Gramm Opening

Our friend, Dennis Gramm opened another new Dunkin’ Donuts location this week. The Salvation Army development team and brass band joined the Dunkin’ team for its ribbon cutting ceremony in Bloomington.

In keeping with his now-tradition of charitable giving, Dennis presented us with another $1,000 donation. Lt. Jonathan Fitzgerald received the gift on behalf of our Bloomington corps, pledging to put the money to good use to serve those in need in and around the city of Bloomington. 

Dennis spoke about the partnership saying, “the Army runs on Dunkin’. We are thrilled to support The Salvation Army and the great work they do in the community.”

Thanks to Dennis Gramm and his crew at Dunkin’ Donuts for their continued support of “Doing the Most Good” in Indiana.

A Champion for a Chairman

I know it’s hard to think about December when you haven’t even flipped the calendar to August, but in my world the holidays are quickly approaching and it’s time to start planning Radiothon. Besides, we’re excited to give you a sneak preview of what’s to come.

Radiothon is our three-day, live fundraising event on WIBC 93.1 fm. This year’s event is scheduled for Friday, December 12 – Sunday, December 14. Radiothon is our best opportunity to share with you how your partnership is making a difference in this city. WIBC personalities donate their on-air programming to sharing the stories of the men, women and children whose lives have been touched through the programs you support. Good times, right?

Each year we invite a member of the community to be the “face” of Radiothon. And this year, we’re thrilled to announced that we’re partnering with the Indiana Pacers. We’re privileged to have sports legend and all-around good guy, Quinn Buckner, as our 2008 Radiothon Chair.

Quinn is an IU alum, former Pacer, NBA and NCAA champ and Olympic medalist. He was captain of the 1976 IU NCAA championship team and 1976 gold medal US Olympic basketball team. And he’s one of only 3 people in the history of basketball to win a championship on every level – high school, college, Olympics and the NBA. He’s currently Vice President of Communications for Pacers Sports and Entertainment and is a cable TV Color Analyst. He’s got a heart for the children of Indianapolis, serving on several non-profit boards, so he’s a perfect compliment to what we do for our neighbors in need.

Of course, we couldn’t do what we do without you, so we’ve got some exciting stuff designed with our partners in mind. We’re working with Quinn to put together some neat “experiences” as a thank-you for our title sponsor and phone bank sponsor for this year’s Radiothon. I’m dying to tell you what they are, but it’s not official just yet. Believe me, if you’re a fan of the man or the game, you’ll be thrilled.

So, check back here to get the inside scoop on the details. I promise I’ll tell you first.

Labor of Love

When your family packs up the minivan for Skyconcert this Labor Day weekend – lawn chairs, cooler, sunscreen for the wait ’til fireworks – don’t forget to include a couple of extra dollars to help out a neighbor in need. Advantage Health and 97.1 Hank FM have invited The Salvation Army to partner with them at this year’s Skyconcert on August 30th. Yep, we’re the official charity of one of Indy’s biggest gatherings of the summer!

Although we’re still unpacking from Saturday’s Rally, we’re looking forward to our next opportunity to get out there in the community and share the good work of the men and women who serve others through a labor of love. (Our theme. Catchy, huh?) We’re planning on covering the area with volunteers who will be collecting donations to benefit our Homlessness Bites campaign to end homelessness in Indianapolis. Your dollars and change will make a difference in the lives of some of the 15,000 men, women and children who were without a home last year.

As we get closer to the event, we’ll have more details to share.

Racing in the Rain

Just wanted to thank our sponsors who braved the weather today and came out to race in the rain. We woke up to storms this morning and the outlook was pretty bleak. It wasn’t until after our official start that we were able to get out on the site and set up. We even had to send the guys from KidZone Party Rentals home as the driving rain and lightning wasn’t exactly conducive to inflating a bounce house.

But in spite of the late start and on-and-off rain, we had a good time. Our sponsors made it out and we spent most of the day enjoying the racing. Ridemakerz’ rc cars were a blast. HANK fm’s tunes kept the racers groovin’. The Chick-fil-A crew served up some tasty nuggets and sandwiches and as the sun began to peak through and then beat down, those shakes really hit the spot! Track Attack’s professionalism and hospitality was evident and they kept the racing coming. The teams from Two Men and a Truck, Wal-Mart, Stan’s Signs and Koorsen Fire & Security battled for the top prize – our Victor trophy. And, I’m proud to say that a girl wooped ‘em all!

Thanks for coming out and supporting our campaign to end homelessness in Indy! The funds we raised will allow us to continue to serve the men, women and children in need right here in our city.

Rally to pre-register

Today’s your last chance to get pre-registered for the Red Shield Rally tomorrow. If you’re looking to cut down on time in line, sign up today at HomelessnessBites.org and cut in line! Then you’ll be ready to suit up in real racing gear and hop in a 40-mph go-kart (for $75, including a t-shirt) or race real spec race cars that can speed up to 120-mph ($50 for 5 laps and $75 for 10 laps). Sure you’ll be wearing a helmet so that eliminates the whole wind-in-your-hair-bugs-in-your-teeth stuff, but you’ll still be able to satisfy your need for speed!

In addition to our individual racers, we’re expecting teams from Wal-Mart, Two Men and a Truck, Stan’s Signs, and Koorsen Fire & Security as well as some of the fine folks from Hoosier Glass. And sure, this is all for a great cause (supporting our campaign to end homelessness in Indy) but there are trophies involved, too. You’ll go home with more than bragging rights after this race.

And we’ve got some neat stuff planned for the kids, too. Besides cheering on the racers, for $5 kids can learn about homelessness at our exhibit, use up their energy in the bounce house, pose for photos in a real racer, watch a balloon artist and take away a one-of-a-kind creation, and then customize their own ride body and test drive r/c rides at the Ridemakerz RC Experience.

And, of course, a special thanks to all of our sponsors – Track Attack, Chick-fil-A, Ridemakerz, and Kidzone Party Rentals as well. Ready to race? See you there!

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