an invitation to join a wonderful project

Hey all well didnt even have ent yesterday mum canceled it but i just wanted to give all of you charge fams a heads up and ask you to pls join a wonderful project minnie made. Some of you form orlando will know minnie and her fam but for those who dont shes a charge mum n my fb friend.

Hello Everyone~
A recent book that Andrew and his class read has inspired me to kick off a very unique fundraising project to benefit the CHARGE Syndrome Foundation. Andrew's class read a book entitled "Flat Stanley". There is a project that goes along with the book that takes Flat Stanley on a journey.
Now own to OUR project. With the help of many of you here I am hoping to launch The Flat Charlie Project.
You may ask who is Flat Charlie?
Flat Charlie is a little guy that needs you help to become whole and make it the the 11th International CHARGE Syndrome Conference in Arizona in 2013.
How can you help Flat Charlie?
Flat Charlie is in search of host families that will take care of him and add a missing piece to him. This family will also have to raise money to help send him on to his next destination as he CHARGEs around the world on his way to the CHARGE Syndrome Conference in Arizona.

I am searching for families that will be willing to be a host family for Flat Charlie. Flat Charlie will be nothing more that a blank little paper boy that will leave our home first. Andrew and I will add a very special piece to him to help him on his journey. When he arrives to your home the amount time that you keep him will depend on just how many CHARGE families we can get involved. He will arrive with a list of his host families and a map of his journey..you will cross you families name off of the list and mark your spot in the map and send him to his next destination.
Now for the FUN part..Let's get the KIDS involved! I have also made a group page called "The Flat Charlie" group. You can go to this page and upload pictures of your family with Flat Charlie.. Make posts of what your family is doing with him..and let the next family know that he is on the way.Let's keep everyone informed as to what he is doing!
It will be each families responsibility to raise money to sponsor the leg of the journey. We ask that each family raise at least $100. How you raise that money is up to you..you can take up donations from others that what to sponsor your family as a host family or Flat Charlie and your family could have a bake sale..However you do it is up to you..Just keep the kids involved!
A team has been set up with the CHARGE Syndrome Foundation called the Flat Charlie Team..this is where all the money will go. The Foundation limits to 20 members per team but do not worry we will create as many teams as we need. We will all be individual members of the same team.
I am excited to launch this project and I hope that you will want to join my family in helping Flat Charlie reach the 11th International CHARGE Syndrome Conference in Arizona in 2013!!!
Sign up and let's see just how we can all work together as one!
Let's help Flat Charlie CHARGE his way to Arizona!!!
(We will take as many families as we can..amount of time spent at each destination will be determined after the exact number of families known. The goal of this project is to get the kids and their families involved in a fun exercise to help support the CHARGE Syndrome Foundation. The project is expected to launch in February and the final destination will bring him back to our family in May of 2013. He will be presented to the Foundation from all of the families involved at the 11th International CHARGE Syndrome Conference in Arizona, along with a grand total of how much money he has collected along his journey. All info will be sent in the form of email to keep the cost of sending Flat Charlie to his next destination as low as possible. We are trying to raise money so we will keep the cost down as low as possible for each family.)please spread the word. We want as many families included in this as possible. I will also be making a post on the Listserve! anyone who needs me can reach me via email mllambert123@yahoo.com I look forward to watching this grow into something huge! Together we can make The Flat Charlie Project a great success!

 The first rule is that you must be a CHARGE family to particpate in this project. Any others that may join this group to keep track of Flat Charlie may participate by going to the CHARGE Syndrome Foundation website and clicking on CHARGE it for CHARGE and making a donation to any of the families on the team.

If you a...re a interested CHARGE family keep reading...

When I was thinking of this project I always wanted it to be something that the families as a whole could help with. I think that it is important to get the children involved as much as possible. When FLat Charlie arrives to your family he will be missing lots of things. It will be your responsiblity to add a missing piece to him. This is a way for him to belong to all of the children. Be as creative as you would like just remember to use materials that are as lightweight as possible. We have to keep in mind that each family will have to pay postage for his travels and we ned to keep him as light as possible.
It will be interesing to see where your family will take Flat Charlie..what kind of adventure will you guys take together. This will be a way for you to show us your town and your family. You will be able to add your phots right here to this page and make posts about what you and your family are doing with Flat Charlie. The kids can even check this page to see where he is at any time that they wish.
After you leg of his journey is over you can email me a letter about you experience with him while he was with you..include pictures too if you wish.
Flat Charlie will arrive to you with a map for his scheduled destinations and a list of his other host families..just mark your spot on the map and cross out your families name and send the list and map on with him to his next stop. The amount of time each family gets to spend with Flat Charlie depends on the number of participants that we have in the project. I hope to give each family as much time with him as possible. I will try to group certain places together to cut down on travel time. The last leg of his journey will send him back to my family and we will be responsible for getting him to Arizona in 2013.
Now on to the funding..
It will also be each families respnsiblity to raise funds to "pay" for their leg of Flat Charlie's journey. I am hoping that each family raise at least $100 but the possiblies are endless. The way you raise this money will be up to you and your family. You can begin at anytime..not just while you have Flat Charlie. There is a Team Flat Charlie set up through the CHARGE Syndrome Foundation website under the CHARGE it for CHARGE tab..follow the steps in the post on this site to become a memeber of the team. I can provide you will the picture of Flat Charlie that I am using if you would like to have it for you personal page picture or jsut use any picture that you wish.
If you have any questuons or concerns I am available to asnwer them at anytime.
I look forward to all of us working together to make the Flat Charlie Project a complete sucess!

Here are the instructions for joining Team Flat Charlie through the CHARGE Syndrome Foundation..all host families will have to join to be able to send their donations in to count towards the teams goal. You will a a fundraiser but be a part of a team as well.
1. Go to the CHARGE Syndrome Foundation Site
2. Click on CHARGE it for CHARGE
3. To the right you will see TEAM RANK..click MORE
4. Click on Team Flat Charlie..my name will also appear there
... 5. Click on the tab to JOIN OUR TEAM
Then just follow the instructions to create you our page..you can put any picture that you will like on your private page or I can email you the clip of Flat Charlie.
Now let's get STARTED!

oh and a tip form lisa wier if you are allreayd in the charge it for charge thing as a sparate indevidual you will need to create a new page to join the team pls message minnie on fb or at  mllambert`123@yahoo.com I hope you can join us in supporting the charge foundation and helping us with this oh and for non charge readers of my blog i will soon provide you with a link to donate to my fundraiser for the flat charlie project oh and feel free to pass on to any other charge fams the mroe we get the more money and funds we raise