how you can help
Help us make a difference in the lives of children and youth by turning dreams into reality. Please browse through the following ideas on creative ways you can easily make donations and a difference with Macdonald Family Charity. To make an online donation to the Macdonald Family Charity, visit our Online Donation page.
Adopt a Dream
By adopting a dream, you are paired with an individual child that your money will completely fund their dream. The range of the price of granting a dream is anywhere from $500 to $5000. With this donation, you are paired with a child that is requesting a dream, and you get to know exactly who your money is going to support. You will receive a photo of the child to hang up in your home or office and know that you made a difference in that child's life. This is also a great option for organizations and businesses that would like to collectively support our charity. Below is a list of our current dream kids, their dream, and our projected cost of fulfilling it.
Russell, 14 $4500
Russell was born with Smith Lemli-Opitz Syndrome, which doesn’t allow his body to create its own cholesterol. Russell has disabilities now due to this condition. His cells aren’t able to duplicate like they should, so he has development delay which makes him struggle with everyday things. Russell’s dream is to attend the Dolphin Swim Therapy program in Florida during the summer of 2010. The $4500 of this dream will go toward paying for the week long program, housing in Florida for the family, and transportation to the site.
Allen C., 6 $5000
Allen C. was born with problems on his 14th chromosome. Very few children (3 in the US, according to his mother) have this problem, and so his family knows very little about the disease because doctors know so little about it. Allen is developmentally delayed and crawls in order to move around. He is also non-verbal. His mom says he loves lights and noise, and Disneyland would be a wonderful thing for Allen to experience with all of the fun, kid oriented things going on. The $5000 of this dream would cover travel to California, entrance to the park, a hotel stay, souvenirs, and meals for Allen, his parents and two siblings.
Teal G. , 15 $4500
Teal G. was an incredibly smart, healthy kid. She went to camp two summers ago, and while there was bit by ticks. She came come and her mom began to notice she had changed, however they couldn’t figure out what was going on. She went back to camp the following year and came back with more tick bites. Those tick bites gave Teal Lyme Disease, a disease that takes 4-6 years to recover from. Her disease has robbed her of a normal teenage experience. Instead of learning to drive and going on dates, Teal is at home, sleeping when she’s not in extreme pain. Her dream is to go to Disneyland with her mom and a friend. She needs some pure, unadulterated fun, and Disney is the perfect place for that. The $4500 we are asking for this dream include travel to California, entrance to the park, a hotel stay, souvenirs, and meals for Teal and her guests.
Jessica J., 8 $5000
Jessica is a sweet little girl who is facing a very scary future right now. Jessica has a seizure disorder as well as cerebellum atrophy that is causing other diagnosis. She has a hard time with balance and motor skills, however she works hard every day at her therapy and school in order to stay with her classmates. After school she has therapy and homework, and on the weekends she takes ballet to help her balance. She also was recently tested for Nieman Pick Type C, a degenerative, terminal illness. The family will find out the test results at the beginning of 2010. For Jessica, every day is a struggle with falls, challenges, and constant supervision. A trip to Disney World would mean so much for her. It would give her something really exciting to look forward to during a time of major life changes. The $5000 for this dream would cover travel to Florida, entrance to the park, a hotel stay, souvenirs, and meals for the family.
Brooke G., 12 $3500
Brooke has had a rough year. On December 6, 2008 Brooke and her two sisters were in a major car accident that left Brooke in a coma. She spent 3 months at Children’s Hospital in Denver. The accident caused a traumatic brain injury that left her without her original motor skills on one side of her body. She also lost her ability to walk, and has a decreased desire to read – her formerly favorite activity. Over the past year Brooke has worked hard to get back most of her functioning, including walking, and is beginning to love books again. Her dream is to visit the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. This trip would mean so much for shaping Brooke’s future. She has dreams of becoming a writer, and her favorite subject in school is history. Visiting the Smithsonian is something she has talked about forever. The $3500 we are requesting for this dream would cover Brooke’s travel to Washington, D.C., a hotel stay, fun outings in the area, souvenirs, and meals for her, her two sisters, mom and dad.
