INSPIRE LAKE NORMAN

INSPIRE LAKE NORMAN:

Parents are often looking for activities that bring their family members together, but it can be quite the challenge—especially if the kids are at different stages and ages. But volunteering is a great way to bring everyone — parents, children, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and more — together around common missions and goals. Here are a few local Building organizations to support. Community Through Giving

If you’d like to have your favorite charity included in an upcoming edition, please email Leslie@lakenormanwoman.com. Jodie Golab, Fundraising and Project Assistant with DKMS-Charlotte, announces an array of family-oriented fundraising activities scheduled for

October. DKMS is an international not-for-profit organization dedicated to the fight against blood cancer and blood disorders by creating awareness; recruiting blood stem cell donors to provide a second chance at life; raising funds to match donor registration costs; supporting the improvement of therapies through research; and supporting patients from day one of their diagnoses. “We hope to extend our reach and our donor registry,” Jodie says. “Only 30 percent of patients find a matching donor within their family,” she continues, “and heritage matters … a patient’s best chance of finding a matching donor is someone of similar ancestry. Our goal is to add as many new and diverse donors to the registry as possible.”

Please visit www.dkms.org for a full list of events or contact Jodie at development@dkms.org.

Academia de Gracia—Bringing Hope to Students in

Nicaragua blends academics, social, and spiritual growth to help vulnerable children affected by poverty. They prioritize education, safety, integrity, caring, and a lifelong relationship with God. “Every parent wants to see their child rise above poverty and experience the fullness of life through a good education,” says Michelle Hoverson, Executive Director at Above & Beyond Missions. Michelle and many women in the Lake Norman area recently came together to send teaching and school supplies to Nicaragua, and at the end of September they will be shipping a box of school materials for the new school year.

A list of items needed are on the school website www.adgnicaragua.org or you can email Michelle at adgnicaragua@gmail.com for a list and delivery instructions.

Gabe’s Heart Foundation’s mission is to keep the heart of Gabriel Michael Jacobs, who passed away at just 12 years old, beating by sharing his spirit of giving and always helping those around him. They do this through random acts of kindness that allow them to share the message of anti-bullying as well as raising awareness of sudden pediatric cardiac death. Their purpose was birthed out of the service of Gabe who was an anti-bullying mediator and was affectionately known as

“Guardian Gabe” by his peers. Gabe’s Heart

Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that orchestrates various volunteer projects throughout the community, including a 5k walk the fourth Saturday in September. This year’s event will be on September 24th –the walkathon raises funds for Doing It Gabe’s Way Random Acts of Kindness.

For details, visit www.gabesheartfoundation.org.

The Inaugural Lake Norman Metsquerade Gala will be held at The Peninsula Club on September 23 benefiting research for incurable and terminal Stage 4, Metastatic Breast Cancer. The black-tie gala emceed by WBTV’s former top news anchor Paul Cameron will feature a cocktail hour, three-course sit-down dinner, live entertainment, silent auction, and several prominent keynote speakers. While the event is the first of its kind in North Carolina, Metsquerades benefiting nonprofit METAvivor have previously been held throughout the U.S., successfully raising millions of dollars for Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC) research. There are several exciting opportunities for sponsors and donors to make an impact through monetary donations, corporate partnerships, table sponsorships, and donating silent auction items. Visit www.lakenormanmets.org.

HealthReach Community Clinic provides free medical care and medications to the families of Iredell County who have limited means and no health insurance. Thanks to the generosity of volunteer healthcare professionals and donors in the local community, HealthReach provides high-quality medical services, including primary care appointments, a full in-house pharmacy, lab services, mental healthcare, chronic disease management, social work consultations, and more – all at no cost to the patient. On Friday, October 28th, HealthReach will host their second annual Boos & Brews Halloween Festival at 400 E. Statesville Avenue in Mooresville. The event will feature live music, food trucks, and activities for kids and families. Ghostface Brewing will offer a signature beer specially brewed for the event, HealthReach Apple Amber. All proceeds will support the clinic and pharmacy.

For more information, please visit www.healthreachclinic.org.