Merry Christmas fro the Szott Foundation

Christmas greetings from the Szott Foundation:

We are so happy to report that in November the Andrew and Abby Szott Foundation presented its eleventh Gift of Time of $8,000 to Wendy Morales and her seven-year-old daughter, Krystell. They will honor us by attending the 5^th annual Abby Invite Gymnastics Fundraiser this Saturday, December 19 at Eastview High School in Apple Valley to officially receive the Gift. Please join us! It is always a very fun day.

We are so grateful to the coaches, EVHS gymnastics booster club, judges, volunteers, and to the 12 teams that will be competing. Each team has worked to provide a wide variety of silent auction items. I especially want to recognize Jodi Ramboldt, head coach for Eastview, for she is the driving force behind this very successful event that donates all of its proceeds to the Szott Foundation. We are humbled by her dedication to the sport, love for Abby and the Szott Foundation, and huge compassionate heart. Jodi would not be able to do what she does, however, without the help from her husband, Mick. Thank you Mick and Jodi for you teamwork.

Please go to our Recipients page to learn more about Krystell. She was diagnosed in August with osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer. She has had surgery to remove a tumor in her arm and is undergoing chemotherapy. We pray for total healing from the top of Krystell’s head to the bottom of her feet, and we are so grateful that Wendy will be able to spend this precious time with her little girl without the worry of financial burden. Be blessed Wendy and Krystell!

Another piece of exciting news is the wildly successful “Give to the Max Day” that occurred on November 17. Thank you to all who participated in that fundraising effort. We all raised more than $6,000 on that one day, and numerous donations have come in since then. We are deeply grateful for each and every dollar raised.

On behalf of the Andrew and Abby Szott Foundation, we want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy, and blessed New Year.

Warmest regards,

Kathryn Szott, President

Summer Successes

Hello Szott Foundation Friends,

As many of us head back to school, I am beginning to ask myself if summer ever arrived. I have never before worn a sweatshirt so many days in summer. Last night we attended a very fun block party. I wore a long sleeve t-shirt, hoody, winter coat, and gloves. There was big bond fire, and I was none too warm. We all thought it must be an evening in early November. I am NOT ready for summer to end.

As summer does come to a close, the Szott Foundation has many reasons to celebrate. Emmy Garner’s third annual Volley/Bowl Tournament raised $1500 for the Szott Foundation. Four of our board members bowled. We lost miserably but had a blast. The volleyball was a lot of fun, as well. Most of the teams were composed of young people, but there were a couple 40 and 50- something teams out there. Way to go! I would encourage more people to participate in the fun next year. Our hats off to you Emmy!

We were blessed with another perfect day for our 3^rd annual Tournament for Time. Eric Perkins was our emcee/host and he did a fabulous job. He even said he’d come back next year and do it again. The highlight of the day had to have been the presence of the Olson Gift of Time family, Justin, Jodi, Jordyn, and Brenna. When Jodi said, “Jordyn is alive today because of the Szott Foundation,” there was not a dry eye in the place. Jordyn, just turned 3, then took the mic from her mom and proceeded to give her 2 cents worth. It was darling. That little girl had the audience captured.

We were very pleased with the results of the T4T this year. The sluggish economy left its mark, but our bottom line was still almost $13,000. A great, great big thank you to all who participated.

To finish of the whirlwind of the week, the following day Natalie Nutty hosted her 2^nd annual Homerun for Time. She also did a great job. In addition to t-shirts, brats, burgers, and tons of laughter, she added a silent auction. My favorite item was a flying lesson. Very cool, Natalie! On behalf of the Szott Foundation, we are so grateful for the $2,000 raised.

I turned 55 on August 18^th, and I set a Facebook goal for the Szott Foundation Cause. I challenged 20 people to each donate $55 raising a total of $1100. I didn’t get 20 people, and they didn’t all donate $55. One person told me that she just needed to add a 5 to her donation, so hers became a $555 donation. It was fun because every day for the week before my birthday, I would check my email to see who might have donated. When it was all said and done, through facebook and snail mail I raised $1300. Thank you to all who participated.

Finally, we received a grant for $500 from the Pediatric Homecare Service in Roseville. They learned about us through the Association of Pediatric Hematology Oncology Nurses conference last spring. When I received a call from them, I just assumed they were going to ask for help. You can imagine my delight when I was told they wanted to give us money. A link to their website will be put on ours.

The good news in all this is that the Szott Foundation has $18,300 more than we did at the beginning of the summer. God continues to provide for the Szott Foundation, and we will continue to do His work.

May you all be blessed!

Kathryn

Webmeister Janet here.  Today is the Tournament for Time at the Monticello Country Club!  Thanks to all who are playing or dining with us!  You will make such a difference in the life of families going through a painful and difficult time by providing them with the Gift of Time.  In memory of and in honor of the strength and courage of Andrew and Abby Szott, may many other families be blessed with the healing of our Lord and the unity of their families through our Gift of Time.

Janet Malz

HELP! Is it on the way?

