Carson & Claire Forever Foundation

05/01/2019

ATTENTION EDUCATORS – FLASH GRANT OPPORTUNITY.

In remembrance of Carson and Claire, on the ninth anniversary of their passing, the Carson and Claire Forever Foundation (www.carsonclaire.org) is giving $90 grants to nine teachers in Iowa for classroom or school based literacy projects. We do not care if you are in a public and private school, teach preschool or twelfth grade, teach in a classroom or help kids in school in another way. Maybe you are new teacher whose classroom library needs a boost? Long-term teacher whose classroom library needs a refresh? Teacher who recently changed grade levels or focus? Guidance counselor in need of books on difficult topics? While we focus on books, we have occasionally done flash cards, magazines and even an occasional comic or trade paperback. We rely on you to tell us what you need.
We realize these are not huge grants, and as such, we want to keep the application effort to a minimum. Just send an email to [email protected]. Tell us your name, grade taught or position, how long you have been teaching or working in education, school, and town. Maybe throw in a couple sentences about how you would use the grant. (Please no lengthy novels) We want this to fast and simple for you.
Submissions are due by May 6, 2019 at 3:15 p.m., and we plan to make the grants by May 10, 2019.

You can read about the evolution of the Carson and Claire Forever Foundation literacy efforts below.
Several years after Carson and Claire’s deaths, Chase took over his brother’s room. As we cleaned it to make it his we came across a bookshelf that had dozens of nearly new books on it, all of which Chase was too old for. We decided that rather than sell them or take them to goodwill we would give the books away. In the process of arranging that we had friends, who had a similar bookshelf full of nearly new books, give us their books. This brought literally hundreds of books to our house. As we talked about how best to distribute them, we decided that we wanted to be sure that the books were not read once, and then end up collecting dust on someone else’s bookshelf. We decided that we would donate them to teachers’ classrooms with the idea that on a teacher’s classroom bookshelf the books would not collect dust, but that each book might touch dozens of kids during its life. We ended up donating hundreds of books to local schools that first time.
We found out several things during that drive. First, the teachers were all very appreciative but in some cases, the available books were not a good match. Sometimes we had the first, second and fourth book of a four book series. Sometimes the books were not what the kids were interested in reading. Sometimes we had too many copies of the same book. Sometimes teachers wanted multiple copies of the same books so they could do group reading.
During the book drive, we also had many people both near and far, donate money to the foundation. With that money, we have given out small grants to teachers in a variety of ways. Sometimes we have fulfilled part of their Amazon book wish list. We have donated some small amounts to close out a teacher’s www.donorschoose.org campaign. We have taken teachers on a shopping trip at the Scholastic Books warehouse sale or on a virtual shopping trip on Amazon. While we will likely do another book collection campaign, as you can imagine, the logistics of this was far easier than collecting, sorting, storing and delivering hundreds of books, some of which were of limited value. Giving small grants this way allowed us to reach a larger group of educators.
The Carson and Claire Forever Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Donations can be made at www.carsonclaire.org.

Carson & Claire Forever Foundation

03/31/2019

National Donate Life Month (NDLM) is celebrated every April and features a full month of activities to encourage organ donor registration.

03/23/2018

***APRIL BURPEE CHALLENGE***

In May 2010, my 5 ½ year old son Carson, and my 5 ½ month old daughter Claire died as a result of injuries suffered in a motor vehicle crash. Through the valiant efforts of the first responders both were resuscitated at the scene, only to succumb to their injuries over the next 24 hours. Both were candidates to be organ donors. With their mother in a coma, I made the decision for them to be organ donors. Though the organ donation process we have met amazing people from all over the country including the young boy who received Claire’s heart. Then 3 months old he was dying of heart failure and was most likely literally in his last days of life. The Carson and Claire Forever Foundation was formed to maintain the memory of the heroes they were. One of the Foundation’s campaigns is to increase awareness of organ donation in April during National Donate Life Month. We have done this through a number of activities. We try to tell their story and about the organ donation experience year round but especially throughout the month of April.

In April again this year we at the Carson and Claire Forever Foundation are hoping to get one burpee done for each of the now approximately 115,000 people currently waiting for an organ transplant in the United States today. Yes, that is an obscene number of burpees, and we know it will take a team effort to do it. That is why we are asking for help. We hope that you will make a pledge to do burpees during the month of April. They can be done at home, or at the gym. Before bed, or first thing in the morning. As a warm up, warm down or during a workout. All in one sitting or a few at a time each day. Fast or slow. They all count.

They can be done individually, or as a workout class or group, or even as a gym. If you are willing to participate as a gym, we will bring/send some materials explaining the challenge and telling Carson’s and Claire’s story, a sign for your gym wall, and hearts for your members to put up with their names and individual pledges up on display. You can pledge a number as a gym as a whole, or just let your members choose for themselves. At the end of the month simply report the total number of burpees completed to be added to the total.

I would be happy to come explain the campaign and tell Carson and Claire’s story in person to your group, a class, or your gym. The gym that completes the most burpees during the month will get a banner recognizing their achievement. Any gym that completes 115,000 burpees by themselves will get a special banner as well.

While we are a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization that accepts tax exempt donations (www.carsonclaire.org), this effort is not about raising money, it is only about raising awareness. Our goal is not even to get people to sign up as donors necessarily. While we would love that we hope that by raising awareness during this campaign that people will educate themselves about the importance of organ donation and simply make an informed choice that is right for them. Too many people never make the choice because they never take the time to understand the problem. We are hoping our small effort will help solve that issue.

Message me if you have questions, would like to make a burpee pledge, or would like a banner or other materials for your gym or facility.
Thanks
Troy

07/09/2017

CHARLES CITY -- Logan Luft wanted to be a state championship wrestler.

05/06/2017

We are cleaning out storage from the Foundation's Play Forever campaign last fall and winter. This is the remaining stuff that was buried too deep to give to the schools Play It Forward campaign. Any of it is free to a good home today. It'll go to goodwill this weekend otherwise. Cleats of all kinds and sizes, soccer socks and shin guards, gloves, baseball pants, balls and bags. In our driveway right now. Message me if you don't know where we live otherwise just stop by.