happiness, and fun for us all!
