Our work in 2015. And Online Donations!

It has been another good year for the Fund. Since our beginnings, we have distributed almost $25,000 to date to various organizations and charitable events. This, of course, would be impossible without the good will and generosity of all of you. So thank you.

Here is what we have been able to do in 2015:

• Donated $207.50 to the Fairfield School Literacy Program in Saco. Fairfield Elementary was where Elle attended kindergarten.
  
• Donated $250.00 to the CK Burns PTO for Performing Arts.
  
• Gave out $1,200.00 in scholarships for college-bound students at the Steppin Out Dance Center in Saco. We have given out these scholarships every year since we started. Steppin Out was where Elle took dance classes and it was her favorite activity.
  
• Donated $150.00 to Saco Little League.
  
• Sponsored the Elle Dash at the Hugs From Haley 5K. We have worked closely with Hugs from Haley for years and they were amazingly supportive of Elle during her illness. You can learn more about them at hugsfromhayley.com/. They are a wonderful charity and deserving of any support you can give them.
  
• Donated $1,000.00 to the Maine Children's Cancer Program.
  
• Donated $1,000.00 to the Barbara Bush Children's Hospital.

Again, that brings our total to almost $25,000 in total distributions since we began. And now it is even easier to help the Fund continue it's work.

We have (finally!) activated online donations. If you go to powerofelle.org you will see our brand-new Donate button at the top of the page. It can be a one-time donation or a recurring monthly donation if you so choose.

If you are looking to donate to a charity this holiday season, please consider the Power of Elle. All the money you send us goes right back out into the community.

Have a wonderful holiday season and we look forward to doing even more in 2016!

MCCP Donation / Frozen Fundraiser

At the end of 2014 and beginning of 2015, two events took place that encapsulate what the Fund tries to accomplish and how it is able to do so.

At the end of December in 2014, the Fund made it's annual donation to the Maine Children's Cancer Program. This is where Elle received her treatment. Their hard work and dedication is why Elle was able to do the things she wanted to do and have a full life while fighting cancer. It is one of our two annual donations at this time (the other goes to the Barbara Bush Children's Hospital in Portland). What made this donation special is that it marked the Fund passing $20,000 in total donations back to the community since our founding. This is a big milestone for us. Whether it is the annual donations to MCCP and BBCH, funding the construction of a new playground or giving out scholarships, the goal of this Fund has always been to keep Elle's memory alive and benefit the children in the surrounding community as best we can.

The reason we are able to do what we do is because of the generosity and unflagging dedication of the people in our community. On January 10, 2015, we held an event called Ellie's Frozen Birthday Party. Elle would have been celebrating her 10th birthday on that day. And she undoubtedly would have wanted a Frozen theme so it fit together perfectly. Thanks to the efforts of so many people, led by Jen Skinsacos and Sandy Mekonis, it was an amazing success and raised over $1700 for the Fund.

That $1700 will all go back into the community in one form or another. That one day alone will fund our donation to BBCH. It will allow us to give out scholarships, or fund a school program. Those events are what makes what we do possible. And we can never be grateful enough for the love this community shows for Elle every single day.

You can also see a report on the Frozen party by Channel 8 here as well as pictures from the event.

We are very excited as we move into 2015 (and hopefully warmer weather) and look forward helping our community even more.