Jeremiah L., 10 $2000
Jeremiah was born with cerebral palsy, which makes it necessary for canes in order for Jeremiah to walk. He also has a hard time with school, however his father has found a great way to teach him math – with sports statistics. This has led to a love of all things sporting, especially football. Jeremiah has a dream of meeting Champ Bailey of the Denver Broncos, so the $750 for this dream would cover transportation to the game, a hotel stay, tickets, a meet and greet (if possible), and dinner.
David L., 11 $2000
David has certainly had his fair share of struggles, especially for only 11 years old. His mom went to jail 7 years ago, and David was placed in foster care. The foster parents were then convicted of murder, so he had to move to different homes. 3 years ago his mom was released and her first action was to re-gain custody of David. David doesn’t have many friends at school, and he tends to be a loner instead of joining kids who are up to no good. The kids make fun of him and say he’s fat and ugly. This has caused David to spend a lot of time with his mom – they are very close. David’s mom works hard to give David positive things in his life. He plays football and baseball and does very well. Her mission is to make sure David chooses a different path than she did. David’s dream is to meet Champ Bailey of the Denver Broncos. David plays the same position as Champ, and meeting a positive role model such as him would mean so much. The $500 for this dream would cover transportation to the game, tickets, a hotel stay, a meet and greet (if possible), and meals for David, his mom and stepdad.
Allen S., 18 $1000
Allen is a young man who has faced many obstacles and succeeded. He is developmentally delayed, and recently lost his adopted father. He is one of 13 kids, and has 3 younger siblings – each with their own disabilities. Allen is active in the community and has earned a high school equivalent degree. He is a huge country music fan, and would love to meet Taylor Swift or Carrie Underwood. The estimated $1000 it would take to make Allen’s dream come true would include transportation to the concert, a meal out with his family, concert tickets, and a possible meet and greet.
ShyAnn, 5, and Makala, 8 $800
These two sisters have been through way too much in the last year. They have lost a favorite cousin, then their father who had been disabled 8 years ago, followed by the death of their grandfather in addition to other horrible, unspeakable things. This entire trauma is also added to by the fact that the younger girl has a degenerative hip condition. The girls have a dream of visiting a ranch and horseback riding. For them, the opportunity of receiving a break from these horrible things would mean so much. They live in the city in affordable housing, and their mom has so many fond memories of the farm she grew up on. She would love to see her girls as they ride a horse, learn about ranch life, and get away from their current situation. The $500 for this dream would cover transportation to a ranch, 2 or 3 nights stay, horseback riding, and meals for the girls.
Ethan L., 10 - DREAM ADOPTED! $250
Ethan was born with cerebral palsy and is a quadriplegic from his disability. Despite his daily challenges, Ethan remains an incredibly sweet, caring, and fun kid. The kids at school love to talk to him, and they are always sharing jokes back and forth. Ethan loves to ride roller coasters and enjoys lots of movement. He went water skiing last summer and LOVED it. His dream is to go skiing. This dream is one that will have such an impact on Ethan, giving him hope of things being possible he never thought could be. We are anticipating $500 for skiing, rentals, instruction, a place to stay and transportation for Ethan to enjoy his dream.
Casual Day for a Cause
Does your office allow for casual Fridays? Why not turn that opportunity into somthing that can make a difference in the lives of kids in northern Colorado? Have casual Fridays, however charge whoever decides to participate $5 to dress casual on Fridays. The office has a relaxed setting on Fridays, and your organization is helping fund a dream for a deserving child.
Host a Fundraiser
Are you and your group looking for an organization to support with a fundraising event? If you are looking for an organization that's making a difference right here in northern Colorado for the lives of struggling kids, then you've found it! Along with our fundraisers helping us find additional funds, they are also great ways to get the word out about who we are and what we're doing. If this is something you and a group are interested in doing, feel free to call Katie Reiff to get ideas or run yours by her!
Become an ongoing supporter!
Monthly Contributors are greatly appreciated! If you're interested in donating $20 to $500 per month, please contact Katie for additional information on this opportunity!
For information about other donation options, call (970) 667-6119 and ask to speak with Katie Reiff.
Donation Information
The Macdonald Family Charity grants dreams without regard to race, color, creed, religion, ethnic origin, sexual orientation or economic status.
The Macdonald Family Charity is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization registered with the Colorado Bureau of Charitable Organizations.
We do not receive any government funding and are funded solely by generous donations from individuals and businesses in our community.
