Julie Mackin becomes a hero - trades nuclear medicine for career with kids

As a young woman in the 1970s, Julie Mackin wanted to make it in a man’s world and make lots of money doing it.

“I wanted to do it all; I wasn’t going to let anything stop me,” she said. “I was running marathons back when women weren’t.”

A radical change to her career path, though, and the lives she’s changed since earned Mackin the title of 2008 Green Bay Press-Gazette Everyday Hero in the category of education. Everyday Heroes are people whose deeds make Northeastern Wisconsin a better place to live.

Mackin was a nuclear medicine technologist at St. Vincent Hospital and said she was succeeding in a male-dominated career.

She was never one to ooh and ahh about babies, but when a little girl with Down syndrome came in for tests, Mackin felt at home working with her when another tech hesitated.

Mackin believes that event foreshadowed the midlife change in her career path. Today, she teaches special needs students at Franklin Middle School in Green Bay, and her focus shifted from making cash to making a difference.

The transformation began when Mackin married her husband, Mike, and had children. After her first child was born, she went back to work, and intended to do so after the second.

“Our second (Marnie) was special needs, and I thought I’d be able to go back to work, but after three months I realized that wouldn’t work,” Mackin said. Marnie, now 21, had health problems and needed to be in a full body cast for about eight months. Mackin left the hospital to care for her daughters, and then had a son and another daughter. Ten years later she went back to the hospital, but found her heart wasn’t in it.

“I wanted to do something with kids,” she said. “I found myself wanting to do something to make a difference.”

So she became a part-time paraprofessional working with special education students for the Green Bay School District. Two years later, she signed up for education courses at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

“It’s hard to make a change,” she said. “I was terribly afraid.”

Completing undergrad courses and achieving a master’s degree took about 10 years, she said. She’s now certified to teach special education.

Now she wouldn’t have it any other way. She considers her students her family, and admits she spends a lot of home time thinking about her second set of “kids.”

Full Story

10,000th wish is on Parade

The Make-A-Wish Foundation and national sponsors International Union, UAW and General Motors Corporation are celebrating a momentous wish milestone this month – granting the 10,000th wish of their decade-long partnership.

To mark this achievement, the 10,000th wish recipient, Brandon, 10, of Rodney, Mich., and his family will ride on UAW-GM’s float in America’s Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27.

“Thanks to their tremendous generosity during the past decade, UAW-GM and GM have made a real difference for the 10,000 children nationwide whose wishes have been granted and countless others who were a part of their wishes,” said David Williams, Make-A-Wish Foundation of America president and chief executive officer. “I want to express our gratitude for their commitment to children such as Brandon in helping make their heartfelt wishes come true.”

Brandon, who was diagnosed with Burkitt’s lymphoma and recently finished a difficult regime of chemotherapy, met his all-time favorite player, former Detroit Lions star Barry Sanders, during the Lions’ Nov. 9 home game. He was also the team’s guest at practice Nov. 7, where he received armfuls of autographed memorabilia from the Lions and met several current Lions players and coaches.

“My favorite part of the wish was watching Brandon’s face at his first Lions game – he was yelling and cheering, and you could just tell he was loving it,” said Brandon’s mother, Darlene. “Barry was just so nice. He talked with [Brandon and his dad] about hunting and what kinds of things Brandon likes to do for fun. I just sat back, smiling. I couldn’t believe it was happening.”

As part of the sponsorship, UAW-represented GM workers and GM dealers across the country have participated in fundraising on both national and local levels and committed their personal talents to wish granting – restoring vehicles, building playhouses, planning wish-granting parties and giving families a ride to the airport, among other activities.

“Making a commitment to community and these children, both personally and financially, is something that matters tremendously to UAW-GM people and GM dealers across the country,” said Diana Tremblay, vice president labor relations, GM North America.

“For those who have had the opportunity to share the power of a wish®, it’s a moving experience that will never be forgotten,” said Cal Rapson, UAW vice president and director, GM department. “I have heard it said more than once, you truly get back more than what you give, and it’s been our privilege.”

Some wishes granted through the sponsorship have been quite practical, such as an assistance dog or special equipment to help the child communicate or become more mobile. Other children’s imaginations have taken them to the moon and back, such as Johnny, 11, from Downey, Calif., who visited Kennedy Space Center and had lunch with an astronaut. The first wish granted in 1999 was to refurbish a Chevy truck for a 16-year-old Aliquippa, Pa., boy.

Ueberroth’s recognized with Award of Excellence

Ronald McDonald House Charities hosted its 24th Annual Awards of Excellence celebration on Saturday, November 1 in Rosemont, Ill. to recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to improve the lives of children.

