We are so excited about being voted by Facebook users as one of the top 100 charities of more than 500,000 nonprofits through the $5M Chase Community Giving campaign. We're on to round two with a chance at winning up to $1 Million for SMA awareness and research -- that would be unbelievable! We have a lot of planning and work to do before round two voting begins on January 15, 2010, but we are thrilled at the opportunity and look forward to doing everything we can to make it happen. Stay tuned for more information on how you can help over the next couple of weeks...
PRESS RELEASE: Gwendolyn Strong Foundation Voted Top 100 Charity, Receives $25,000 Grant From Chase And Chance At $1 Million
Online PR News – December 17, 2009 – Santa Barbara, CA – The Gwendolyn Strong Foundation (GSF), a nonprofit organization striving to raise awareness of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), the #1 genetic killer of young children, and accelerate cure focused research, was voted by Facebook users from more than 500,000 charities as one of the top 100 organizations in round one of the $5 Million Chase Community Giving campaign. For their selection, GSF was awarded a $25,000 grant from Chase and will advance to round two for a chance to win up to $1 Million.
"We are absolutely thrilled about being voted as one of the top 100 charities out of more than 500,000 organizations in the Chase Community Giving campaign," said Victoria Strong, GSF co-founder. "This is incredible and another humbling example of how this vibrant SMA community and every person that this horrible disease touches can collectively accomplish anything we put our minds to as one, united, motivated voice."
SMA is a terminal, degenerative disease that impacts the voluntary muscles in infants and children including the ability to walk, sit, stand, eat, breathe, and even swallow. Ninety percent of children born with SMA die before the age of two. Although SMA is not a household name, the gene responsible for SMA is unknowingly carried by 1 in 40 people or nearly eight Million Americans. There is currently no treatment or cure, but SMA research is extremely mature and researchers have stressed that one is attainable in the next five years if provided the appropriate resources. GSF is focused on helping the SMA community make sure those resources are not an obstacle to finding that cure.
To further its mission, GSF is giving one-hundred-percent of the $25,000 grant from the first round to a promising SMA research program at the University of California, Irvine led by Dr. Hans Keirstead. In addition, GSF will be giving one-hundred-percent of anything it receives from round two to SMA awareness and research programs and has pledged that it will organize an online voting campaign to enable its supporters to decide how the proceeds are distributed.
"Reaching the top 100 would have never been possible without the passionate efforts of the entire SMA community – their families, friends, and neighbors," said Ms. Strong. "We have a real chance to win $1 Million in round two and we can’t think of a better way to direct the dollars received than to let those who helped us get there decide – it’s our money to lose, it’s our money to win, let’s go get it and make sure it makes a difference in programs we all believe in!"
Round two voting in the Chase Community Giving campaign begins on January 15, 2010. Check the GSF website over the next few weeks for information on how you can help them win the $1 Million.
To learn more about SMA and GSF, please visit http://GwendolynStrongFoundation.org
To read the Chase and Facebook press release about round one results, please visit http://investor.shareholder.com/JPMorganChase/press/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=430809
To learn more about the Chase Community Giving campaign, please visit http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/
About Gwendolyn Strong Foundation (GSF) – GSF is based in Santa Barbara, California and seeks to raise awareness of and fund cure focused research for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), the leading genetic killer of young children, and support those impacted by SMA and other life-altering diseases. To learn more about SMA and GSF, please visit http://GwendolynStrongFoundation.org
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Click here or on the image below to read the actual press release...
2 comments:
I am still beaming for the two of you and Gwendolyn. You have done so much to educate me, and so many others, on SMA. I knew nothing before I met you through your blog.
I will be watching to see what I can do to help and get ready for Jan 15th, which is my dad's birthday so it is a very good day :)
--Mari
Bill and Victoria, I've been wanting to thank you for making it SO easy to help with the campaign to spread the word about SMA.
Because you DO make it so simple to post on facebook, my friends voted - so I just posted this announcement of the win, and told them their votes COUNTED, and told them to STAY TUNED for phase two - the BIG PRIZE!
It's a win-win because GSF gets attention and those who vote can feel good to have helped in their own way, especially now at Christmas time.
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