Good afternoon family and friends,

I hope you are enjoying this lovely summer Sunday afternoon. I had the pleasure of having lunch with Jon, one of Abby’s dear friends today, and I was reminded once again of how important relationships are. I treasure the ones I have with the young people in my life, and who were in Abby’s. I’m not always very good at keeping connected with them. I continue to vow that I will do better.

Moving on to a more difficult topic for me to discuss, I am going to plead for your help.  As unemployment continues to rise, so does the immense need of families depending on charitable organizations such as the Andrew and Abby Szott Foundation. It is a time that we must lean heavily on those who are able to give. As I mentioned last time I wrote, we are having to suspend giving a Gift of Time for the third quarter of 2009, and that breaks my heart. This is an appeal to all of you out there who care deeply about the Szott Foundation’s mission to provide the Gift of Time that allows one parent to stay home from work full-time to take care of the physical, emotional, and medical needs of a child with life-threatening cancer.  I am aware that many of you will not be able to support the Szott Foundation by attending one, two, or all three of our fundraisers that are scheduled for the end of July and beginning of August, but perhaps you can contribute by making a generous donation.

Please reflect upon my request. I ask you to imagine if it was your child fighting for life, and you were having to make a choice between work and being able to stay home with you child. Please, please help. Donating on-line is fast and easy. All you need to do is click on the “Donate Now” button.

With many blessings and sincerest gratitude.

Kathryn Szott, President of the Andrew and Abby Szott Foundation

Two New Gift of Time Families

The Andrew and Abby Szott Foundation is once again honored to grant our ninth and tenth families the Gift of Time. It was with great pleasure and gratitude that the Foundation was able to give $13,000 to a family from Savage, MN who wishes to remain anonymous for the time being. Their 12 year-old-son was diagnosed with a brain tumor in August 2008. The family has enjoyed a lovely Make-a-Wish family trip to Puerto Rico. His mother was able to stay at home with he and his two siblings when they were smaller, and now his father will be blessed to have time at home with the children.

We were also honored to award the Lynell Gusta with $6,000. Lynell’s son, Grant McGarry, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in May of 2007. He began his chemotherapy in September of that year and finished it in March 2008. Grant remained cancer free until January 2009, at which time it had metastasized to both lungs. Grant is facing difficult medical challenges at this time, but he recently enjoyed celebrating his twelfth birthday with many friends and family. Please follow Grant’s story on his caringbridge site at www.caringbridge.org/visit/grantmcgarry.

The Andrew and Abby Szott Foundations wishes both of our new families faith, endurance, courage, and hope (FECH).  As we do for all of our Gift of Time children, we will pray for total healing from the top of these children’s heads to the bottom of their feet.

Many blessings to all of our Szott Foundation friends. We hope to see many of you at one or all three of our July fundraisers. First of all Emmy Garner has added a twist to the third annual Sand Volleybowl Benefit on Saturday July 25. Notice the name. You now may register as a volleyball player or as a bowler.

Join us the following Friday, July 31, as we kick-off a weekend of Szott Foundation fun with our third annual Tournament for Time golf event at Monticello Golf Club on Friday and our second annual Homerun for Time on Saturday, August 1, where the MN Twins take on the Los Angeles Angels. You can learn more about all three events and how to register by visiting us at www.szottfoundation.org and clicking on the Fundraisers link.

FECH
Kathryn Szott, President

Are you looking for a way to get involved?

Hello fellow Szott Foundation lovers! It is that time again for the annual sand volleyball benefit! In addition to the volleyball tournament, we will also be offering a simultaneous bowling tournament this year! This means a lot more work! I would greatly appreciate anyone who would like to volunteer to help out this year, especially because I will be in Madison for most of the summer. The more volunteers the better! If you would like to volunteer, please contact me, Emmy Garner, at 651-492-4427 or egarner@wisc.edu

Happy Spring!

Thankfully, I think it has finally arrived. There is something about the concept of spring that delights me both inside and out. It’s a chance to begin anew, putting the long, dark days of winter behind. As things begin to stir in the ground, I find they also begin to stir in my mind and heart. It’s almost like an annual awakening. Praises be!

Our big news in March was welcoming our 8^th Gift of Time family to the Szott Foundation’s ever-growing list. We presented $14,000 to Eric Orton and his two children, Samantha and her 15 year-old brother, Tyler. Samantha is 14 years old, and in August of 2008 she was diagnosed with desmoplastic small round cell tumor, a rare soft tissue sarcoma. April 20^th she will be going to the University of MN for a stem cell transplant. Please join me and pray for every step of their journey to go as smoothly as possible. We know what a difficult road they will be on over the next several months and we wish them every blessing along the way.

