Caitlin's Smiles - Giving sick children laughs, hopes and smiles.

A Note From Cheryl

Happy New Year! 2010 was another truly special year for Caitlin’s Smiles. We have been blessed with wonderful volunteers and events throughout the year! It would take a book to highlight it, but we’ll try to hit a few key points.

Our office volunteers have done a fantastic job at handling phones, assembling bags, filling hospital orders, getting kits ready for groups to assemble, giving tours, bookkeeping and anything else we throw at them. We keep our board members very busy with the budget, grants, special events, fundraising and speaking engagements.

One corporate member, Pavone, has been great with our advertising, special seasonal logos and marketing. Not to mention, we love the monthly e-Blasts they help us with.

Our craft leaders are there for everything! They work with groups on evenings and weekends explaining the Caitlin’s Smiles program and then directing them on whatever project the hospitals need – making cards, decorating bags for filling or putting craft kits together.

Our technology volunteers have been very busy working on our website, Facebook, Twitter, eBay, and YouTube. We have a new video in the works that should be finished in a few weeks.

A special thanks to all our groups for their help throughout the year in keeping us stocked up with craft kits ready to go to hospitals. We usually have 30 to 40 different craft kits in stock for all age groups. Businesses such as Highmark, United Concordia, Deloitte and Kohl’s regularly support our cause. The Capital Area Intermediate Unit, Harrisburg High School Life Skills Class, Central Dauphin East High School Job Skill program, Loysville Youth Detention Center, Keystone Family Services, Dauphin County Youth Probation program, church groups and Girl Scout troops have been regular visitors throughout the year. A special thanks to both the PA Key Clubs and Aktion Clubs for choosing us as their service project this year!

Thanks to all our special events helpers and planners. In 2010, we held spaghetti dinners and square dances, amusement park fundraisers, Highmark Walk, October Saturday Smiles at the Harrisburg Mall (PSECU was our partner), craft drives at Delaware Valley Regional Women’s Collegiate Hockey All-Star game at Hershey, book drives at Borders bookstores, craft drives at Wolf’s Furniture stores, craft drives and fundraisers at daycares and churches, Doh drives (PlayDoh or Dough $) at schools and events, smiles contests, Fajita Fest and concerts (our Dayton, Ohio volunteers), card making and fundraisers at Wendy’s and Bob Evans and many, many more! A special thanks to the Foresters International – Susquehanna Branch for sponsoring several of our events!

A special thanks to those families and offices who made charity donations in lieu of holiday gifts, to children who collected craft items instead of receiving birthday presents, to the brides and grooms who asked friends and family to donate crafts supplies on their special day, and to friends who chose Caitlin’s Smiles to honor their loved ones. You’ve put smiles on the faces of thousands of children in hospitals.

We’ve got an exciting calendar planned for 2011 and several other projects in the works! We’ve included some of the events scheduled for this year. Be sure to check the website for up-to-date information.

• Chuck E. Cheese’s fundraiser with Miss Pennsylvania Teen, Katye Trexler – February 15 (Harrisburg)
• Craft Drive on April 10th at Giant Center with the Delaware Valley Collegiate Women’s Hockey Allstar Game (Hershey)
• Crazy Olympics at Reading Area Community College on April 15 (Reading)
• Spaghetti dinner & square dance – April 30th (Dauphin)
• Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community – Caitlin’s Smiles team on May 21 (Harrisburg)
• Knoebel’s Grove Amusement Park Fundraiser – August 13 (Elysburg)
• Monthly Craft Assembly Nights and Days at Smiles Central (Harrisburg)
• Key Clubs and Aktion Clubs in your community as they support Caitlin’s Smiles!

Caitlin’s Smiles exists because of you! Every coloring book, set of markers, bag of pony beads or dollar donated puts smiles on the faces of children in the hospitals -- and on the faces of our volunteers and supporters. We can’t do this without your help, and we appreciate all of it!

Thanks for your very generous spirit and support! Have a blessed New Year.

Thank You For This Month

Leon wants to thank you for the wonderful gift you provided him at Lancaster General Hospital. He was kicked by a horse and suffered a broken clavicle and fractured jaw on both sides just the week before school started. His eyes really lit up when he received your gift bag. Thanks a lot. He is in 1st grade and has a great interest in coloring, writing, etc. So it was one of the best gifts he could have gotten. So thanks again!

God bless you!
From the family of Leon