Spring News from the Sweet Pea Foundation

Sweet Pea Foundation in the News

In mid-December the CBS News affiliate, WSBT, in South Bend followed the Sweet Pea Foundation as we delivered several toys and gifts to children in the pediatric unit at Memorial Hospital. In addition to individual gifts for the patients, the Foundation donated several items to the Child Life Program. The toys and supplies provided will assist young patients staying at the hospital in their healing and recovery process. We were thrilled to have WSBT News22 cover the toy delivery and help others learn more about the Sweet Pea Foundation. A link to the WSBT story can be found on our web site at www.sweetpeafoundation.org

Blarney Bash

The 2009 version of the Blarney Bash was again a great success. The annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration included the traditional Irish cuisine. Throw in some Irish music and the craft corner, and we had a family-friendly event enjoyed by all. We extend a special thanks to our sponsors (listed on the back cover) for their generous support. Save Wednesday, March 17th for next year’s Blarney Bash!

Community Involvement

For the second holiday season, Kay Jewelers in Elkhart generously donated stuffed bears to the Sweet Pea Foundation. In total, 202 bears were given and the Foundation delivered the toys to Elkhart General Hospital and Memorial and St. Joseph Hospitals in South Bend. We want to thank everyone at Kay Jewelers for their support.  

In April the Sweet Pea Foundation received a generous donation from Kuhlman Electric and ABB Inc. Suzanne was presented with a check by Tom Minnich, President and CEO of Kuhlman Electric, during a visit to the corporate office in Versailles, KY. The Foundation is honored to be the recipient of this generous gift.

Sweet Pea Foundation Partners with Seventh Graders at St. Pius X Catholic School

Throughout this past spring the Foundation partnered with the seventh grade class at St. Pius X Catholic School in Granger, IN, as part of the class’s stewardship component. Some of the activities the students helped with included: making decorations for the Blarney Bash, writing letters to pediatric patients, as well as developing a list of toys that teenage patients might like to receive. We were thrilled to work with this year’s group of seventh graders and look forward to partnering with future classes.

Kickoff Classic Golf Outing

Mark your calendar! The 6th Annual Kickoff Classic golf outing has been scheduled for September 4, 2009 at Juday Creek Golf Course in Mishawaka, IN. If you are interested in sponsoring or participating in the event, please contact Pete Letherman at 574-296-1310. You can sign up a foursome or individually. We will forward more detailed information about the outing later this summer. Who will be the next foursome to have their names engraved on the coveted SPF cup?

Toy Count & Big Ticket Donations

To date the Sweet Pea Foundation has delivered over 3,350 toys to children’s hospitals. We continue to work toward our goal of 5,000 toys donated by 2010. The Foundation has also donated over 195 “big ticket” items such as DVDs, crib mobiles, and personal gaming devices. We hope to increase this number to 250 by 2010.

Pop Can Tab Update

We have generously received pop can tabs from many Foundation supporters, however we would like to thank the following organizations for their enormous tab donations:

· Fox Ridge Elementary School, St. Charles, IL

· Northland Corporation, Elkhart, IN

· Our Lady of the Snows School, Chicago, IL

· Westfield High School, Westfield, IN

Grace-E-Grams

If you have a family member or know of a child that is going to be hospitalized for an extended period of time, please let the Foundation know. We will send a small package of toys and books to the patient.

Support for the Foundation continues to grow—from the employees of Kuhlman Electric and ABB Inc. of Versailles, KY, to the seventh grade class at St. Pius X Catholic School in Granger, IN, to the students at Fox Ridge Elementary School in St. Charles, IL. We are amazed at the help the Foundation continues to receive as we strive to make a difference in the lives of sick children.

We continue to be humbled by the success of the Foundation and the outpouring of support we have received. We know that Grace is looking down on us with joy for all the success the Foundation has had throughout the years. Thank you.

With gratitude,

Pete, Suzanne, Andrew, Cecilia & Angel Grace Letherman

The funds received from the Spring 2009 Campaign will be broken down as follows:

· 70% for the “Seeds of Grace” fund

· 15% for the toys

· 15% for the Ronald McDonald House reserve fund 

Autumn 2008 Campaign Letter sweetpea sweetpeaSpring 2008 Campaign Letter

Autumn 2007 Campaign Letter Sweet Pea Sweet     Spring 2007 Campaign Letter

Autumn 2006 Campaign Letter                                    Spring 2006 Campaign Letter

Autumn 2005 Campaign Letter                                    Spring 2005 Campaign Letter

Autumn 2004 Campaign Letter                                    Spring 2004 Campaign Letter