HoundsGood: Chronicles of a Virtual Volunteer

BlueSkyScrubs is the brainchild of Shelby Marquardt, a medical resident. Tired of scrub hats that did not cover her long hair properly, she went home and sewed something more fashionable than the “bubble cap.” Blue Sky Scrubs was born.

Today, the company offers a line of fashionable, understated medical and surgical scrubs in flattering cuts, such as low rise scrub pants. Far from revealing, the well-placed darts and seams simply eliminate baggy, excess material.

While the company does its duty to keep the medical and veterinary industry well-turned-out, Blue Sky also gives back to cancer patients. Through Project Blue Sky, a free hat is given to a patient with every order. According to the project, “Our Blue Sky scrub hats offer a way to cover hair loss with a cheerful and sophisticated look. Our hats are fun and they make people feel good. When patients receive our beautiful package, it makes them smile.”

Losing one’s hair during cancer treatment can be extremely traumatic, especially when it happens raipdly. While sometimes health insurance helps provide wigs, Blue Sky’s generous offer alleviates the burden on insurers and also helps patients with limited options. Next time you are ordering vet tech scrubs, hospital uniforms or perhaps nursing uniforms from BlueSky Scrubs, you can feel confident that you are also “giving back.”

Don’t let the model fool you, they also offer men’s scrubs, too: http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/categories/Scrubs/Scrubs-for-Men/

The Bicester Golf and Spa, which is known as among premier wedding venues in Oxfordshire, England, recently held a charity fundraiser for Mothers4Children. There goal was to raise over £50,000* for the group, with an additional £10,000 awarded to Breast Cancer Care.  How did they do it? The Elemis Spa bus pulled in last month and offered “maximum results in minimal time” with 15 minute spa treatments in a number of forms – from facials to Shiatsu massage. Mothers4Children is headed by several well-known celebrity mothers, including names recognizable on this side of the pond, including Trinny Woodall of What Not to Wear and supermodel model Yasmin LeBon. The mission is to raise funds and awareness for abused, underprivileged, orphaned and otherwise marginalized children.

The property, which sits on 130 country acres, has a full service spa and golf course and offers a variety of wedding packages in oxfordshire. If you are planing a wedding as a UK resident, or have done the footwork to complete the legal requirements for a globe traveling destination wedding, contact the Bicester for more information.

Has your group partnered with a luxe property for a fundraiser? Sometimes the venue itself can attract interested participants…just for a chance to peek at grounds they have always wanted to see.

*= As of this writing, it translates to $80,477.57 USD

(photo via bicesterhotelgolfandspa.com)

Hillarys Blinds has been well known throughout the UK for over 40 years for their made-to-measure blinds and other window coverings. Did you also know that hillarys blinds doesn’t only give your home a new look, but also gives back to the community? For one Red Nose day, £212, or $318 as of this writing, of each order was donated. Red Nose Day is a telethon to benefit Comic Relief, a charity created by comedians to aid famine relief in Ethiopia. Children in Need and Cancer Research is another recipient of corporate and employee generosity.  Book sales, charity football games and raffles generated over £2200.

Another £18,000 was generated in a Charity Duck Race.  How does one race ducks? Over 8,000 yellow rubber duckies sailed down the River Trent in Nottingham during the Riverside Festival.  Entrants paid £2 to enter a duck, and the individual who picked the lucky duck who crossed the finish line first won a cruise.  Certainly, much of the raise is sheer chance, but it sounds like a lot more fun than purchasing a ticket and comparing your numbers against those that the announcer called.

Next time you are shopping for window coverings and are interested in patronizing a company that gives back, waddle on over to Hillarys.

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Cryo-Cell International. All opinions are 100% mine.

Cryo-Cell is donating $25.00 of each enrollment in their Cryo-Cell  U-Cord® and other services to the Save the Children: Haiti Relief Fund. The promotion lasts through the end of February. Cryo-Cell is a cord blood bank that cryogenically preserves the umbilical cord of newborn babies for future use. Stem cells in the normally discarded umbilical cord has future potential use for treating a variety of diseases.

Successful stem cell transplants of cells retrieved from preserved umbilical cords have been used to save or improve the lives of donors and their relatives.  The most likely match besides the baby is to full siblings, future offspring and parents.  However, there was a case that I read about where there was successful niece-uncle transplant. If you have been seriously considering the program and have a little one on the way, if you enroll now, the purchase will benefit Save the Children also.

There is an initial enrollment fee, plus storage fees for the service. Hopefully, an individual or family will never need it, but some feel it is a small price to pay for the chance to cure or manage a disease later in life.  To me, it seems like a viable form of using stem cells without controversy. No human embryos are used or will ever be used and the procedure does not utilize animals.

One non profit that you may not have heard of is the Epidermolysis Bullosa Medical Research Foundation. EB is an inherited, genetic condition that causes blisters in the skin, that can cover up to 75% of the body. Since the mid 1990s, Nu skin Enterprises has contributed more than $15 million for research to end this condition. Many companies have charitable giving in their corporate plan, but few give directly to causes that directly relate to their product. Nu Skin, which also has Big Planet and Pharmanex under its umbrella, does.

I am always interested in pointing out cosmetic and beauty companies that do not use animal testing, nor hire others to do so. On the “Hot Topics” page of the Nu Skin site, it states:

According to the FDA, it is not possible at this time to entirely abandon animal testing and still assure human health and safety.

As pragmatic as I am, I still don’t believe an animal should suffer just so we can have another mascara or wrinkle cream. Nu Skin has made a pledge to not use animal testing and is on many lists of health and beauty companies that agree.    If you are looking to expand your scope in looking for beauty products, you feel comfortable about keeping Nu Skin on your list for face and hair products.

M. Frederic offers trendy jewelry and clothing for the whole family, but the largest portion of their clientele is women. They have trendy boutiques in Southern California, and bring that experience to the rest of us on the web. Did you know that they also support charities that help fight a disease that strikes many of their customers?

In 2007, M. Frederic adopted the Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times. It is a week long sleepover camp that helps kids be kids again. They have also supported the American Cancer Society since 2001. On their site, they have a few items that specifically fund the cause. For $100.00, you can purchase a special edition Maroon 5 CD/DVD, signed by all five band members. The item is in very limited quantity, and 100% of the proceeds go to the American Cancer Society.

There is also a special CD featuring four songs that you won’t hear on the albums, which you can purchase for $5.00. The proceeds of this CD also go to the American Cancer Society. The price makes it a great stocking stuffer. Shipping is free on this when you purchase any other item from M. Frederic. They’ll toss it in your box at no extra postage.