The Säjai Foundation speaks!
The Sajai Foundation will be speaking at various events this year. Mark your calendars:
February 10, 2012
MnSACA/MnAEYC Conference (St. Paul, MN)
February 16, 2012
YMCA Expo (San Antonio, TX)
April 3, 2012
National Afterschool Association Conference (Dallas, TX)
November 16, by the numbers
7 a.m.: 23 degrees. One walker, setting out.
One Säjaimobile, advertising the cause.
One happy dog, getting to go for a morning walk.
Two friends to help the time pass more quickly.
Four wonderful volunteers to walk a mile for Melissa as donations came in.
Säjai Foundation Program Development Manager Carrie Stolar
Supporter Paula Hari with Melissa
Säjai Foundation intern Kate Young, Melissa, Säjai Foundation Board of Directors Chairman Bob Bierscheid
One (very old) stray dog found and rescued by Melissa.
Emails rolling in, announcing donations: Too many to count.
One 5-mile bike ride gratefully received.
4:30 p.m. Temps barely in the 30s, wind gusting up to 30 mph.
Melissa crosses the finish line, 30 miles from her start.
One comfy chair, one large chai tea.
Final number on Melissa’s pedometer:
5:30 p.m. Donations reach $10,000–meaning that the matching donation of $10,000 is activated: $20,000 in one day, to teach even more kids about healthy living and exploring nature!
Total donations for Give to the Max Day: $12,520, plus the match of $10,000!
How many kids $22,520 can teach: Nearly 1,400.
Happiness at reaching the finish line, reaching the goal, seeing how ardently supporters embrace the Foundation’s mission: Unmeasurable.
And at the end of the day, one very tired dog.
Thank you doesn’t even begin to cover it. Just know that when we say “Thank you” to our supporters, volunteers, and donors, we mean it thousands and thousands of times over.
Tomorrow is not just another day
While you’re starting your day, having your morning coffee or tea, checking out the news headlines, taking kids to school, heading to work, running errands, whatever your calendar has noted for you, think about this:
On Wednesday, our CEO/President Melissa Hanson will set out from her home in Maple Grove to walk 30 miles to the Mall of America. All day, as you go through your day, she’ll be out there, making her way south to the headquarters of this year’s Give to the Max Day.
Why is she doing this? Because 1 child out of every 3 in the U.S. is overweight or obese.
Think about that–1 out of 3.
What can you do to support Melissa’s work?
- Make a donation on Wed., Nov. 16 on our Give MN Page (click here). Donations made on Nov. 16 (and that day only) will be matched up to $10,000 by a generous anonymous donor. Not only that, but donations will help ease Melissa’s walk (click here to read how).
- Besides being matched, every hour Give MN will select a random donor who’s given during that hour to receive a “Golden Ticket”–a bonus $1000 added to their charity. If you can, please consider donating multiple times throughout the day, to increase our chances of winning one of the Golden Tickets!
- We’re also in the running for one of three prizes given to nonprofits who raise the most money. Your donation gets us one step closer to winning one of those prizes!
Finally, if you’d like to applaud the work we do and, specifically, the insane work Melissa is doing on Wednesday, please join us at the Mall of America, at the Rotunda near the ground floor East entrance, on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. as Melissa crosses the finish line and completes her Amazing Walk!
Hey, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Minnesota!
Big Brothers Big Sisters, join us on 9/24 for the Säjai Foundation’s Amazing Walk!. This 5K walk at the North Mississippi Regional Park is FREE to you so you can spend time with your Little Brother/Little Sister hiking (you’ll be walking almost 3 miles! And, you’ll learn to stretch your muscles and practice running and dancing too), identifying trees, learning about healthy foods and making a healthy snack, geocaching and more. We hope you will come on out to join us in learning about healthy living! You’ll receive a backpack and more.
Please RSVP to info@sajaifoundation.org if you are able to attend.
Attention Cub Scouts!
Cub Scouts, join us on 9/24 for the Säjai Foundation’s Amazing Walk!. As you know, 9/24 is National Public Lands Day. And, it can also be a great morning for you to work on achievements. This 5K walk at the North Mississippi Regional Park is free to you so that you can begin working on achievements such as hiking, tree identification, learning about healthy foods and making a healthy snack, physical activity (you’ll be walking almost 3 miles! And, you’ll learn to stretch your muscles and practice running and dancing too), geocaching and more. We hope dens, or individual Cub Scouts and their parents will come on out and join us in learning more about healthy living and accomplishing some great Cub Scout activities too! You’ll receive a backpack and more. Visit us at www.sajaifoundation.org for more information.
Please RSVP by email if you are able to attend: info@sajaifoundation.org
Kiwifruit–good for us in ways that might surprise you!
Sure, kiwifruit is good for us–it’s packed full of great nutrients. Just look at the list:
• One of the only low-fat sources of vitamin E • High in fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants • Readily included in a diabetic diet • More vitamin C than an orange (240% the recommended daily intake!) • More potassium than a banana • Low in sodium • Less than 50 calories in each whole fruit
But beyond the nutritional benefits, right now the Foundation could gain additional benefits from kiwifruits. Announcing: the Kiwifruits for Kids Challenge!
ZESPRI Kiwifruits has selected six nonprofits across the U.S. to compete in a Facebook-based game. The nonprofit earning the most points will win $10,000; second place wins $5000. Winning either prize would allow us to reach even more kids with our Wise Kids® programs, to teach them about healthy living and exploring the outdoors as we continue to battle childhood obesity.
Playing the kiwi games only requires a Facebook account and a few minutes of your time each day. Please help us win the golden kiwi! Start now, and play as often as you can through Oct. 21, 2011.
For more details, see the Kiwifruit for Kids Launch press release.
The Amazing Walk! (Not Your Ordinary 5K)
It’s amazing! It’s a walk! It’s—the AMAZING WALK!
Join the Säjai Foundation on Sat., Sept. 24 from 9-11 a.m. at North Mississippi Regional Park for a 5K like no other. Bring the kids, bring your friends, and bring a sense of adventure to try the sometimes challenging, sometimes goofy, but always fun activities you’ll find spread out across the 5K walk.
What will you be doing? All kinds of things–geocaching, trying new veggies, yoga, running, dancing. These are just a few of the things you’ll get to try along the way! An expo area will introduce you to the amazing work being done by our many partners. Bonus: the North Mississippi Regional Park is a hidden gem in Minneapolis, on a site which used to hold vacant apartments and office buildings, and is now a natural oasis instead.
All ages and activity levels welcome! (Psst–bring your own water bottle. There will be water stations to refill it along the way.)
Download this PDF to send to family and friends who would like to join us. Amazing Walk! Invite
And please take a moment to visit our Partners & Friends page, where you can learn more about our Walk sponsors and collaborators. It’s a pretty great group.