The annual event presented three prestigious awards to individuals selected from across the globe, including:

• Peter & Virginia Ueberroth, founders of the Ueberroth Family Foundation, honored with the RMHC Award of Excellence for their commitment to assisting local community-based groups and programs that promote social change.
• Dr. Catherine D. DeAngelis, editor-in-chief of The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and professor of pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, honored with the RMHC Medical Award of Excellence for her contributions in the areas of pediatric medicine and medical education.
• Lionel Whitehead, McDonald’s owner/operator and dedicated philanthropist, honored with the Gerry Newman McTLC Award of Excellence for his legacy of leadership and commitment to RMHC that led to the establishment of the first Ronald McDonald House(R) in New Zealand.

“We are honored to recognize these extraordinary individuals for their ongoing contributions to improving the lives of children everywhere,” said Marty Coyne, president and CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities. “Children around the world would not have a chance at a better life if it weren’t for the dedication and commitment of people like the Ueberroths, Dr. DeAngelis and Lionel Whitehead.”

An Evening of Celebration

As part of their recognition, Peter and Virginia Ueberroth and Dr. Catherine D. DeAngelis were each awarded a $100,000 grant that will be donated to The Ueberroth Foundation and the Child Life Program at John Hopkins Children’s Center, respectively. Lionel Whitehead received a $50,000 grant that will be given to RMHC New Zealand.

In addition to honoring the four remarkable individuals, the 2008 Awards of Excellence celebration included dinner, entertainment by Grammy award winning artist Richard Marx and country music star Kenny Rogers and a live auction that took place throughout the evening. Attendees had the opportunity to bid on exclusive prizes, including two first-class round trip airline tickets anywhere in the U.S. from United Airlines; round-trip airline tickets and a six-night hotel stay in London; two tickets to the 2009 Super Bowl in Tampa, Fla. and a VIP weekend getaway to Las Vegas, including airfare and hotel stay at Mandalay Bay Casino.

Past RMHC Awards of Excellence Recipients
Past RMHC Awards of Excellence Recipients have included: actress and national outreach director for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Marlo Thomas (2007); NCAA championship basketball coach and youth mentor John Wooden (2006); the late actor Paul Newman on the behalf of the Association of Hole in the Wall Camps (2005); actor, director and humanitarian Danny Glover (2004); renowned pediatric surgeon Dr. Benjamin Carson (2003); Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan (2002); tennis star Andrea Jaeger (2001); performer and humanitarian Harry Belafonte (2000); Joan Kroc, wife of McDonald’s Corporation founder Ray A. Kroc (1999); former First Lady Betty Ford (1998); Retired U.S. Army General Colin Powell (1997); acclaimed theologian Henri J. M. Nouwen (1996); former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Antonia Novello (1995); former First Lady Barbara Bush (1994); the late Fred Rogers (1993); children’s health and disability advocate Eunice Kennedy Shriver (1992); former U.S. President Jimmy Carter (1991); and “The Muppets” creator Jim Henson (1990), among others.

Build a playground - $6M available in matching funds

Triple M Recreation announces that local governments, schools and non-profit agencies may be eligible for matching grant funds for new playgrounds under a program sponsored by Game Time, a leading manufacturer of playground equipment.  Triple M Recreation represents GameTime products and has local offices in Arizona, Colorado, NM & W. Texas.

The “Fighting Obesity Through Play,” matching grant program helps fund the purchase of playground equipment to encourage children’s physical activity and to replace playgrounds that are old and unsafe.

All orders for matching funds for playgrounds must be received no later than Nov. 14, 2008. For more information and an application form, call 800-235-2440, or go to www.gametime.com

Survival rates improve for Kids with Blood Cancers

In the United States, 5- and 10-year survival rates continue to improve for children younger than age 15 diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), acute non-lymphoblastic leukemia, or non Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), says a new study.

Advances in treatment for these diseases have led to increased long-term survival for patients. But most population-based studies include survival data from patients diagnosed in the mid 1990s or before and, therefore, may not reflect current outcomes, according to background information in the study.

In order to assess current trends, researchers compared 5- and 10-year survival estimates for patients diagnosed in 1990-94, 1995-99, and 2000-04, and also developed methods to predict survival in patients diagnosed in 2005-09.

The researchers found that from 1990-94 and 2000-04, 5- and 10-year survival increased from: 80.2 percent to 87.5 percent and from 73.4 percent to 83.8 percent, respectively, for patients with ALL; from 41.9 percent to 59.9 percent and from 38.7 percent to 59.1 percent, respectively, for patients with acute non-lymphoblastic leukemia; and from 76.6 percent to 87.7 percent and from 73.0 percent to 86.9 percent, respectively, for patients with NHL.

For children diagnosed in 2005, the estimated 10-year survival rate was 88.0 percent for ALL patients, 63.9 percent for patients with acute non-lymphoblastic leukemia, and 90.6 percent for NHL patients.

