Kids Day: Tuesday, October 2, 2007

About Kids Day

Benefitting Shriners Hospital for Children Northern California

What is Kids Day?

When the Shriners opened their flagship facility in Sacramento in 1997, The Sacramento Bee found a way to celebrate the arrival of this unique pediatric medical center. Working in association with the Ben Ali Shrine, The Bee launched Kids Day, a community event to raise public awareness and funds for Shriners Hospitals for Children Northern California. Since then, Kids Day has raised over half a million dollars to support Shriners Hospitals for Children in its mission to provide the gift of free care to children with orthopaedic conditions, spinal cord injuries and burns.

Each year on Kids Day, thousands of community volunteers take to the streets to sell The Sacramento Bee. The newspaper is wrapped with a special section written by The Bee newsroom showcasing Shriners Hospitals and its special programs and personal triumphs. This Kids Day section is only available on this day through volunteers selling The Bee on street corners throughout the Sacramento region. The newspapers are sold for $1 each with .75 cents going directly to Shriners Hospitals for Children.

The Dream of Free Care

The story of Shriners Hospitals began more than 80 years ago with the dream of providing free medical care to children with polio, club foot, absence of limbs and other orthopaedic conditions. When the first Shriners Hospital opened in 1922, the medical landscape was much different - polio was a national concern, there was no such thing as managed care, and not all families could afford to go to the doctor.

Shriners Hospitals have been a dream come true for thousands of families whose children suffered from the crippling effects of polio and other orthopaedic ailments. Hospital archives are filled with triumphant accounts of children who regained the ability to walk, and the independence and skills needed to lead active, productive lives.

Over the years, the Shriners gift of free care has touched the lives of hundreds of thousands of children and provided doctors and scientists with opportunities to advance medicine through collaborative teaching and research.

How Can You Help?

The Sacramento Bee Kids Day provides an opportunity for individuals, businesses, clubs, schools and service organizations to make a difference in the life of a child while participating in an exciting community event. Here are the ways you can help:

Volunteer - Starting at 6 a.m. on Kids Day, thousands of volunteers will adopt street corners throughout the region to sell Kids Day newspapers. Any group that commits to selling 1,000 newspapers will be classified as a Power Team and be entitled to special signage, pre-publicity for your selling location and the name of your group in the Kids Day Thank You ad. To volunteer, please print this form and return to the address on the form.

Be a Sponsor - You and your business can make a difference in the lives of children while creating good will and visibility in the community. In addition to the special Kids Day section of The Bee being sold on Tuesday, October 2, The Bee will also print a special section on Sunday, September 30 that will appear in every paper sold or delivered that day. Your sponsorship of Kids Day offers various levels of participation that include in-paper and online advertising, as well as logo recognition.

Hold a fundraiser - Hold a Kids Day fundraiser at your school, workplace, church or club. Ben Ali Shrine can even provide a famous Shriners Clown.

If you are interested in volunteering for or sponsoring Kids Day, please call (916) 453-2332, or e-mail kidsday@shrinenet.org.

Join us on
Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2007