Plans for our 3^rd Annual Tournament for Time are well underway, and we are very excited. Once again this year we are grateful that Kennedy Hoffman will be chairing the event. You will be hearing more and more about it over the course of the next couple of months. Most of you have already, or will soon be receiving our Save the Date card in the mail. If you don’t receive one and want to be added to our database to receive Szott Foundation communication, please email Tom Mason and tom.mason@szottfoundation.org.) Give him your name, address, phone number, and email address. Please put it on your refrigerator, so that it won’t get forgotten. Monticello Golf Club will be hosting it once again. We have moved the date to Friday, July 31. We hope that all who want to play and participate will show up. Once again, we will have room for guests who want to join the fun, but don’t care for the game of golf. Please come for dinner and the silent auction.

Please visit us again soon.

Blessings to all!

Kathryn

Deadline for Applications May 14, 2009

The application deadline for the next Gift of Time grant is May 14. See your social worker for an application. See our FAQ for Frequently Asked Questions about the application process.

Giving our 7th Gift of Time

Happy Sunday afternoon!

We have been doing a tremendous amount of “behind the scenes” work with the intention of creating more Andrew and Abby Szott Foundation exposure. I hope we have succeeded and I look forward to your feedback.

First, we wish to welcome 14 year-old Jenna Johnston, her mom, and her twin sister as our newest Gift of Time recipient. Jenna was diagnosed in August 2008 with a rare form of childhood cancer called rabdomyosarcoma. We awarded her family a $10,400 Gift of Time at our February board meeting.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Jenna’s mother this afternoon. She reported that God has healed Jenna, as her last two scans have not revealed any disease. Jenna still has a long haul ahead of her; her treatments are alternating five days and three days every two weeks. Her chemo runs over a 24-hour period, so she is required to stay in the hospital during the course of these days. She has just completed her first 5-week radiation treatment and suffered some pretty severe burning because of it. She has another 5-week treatment that she will begin in a couple of months. I assured Jenna’s mom that the Szott Foundation family would pray for the following things:
•    Finances
•    Continued health and healing
•    Relief from the feeling of isolation
•    Jenna’s sister
Will you please join me in bombarding Heaven with these petitions? They will be heard!

Second, we have FINISHED our new promotional video, and it is quiet compelling. My brother, John Laurence, and KARE 11 photographer, Ron Stover, put many, many hours into its creation, and the Szott Foundation is grateful beyond measure for this added communication tool. It will help bring the Foundation to a new level, as its design is for exposure and fundraising. Thank you so much John and Ron! Please look for the link to view it on our website. It will also soon be available on YouTube and Network for Good. We are very excited.

Next, all of the communication tools that the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management students created are complete. Kelsey Webster, board member and student has completed our first Annual Report. The report is a tool for the Foundation to communicate its work to external stakeholders and includes:
•    Budget information and year-to-date finances.
•    Events from the past year.
•    Biographies of Gift of Time recipients and Board of Directors.
•    Recognition of volunteers, donors and corporate sponsors.
Please be looking for an electronic copy of the Annual Report, and we hope you enjoy reading it.

As many of you know already, we have a new look to our website. Sawan Patel is responsible for this new development. He upgraded the current website to be more user-friendly to potential donors, volunteers, and families so they can find information that is relevant to them, even if they are not currently familiar with the Foundation. The website allows all Board members to update the site easily and with improved efficiency, using familiar Microsoft Office applications. It provides the Foundation with a user manual to describe how to manage and edit the new site. The website also allows visitors to subscribe to my blog and other frequently updated content. These things were done largely to improve the navigation, organization and design layout, while making minimal changes to content. The new website will help market the Szott Foundation nationwide and encourage participation of visitors, even those who are just becoming familiar with the Foundation. Further, the site’s improved organization promotes online donations by making the “donate now” button more visible.

We also have a new brochure that is beautiful and was designed by Liz Pellen. She changed the design elements of the brochure and added a section about its vision to become a nationwide organization. She also added content to make the current brochure effective for both an applicant audience, as well as a potential donor audience. It will help us realize our goal for people to know exactly what the Andrew and Abby Szott Foundation is all about after only glancing at the brochure.

A PowerPoint template is another development that was created by Bryan Olson. It will be used for all formal presentations that the Szott Foundation makes and includes elements of the branding guidelines including layouts, visuals, fonts, and colors. There are different slide layouts designated for a presentation’s introduction, agenda, content, contact information, and Q & A slides. The deck also includes three standard content slides for use in presentations, including “About the Foundation,” “Application Process,” and “Andrew and Abby’s Story.” The template will make it much easier for the Foundation to use and easy for the audience to recognize and follow.

Finally, the U of M students designed new business cards, a newsletter template, and letterhead, all to make the look of the Foundation consistent throughout its communication tools.

On behalf of the Board of Directors we wish to thank these very talented, creative, hard-working, and passionate people for being so very committed to the cause of the Foundation:
•    John Laurence
•    Ron Stover
•    Kelsey Webster
•    Sawan Patel
•    Liz Pellen
•    Brian Olson
You have helped to move mountains in the growth of the Andrew and Abby Szott Foundation.

Blessings to all of you. Please let us know what you think.

Fondly,

Kathryn Szott
Co-Founder and President
Andrew and Abby Szott Foundation