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Support Our WorkCreative fundraisersDoctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) relies on the support of hundreds of thousands of individual donors across the United States and worldwide to make our work possible. Here are some of the creative ways that people have raised money for MSF. Students Cook Up a Fundraiser At the start of spring semester, Professor Linda Coutant’s Public Relations Writing class at Appalachian State University selected Doctors Without Borders as their hypothetical “client” for the course. Following the earthquake in Haiti, only two days into the semester, the students’ coursework fostered in them a collective passion for MSF, inspiring them to organize a fundraiser to support its mission. The class decided to organize a potluck meal on the last day of their course, both as a way of celebrating the work they had done and also to fundraise to support Doctors Without Borders and the earthquake victims in Haiti. Children for Charity A few years ago after watching a television program about children in Africa, the then seven year old Nikki Flowers was inspired to do more than donate her weekly allowance. Through the combined efforts of her family and community, Nikki chose to record and produce a CD of music, where 100% of the proceeds would go to the Doctors Without Borders Malnutrition Program. Nikki and friends successfully recorded and produced a 16-song CD and organized concerts in their local Los Gatos, CA area. “I think this CD is great because one CD saves three kids and we've already sold a lot, so we've saved a lot of kids.” Nikki told the concert crowd. For more information please visit: childrensvoicesforcharity.org. Inspired? You can plan a fundraiser too! Here are some tips. Concert for Doctors Without Borders Rallying various musicians and sponsors in San Francisco for a fundraising party for Doctors Without Borders came quite naturally to Lee Haddad. Hosted at The Verdi Club in San Francisco, sponsors provided the food and beverages while various Bay area bands accommodated the guests with live music. The combined efforts of local bands and nearby restaurants and vendors raised over $9,000 for Doctors Without Borders and their projects around the world. “Fill the Boot” Fundraiser in Huntington, NY
In three short hours, various members from the Huntington Community First Aid Squad, Huntington Manor Fire Department, and Huntington Fire Department were able to raise over $35,000 for Doctors Without Borders. Inspired by members from their own community from Haiti, three of which are participants in HCFAS, they took to the streets asking for donations in their “Fill the Boot” fundraiser. Despite the cold winter weather, over one-hundred men, women and junior/youth squad members walked the streets of Huntington asking drivers and passers-by for donations. Inspired? You can plan a fundraiser too! Here are some tips. Hands Across the Globe - The New Cambridge Trio In January of 2010, Alice Miller and her band, The New Cambridge Trio (pictured) organized Hands Across the Globe, a benefit concert featuring various pieces of international music. The Larchmont community in Westchester County, New York gathered with hot chocolate and coffee in a nearby church to enjoy the sounds of Alice Miller on flute, Tony Coretto on piano and Marcel Villaflor on double bass; and in so doing, raised over $2,400 for Doctors Without Borders. Kim Hayashi
Kim Hayashi from Tucson, AZ first heard about Doctors Without Borders through a friend who had worked for the organization in the field. Inspired by her experiences, Kim, an accomplished pianist, decided to start organizing benefit concerts to support the organization. That was in 2005 and he is still organizing several concert and recital events throughout the year raising funds and awareness for Doctors Without Borders. Inspired? You can plan a fundraiser too! Here are some tips. Fashion Without Borders
On May 3, 2008 Stanford University’s Students Promoting Ethnic and Cultural Kinship (SPEACK) organized a charity fashion show: Fashion Without Borders. The fashion show, an annual event which this year raised $5500, works to break down the University’s student ethnic borders, so they together can help the doctors and nurses of MSF break down global borders. Experienced MSF surgeon Sherry Wren gave a brief presentation on MSF and her work with the organization in Chad and the Ivory Coast.
Musicians for Myanmar
Photo by Colin Dabbs of the Webster Kirkwood Times Susan Volcan (from left) and Jo Aerne perform during the “Musicians for Myanmar” benefit. After the cyclone hit Myanmar in early May, Jo Aerne organized Musicians for Myanmar, a benefit concert to raise funds for the victims of the disaster. Inspired? You can plan a fundraiser too! Here are some tips. For Darfur Inc. For Darfur was started by a group of high school friends from Delray Beach, FL to raise awareness and funds for Doctors Without Borders' work in Darfur, Sudan. Throughout last year the group organized a series of fundraising events including concerts, auctions and parties where they raised an amazing $100,000 and they are continuing their efforts in 2008 with more events. For Darfur was started by Gabriel Schillinger, Grant Dubler, Matthew Teper, George Merck, Clea Stone, Kayle Gishen, James Sunshine eQuilter
When Luana Rubin founded eQuilter, the world's largest online quilting resource, nine years ago in Boulder, CO, she decided to donate two percent of net sales to charity each month. Luana announced at the end of 2007 that eQuilter had contributed $525,000 to charity since the company was founded. To celebrate her achievement she presented Doctors Without Borders/Médecines Sans Frontières a gift for $6,144.24 on Christmas Eve 2007, bringing the total amount she has donated to the organization to $50,000. Tom Coogan (pictured left), a returned volunteer, accepted the check from Luana (pictured right) and her staff on behalf of Doctors Without Borders. Inspired? You can plan a fundraiser too! Here are some tips. Rare Stamp Auction Produces Largest Gift in MSF's History, Over $9 Million  The international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) expresses its gratitude for a gift of $9,136,000 from Bill and Sue Gross of Laguna Beach, California, generated from the sale at auction of a portion of Mr. Gross's rare and extensive stamp collection. "This has the potential to be one of the largest donations in the 36-year history of our organization," said Dr. Darin Portnoy of New York City, president of the U.S. section of Doctors Without Borders. "The incredible generosity of Bill and Sue Gross will help ensure that our medical teams can provide lifesaving care to victims of the most urgent and neglected crises around the world. Doctors Without Borders is also grateful that the Gross' have entrusted us with finding where the needs are the greatest." The William H. Gross Collection Press Release: Annual Sudan Jam  High School student Aylin Saner of Valrico, FL and eight of her friends got together and organized the Annual Sudan Jam, a benefit concert to help raise awareness and aid for the situation in the Darfur region of Sudan. The event, an all-day concert with local bands, had a great turnout which helped raise $14,750 to aid Doctors Without Borders' work with displaced persons in Darfur. Inspired? You can plan a fundraiser too! Here are some tips. Mt. Kilimanjaro Climbers
Justin Watson and Craig Helker organized the Mt. Kilimanjaro Climbers for Doctors Without Borders which set out to climb the tallest freestanding mountain in the world, Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and to raise funds for Doctors Without Borders. With the team, Leigh Jablonski, Lisa Kaiser and Jeff Samida they set the goal to raise at least $1,000 each, but the project was so successful, they ended up raising much more than that with the final total of $11,291. They reached the summit of Kilimanjaro on January 4, 2007.Mt. Kilimanjaro Climbers |
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