“Our period analysis revealed that survival after diagnosis with childhood hematologic malignancies has improved greatly over the past decade,” the study authors concluded. “Improvements in survival in childhood hematologic malignancies are most likely attributable to changes in how these diseases are treated.”

The study was published in the Sept. 9 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Source: NLM

After the Storm to come out on DVD

Due to come out this month is an incredible video called After the Storm - The Project Joy Story.

Play a Game, Save the Rainforest

Going green can be entertaining and educational, thanks to the launch of Treewala(TM), a free, online vocabulary game that generates revenue to plant trees in South American rainforests. Treewala is the flagship initiative of Greenwala Inc., a “green” social media company in development where people can learn to be environmentally responsible, brag about being green and share their actions with their friends, family and community.

“We love our planet and want to make sure we all have clean air to breathe,” said Rajeev Kapur, founder and Chief Wala. “We created the Treewala vocabulary game as an educational tool to help increase the number of trees planted in the rainforest. By playing Treewala, you help us do some serious work to fight deforestation.”

Treewala tests a player’s vocabulary skills and adapts the level of difficulty based on the number of correct answers. Players earn one leaf for every word they define correctly. Every leaf generates revenue, which Greenwala uses to buy trees to plant as part of the Marion Institute Los Gaviotas project. The tropical rainforest of the eco-village known as Los Gaviotas is a special model for addressing climate change. Rainforests are a vital component in helping to keep the Earth healthy by regulating temperature and fighting air pollution. Mighty rainforest trees absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) and produce clean air.

“The more leaves earned by Treewala players, the more trees we can plant,” Kapur said. “We call that a breath of fresh air. As you can tell by our first initiative, Greenwala takes a seriously light-hearted approach to going green. We believe we can reach more people and inspire them to shift their attitudes and behaviors through our social community model. People want to know how they can help and they do not have to live off the grid in order to make a difference!”

Disheartened by the negativity that surrounds environmental issues, Kapur conceived Greenwala in early 2008. With the support of seasoned entrepreneurs Carl Zeiger and John Kernan, Kapur was able to bring on a core group of co-founders in April of 2008 — Justine Burt, Jonathan Good and Parina Muni. Expected to launch this fall, the Greenwala experience also will focus on helping organizations increase their own brand awareness as it relates to their earth-friendly endeavors. Today, www.greenwala.com houses educational blogs and chronicles the founders’ journey toward “greenness.”

Play Treewala, get educated and contribute, and sign up to become a Wala or follow company activities on Twitter or on Facebook.

Readers Digest Foundation to donate $100,000 to The LEAGUE

Nonprofit Teaches Young People Importance of Working for Common Good

The Reader’s Digest Foundation (RDF) announced that it will donate $100,000 to The LEAGUE, a national school and web-based youth service organization that teaches young people how to make a positive difference in their communities and world. The LEAGUE empowers young people to take action in their community by providing more than 1,300 K-12 lessons and educational resources, free of charge, to schools. These tools teach kids about philanthropy and civic responsibility and lead to hands-on volunteer activities, encouraging kids to give their time and talent to make the world a better place.

This grant, the fifth in the Foundation’s $1 million Make it Matter program, was inspired by the amazing accomplishments of 14-year-old Carly Zalenski from Canton, Ohio, who epitomizes the power of young people to change the world. Carly, with the support of her family, raised more than $50,000 over a two-year period, beginning when she was 12, to build a school in Vietnam. Making fundraising pitches and collecting checks from Rotary clubs and churches all across the state, Carly eventually met her $50,000 goal, which was then matched by the Vietnam Children’s Fund. In March, Carly and her family traveled to Vietnam for a dedication ceremony at the Hoa Lac School in the Mekong Delta – the school Carly helped build. Carly’s story is featured in the August issue of Reader’s Digest.

“We are delighted to offer our support to The LEAGUE,” said Susan Fraysse Russ, executive director, Reader’s Digest Foundation. “As Carly Zalenski proves, compassion and the desire to help others are not restricted by age. The LEAGUE is guiding students to create a better world for people of all ages and we are proud to be part of that.”

“We are incredibly grateful to the Reader’s Digest Foundation for choosing The LEAGUE as a grant recipient,” says Mindy Propper, Chief Operating Officer for The LEAGUE.”We too are inspired by the work of Carly Zalenski and know that there are so many more young people just like her. The LEAGUE is all about providing these students with the resources they need to truly make a difference. Thanks to the support of Reader’s Digest Foundation, we can extend our programming to more schools in more communities nationwide.”

Reader’s Digest magazine is lending its support to the Foundation’s program by highlighting the stories of selected individuals in its monthly “Make it Matter” column. Many of the submissions, including those that do not lead to a grant, will be featured on http://www.readersdigest.com.

Submissions for Make it Matter will be accepted by the Foundation on a rolling basis throughout 2008.

More information on the Readers Digest Foundation can be found here.

Source: CSRWire