Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Music to Our Ears: Company Supports Sixten's Foundation. Can yours?

Sixten’s Foundation has been the beneficiary of a corporate fund raising effort by the area musical instrument company Prodigy Instruments (www.prodigyinstruments.com). Earlier this year, Prodigy Instruments announced that it would donate 5% of its sales during the program, and Sixten's Foundation is now in receipt of its first contribution -- a check of over $1,000. (Learn more here: http://www.prodigyinstruments.com/donate_to_sixten.asp)

One of the owners of Prodigy Instruments is Robert Kurz. He is also the president of Sixten's Foundation and the father of the foundation's namesake Sixten, the boy at the center of and the inspiration for the foundation and its mission to improve the lives of children like him. Robert and his business partner Mike Lindvall decided Sixten's Foundation was a natural beneficiary for their efforts. Prodigy Instruments has long been involved with philanthropic endeavors that have benefited the community including the Prodigy Instrument's Philharmonic Donation Project. Read more about that important program here: http://www.prodigyinstruments.com/Donate_To_An_Orchestra.asp

Do you have a company, large or small, that might be able to help Sixten's Foundation with a similar program? If you would like to talk to Robert about it, he would be happy to hear from you. It isn't difficult to establish, and such a program may even help you to increase sales. We will certainly help you to promote it here and among the outreach we have with our extensive and interested mailing lists. Please give Robert a call at Prodigy Instruments at 301.805.9407.

Thanks again to everyone for your continued interest in and support of Sixten's Foundation!


Good Luck, John Deasy. And Thanks.

In considering the impact Prince George’s County Public Schools superintendant John Deasy made to education during his tenure here in Maryland, it may be an historic class of children with cerebral palsy who will most benefit.

It was John Deasy who, with his vision and generosity of time and spirit, ushered in the pilot program that made conductive education an option for these children with severe physical and mental learning disabilities.

From the beginning, Dr. Deasy listened to what the parents of these children had to say and opened the doors to the school district, literally and figuratively, to this important educational curriculum. He demonstrated remarkable insight in looking past the status quo when it came to improving how these children learn. By rallying support within the school district from the top down to join the enthusiastic parents working from the bottom up, he cultivated the healthy and successful conductive education program now serving as a national model in Prince George’s County. Because of Dr. Deasy and the supportive educators and administrators working with him, this district is now responsible for some of the area’s most challenged students learning and wanting to learn beyond what was previously available to them.

The Bill and Melinda Gate Foundation is fortunate to have you join them. Please know that Sixten’s Foundation and its friends and supporters wish you the best of luck with your new vocation. We are not sure we will ever be able to adequately thank you for positively affecting the future of so many children, but know that what you did will always remain in our hearts and minds.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Ways You Can Help Sixten’s Foundation

We are pleased to be asked by many of you how you can help us to achieve our goals here at Sixten’s Foundation. We are grateful for your interest and expressions of support, and we have identified some specific areas where people can help.

Please know that Sixten’s Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your contributions are tax deductable, whether you donate through PayPal or mail us a contribution directly, we can provide you with whatever related documentation you need. For those of you who have already been so generous in helping us, thank you. If you have not heard from us personally, you will shortly. We have been somewhat overwhelmed with all of the recent “back to school” activity and the conductive education program.

Please look for further updates here about ways to help.