Yesterday afternoon Children's Alliance welcomed four hundred supporters to our Voices for Children Luncheon.

 

We know not everyone could be in the room, so we're bringing the highlights to you.

Tracy Tiwebemal, her husband Matthew, and son Max traveled from Spokane to Seattle to be at the luncheon.

We invited Tracy and her family to be special guests because during the 2010 legislative session Tracy became one of the first Children’s Alliance members to reach 100 online actions for kids!

Tracy says she’s motivated by a long standing passion for kids, and because she sees children in her own neighborhood in need every day, living with challenges no child should face. 

"Our children are the most vulnerable Americans and the least capable of speaking up for themselves. So I am their voice when I contact my lawmakers and when I vote."

You may not have been in the room with us, but you can watch this multimedia story featured yesterday, and see advocacy come to life.  

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Ron Sims, our keynote speaker, surprised us all by leading the crowd in singing happy birthday to Children's Alliance Executive Director Paola Maranan, who celebrates her birthday today!

Ron Sims left his position as King County Executive last year to serve President Obama as Deputy Secretary for the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. His speech was a passionate call to action, and the crowd was on their feet when he was done.

"We are here to be people with backbone. We are here to be people with fortitude. We are here with a great mission: to sit up and be determined that our children will lead better lives than our own generation. This is what I love about the Children's Alliance - that they remind us that we must measure ourselves as a people and as a nation, by the welfare of our children."

When guests sat down at their tables, each person found a bright blue lunch bag at his or her seat, with the words, "Carrying my lunch for kids!" Laura Wells, a 2009 Voices for Children awardee, stood up to urge everyone to make a commitment of support to Children’s Alliance, and told us what those lunch bags could mean to kids.

"I want to tell you about the power of not eating lunch out. I figure if you and I skip just two lunches out a month, we can easily have $12.50 a month to invest in Children's Alliance and Washington's kids. That modest amount of just $12.50 each month adds up to $150 a year!"

When times are tough, like they are now, we want to do even more to protect children, to do whatever we can to help them hold on to their potential.

I left today's event inspired. Even in the face of the many challenges kids and we as child advocates face, I am fiercly hopeful. And my hope comes, in part, from you. Yesterday afternoon hundreds of people who care about kids made a commitment, and opened their hearts and wallets to make another year of tough advocacy possible. Will you do the same? Your gift will help us meet, and hopefully soar beyond, our fundraising goal.

Give today, at whatever level you can afford, and make the next year of tough advocacy for kids successful. 

With gratitude for your generosity and all you do for kids,

Paola

Paola Maranan
Executive Director

P.S. For more information about what your gift can accomplish, read this year's legislative session review "Standing Strong for Kids: Tough Times Inspire Tougher Advocacy".